Column: Future Presidents May Be Foiled By Facebook

(UWIRE.com)  This story was written by Dave Player, Daily Texan

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Still think you might want to run for president someday? It may already be too late.

Last Wednesday, the Austin American-Statesman ran a syndicated commentary by Maureen O'Connor and Jacob Savage of the Los Angeles Times reflecting on the role the Internet may play in future elections, especially in regard to what it may reveal about candidates' pasts.

In an extremely insightful piece, the two provoke a hypothetical scenario asking what today's presidential election might look like if the candidates had used Facebook in their teens. The two write, "It's one thing to hear that your elected representative had a wild time in college. It's entirely different to have pictorial proof." Many of us would rather our parents not see photos of last night's embarrassing escapades, much less an entire nation. But for those few of us who aspire to live in the public eye, especially the harsh scrutiny of the political world, that may someday be the case.

In the coming decade, we will likely see the very first generation of "Internet babies" enter the political world; men and women who were raised with a computer in the house and for whom words such as "e-mail," "download" and "Google" are second nature. But tech-savvy candidates will also have to deal with a voting public who is equally and often more adept with the Internet and who desperately wants to know every detail of their private lives.

Whereas in the past, a youthful mistake may have been easy to conceal, the future will not be so forgiving. As O'Connor and Savage suggested, would you really be comfortable putting a man or woman in the most powerful position in the world after seeing what a drunken buffoon they once were?

Or perhaps the revolution has already begun. O'Connor and Savage cite examples of children of politicians, such as Antonio Villaraigosa Jr., son of the Los Angeles mayor, who was caught bragging about underage drinking on a Facebook group. Pictures of Texas' own Pierce Bush made their rounds on the Internet in 2006. But while a racy picture garners immediate media attention, Internet sites like Facebook may in the future provide an insight that is more substantial than sensationalist.

Internet users, especially our generation, love engaging in heated political debate, often under the cloak of anonymity. Internet "anonymity," however, is far from a guarantee. Simply ask David Beckwith, a staffer for Senator John Cornyn, who was exposed earlier this month while commenting on a liberal blog under a false name. Next time, the exposed party may just as easily be a future candidate rather than a staffer.

As college students, our own political identities are still evolving and will continue to do so as we learn more about ourselves and the world around us. However, that does not stop us from voicing our own passionate opinions. When given the chance to speak without accountability, our better natures often fail us. Sites like juicycampus.com and austingonedirty.com have flourished based on students' willingness to anonymously air their grievances over petty social drama. But when the topic turns from what sorority is the prettiest to a moral or ethical issue such as capital punishment or gay marriage, a young anonymous poster may let their true feelings known to the world just as unsparingly.

As much as a candidate would suffer from an embarrassing picture at a fraternity party, the bigger political fire storm could come from an angry rant on a blog or discussion group. It makes one wonder what a debate between yonger versions of John McCain and Barack Obama would look like. Would one of them grow frustrated and type something regrettable? That exact scenario may be happening right now between the 2036 election candidates.

As the Internet allows voters to see more and more of candidates, those potential politicians must take further measures to make sure that their image is one to which the public will be receptive. The Internet has no limits. Hypothetically, anything you type could someday be brought back to haunt you. An e-mail, YouTube video or even a comment on a friend's wall are all fair game. So, think twice the next time you post a comment. In the meantime, I have some pictures that need untagging.