With a vote on the debt ceiling looming, politicians turned to Facebook to express their opinions, conduct polls, and ask for citizens' feedback (social media article). One of the reasons politicians use Facebook is because they can bypass the media and control their message. The instant feedback is also unique to social media. The article points out that in a survey of congressional staffers "nearly 75% think Facebook is "somewhat or very important" for communicating their members' views, followed closely by YouTube and less so by Twitter."
One perceived drawback to Facebook is that users friend people with similar views and are seldom exposed to people with opposing views. Politicians on Facebook are usually followed primarily by their supporters and therefore they are less likely to garner additional support via Facebook. Nonetheless, politicians are stepping up their use of social media to get their message out to the masses.
The following YouTube video presents a survey of Facebook usage by politicians:
