BY JONATHAN TRENN: I’ve been reading with interest the post-election analyses of the use of digital strategies for the U.S. presidential campaign. Barack Obama’s campaign wins hands down for overall integration of strategy.

A dozen years ago I wanted to start a business that would have basically been an online ad agency for politics. Creative, media buying, grassroots politics. The internet was relatively new, but it was already prominent as a form of media usage. The major problem was that the gatekeepers - the media consultants - either didn’t understand online at all, or they resisted it because they were making money with TV commercials ad didn’t want to stray from that. Every two years, those of us “pioneers” would think and hope that THIS would be the year, only to be disappointed by roadblocks, closed minds, and chickenshit campaign managers.

Well, 2008 proved to be THE YEAR.

Barack Obama won in part by appealing to a call for national unity and a call for change, both with a sense of urgency and love of country. John McCain, in many ways, did the same thing. But his campaign was focused too often and too much on negative attacks to appeal to unity. And, given factors such as his age and campaign structure, had a hard time effectively utilizing a overall interactive strategy that stands out.

A bit more about McCain. People running for office often (but not always) bring in consultants who match their worldview and strategic leanings. The McCain camp did not ignore the internet in general or the social media in particular, but they didn’t place much focus on it as well. that partially makes some sense. The leadership probably realized that McCain’s appeal through Facebook, on Twitter, and via YouTube could not match that of Obama’s.

But what Obama did in this campaign was transform politics as we know it - permanently. We always say that the 1960 presidential campaign was, in part, decided by television. That’s true. But that wasn’t from use as an internal strategy used by the Kennedy campaign. Instead, it was the natural passive viewer experience. That’s why I believe this year will be viewed as more important.

Allowing people to create their own profiles and thus network from the very beginning with the MyBO function was brilliance. It gave a lot of power to the enthusiasts who then spread the passion. It created networks of volunteers who would work for an Obama victory in places such as Indiana and Colorado, Virginia and North Carolina. Places that have recently always voted Republican.

I’ve worked in politics and one of the more important elements in a campaign is having a solid Get-Out-The-Vote (GOTV) apparatus. Obama’s digital and social media strategies spread the passion, got people to vote, and helped win the election.