????我想問奧巴馬總統的競選連任班子一個問題。它關系到今年選舉的結果：如何重拾“我們”的支持？

????我們都記得很清楚，奧巴馬在上次大選中如何開辟新天地，將社交媒體打造成強大的政治武器。奧巴馬的競選班子創建了一個開放的網絡平臺MyBarackObama.com，為支持者提供工具進行自我組織，建立社區，籌集資金，引導大眾在投票之外，還積極地支持奧巴馬的競選。1,300萬支持者通過互聯網相互聯系，形成一股前所未有的力量，為著共同的目標努力：把奧巴馬送上總統寶座。

????當他們高呼“我們做得到”，那不僅僅是對未來的美好期望，更是集體力量的自信宣言。他們從不原地待命，他們積極參與，呼朋喚友，關注熱點，群策群力，各盡所能。“我們”的力量令人嘆為觀止，“我們”不僅僅喚起大眾的期望，也為傳統的當地競選活動籌集了前所未有的巨量資金。

????但這一次，奧巴馬競選班子摒棄了“我們做得到”，代之以新的策略“我們了解你”。

????民主黨投巨資于所謂的“大數據”，試圖了解每個支持者的日常行為。大數據允許公司以及政治運動去探查和分析關于人們的一切：朋友圈子、消費習慣、參與活動的類型和時間、關注的話題。據說他們可以利用這些信息更加精確地發送電子郵件，或者發現吸引參與活動、捐獻資金的觸發點。

????但是大眾的力量何在？“我們”何在？2008年勝選之后“我們”就杳無音訊了。安德魯?拉希奇是追蹤技術與政治交叉領域的組織“個人民主媒體”（Personal Democracy Media）的創始人，他抱怨說：“他們建立了總統競選歷史上最大的在線社區，勝選后卻對該社區不聞不問”，直到最近才想起來打電話，但目的也只是為了索取獻金。

????奧巴馬也曾嘗試做第一個互聯網總統，他發布Twitter信息，撰寫博客，舉行網絡版的市民大會。他還發起開放政府運動，目的就是為了削減特殊利益團體的影響力，讓公眾在與其生活息息相關的決定中擁有更大的話語權。和全球其它政府相比，美國政府算是政務公開的標桿了。

????Here's a question for President Barack Obama's re-election team. It could influence the outcome of this year's election: How do they get the "we" back?

????We all remember how Obama broke new ground in the 2008 campaign by using social media as a powerful political tool. Obama's campaign created an expansive Internet platform, MyBarackObama.com, that gave supporters tools to organize themselves, create communities, raise money and induce people to not only to vote but to actively support the Obama campaign. What emerged was an unprecedented force, 13 million supporters connected to one another over the Internet, all driving toward one goal, the election of Obama.

????When they chanted "Yes We Can," it wasn't just a message of hope for the future; it was a confirmation statement of collective power. They weren't waiting to be told what to do; they were actively engaged, calling friends to come to events, to learn what was at stake, contribute ideas, and help out in some way. The power of "we" was awesome to behold. The "we" not only raised hope for people; it raised unprecedented sums of money for the old-fashioned campaign on the ground.

????But this time, "Yes We Can" has been replaced by a new modus operandi for the Obama campaign: "We know you."

????The Democrats are investing heavily in so-called Big Data to give them significant new insights into the everyday behavior of each one of their supporters. Big Data allows companies, or political campaigns, to probe and analyze information about you -- your friends, your shopping habits, what type of events you go to and when, what issues you care about. With this information, they can presumably be more accurate in sending messages out over email, or in identifying the trigger points that send you to events and get you to donate money.

????But whatever happened to power of the people? Whatever happened to the "we"? We haven't heard about it since the 2008 victory. "They built the largest online community in the history of the presidency," says Andrew Rasiej, founder of Personal Democracy Media, which tracks the intersection of technology and politics. "But then they stopped talking to them and engaging them" -- that is, until they called in recently with a pitch for money.

????Obama did make some efforts to be the first Internet president, with a Twitter feed, a blog, and the Internet version of the traditional town hall. He launched an open government initiative with the aim of cutting the influence of special interests and giving the public more influence over decisions that affect their lives. Compared with other governments around the world, the U.S. government sets the gold standard for openness.