Governor and Facebook Friend

Social media played a key role in Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s successful campaign for the state’s top job. And according to his team, he’s going to keep making use of platforms like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr as he goes about the business of running the Aloha State.

Honolulu Star-Advertiser political reporter Richard Borreca opens his piece with a scene from Abercrombie’s inaguration:

Abercrombie wants to be your Facebook friend

L.P. Neenz Faleafine and her laptop are scrunched under an awning behind the camera stand at the inauguration. The social media director for Neil Abercrombie’s successful gubernatorial campaign is celebrating her 40th birthday by feverishly flinging reports and photos of the historic event on the Internet.

The piece notes that Gov. Abercrombie, 72, first announced his candidacy on Twitter.

Communications director Josh Levinson said social networks are an important tool to help governments connect with citizens.

“We want to make it a focus with their government and the office of the governor,” he told the Star-Advertiser. “To ask questions, to give input — it is another way to be responsive to the community. We want people to tell us what they think. We just want to know what issues are important to people and watch the trending of issues.”