Recently the news has been full of references to the new president-elect fighting to keep his Blackberry. Apparently Mr. Obama likes the instant unfiltered communications he gets from his family, team members, trusted friends, and consultants. This worked particularly well for him during the campaign. He’d be in Boston and could receive an immediate update about how things are going in California, or about a problem in Florida. He was in the loop…in fact, the center of the loop. 

He’s a new media guy and likes the instant communication. It keeps him grounded.  Now the secret service is telling him that because of security reasons it’s back to the bat phone. He is now forced to  operate in a cocoon where all of the information is filtered and often biased. This new president wants information from all angles, unlike his predecessor who liked one page briefs from the inner circle. 

If I was the CEO of RIM, the maker of the Blackberry, I would get a message to the White House and tell them I am willing to send my top team of technicians and work with the secret service to make every message from Obama’s Blackberry secure. How? Don’t know, but I bet there’s a way. 

The bat phone mentality will only frustrate this new president. He won because he was connected, totally, with his team, and his team with the American people. For him to effectively lead, he can not be cut off from the strum and drang of America. He thrives on it. So do many of us, and that’s why New Media needs to be worked into the presidency. It will be good for democracy.