Let’s talk about BO. No, I’m not talking about the guy next to you on the metro who desperately needs some deodorant, I’m talking about our Commander in Chief, President Barack Obama. He may have tough initials (I should know, mine are BS), but those two letters just became twitter code indicating 140 characters straight from the President’s personal keyboard.

In an effort to re-engage young voters and to stay relevant amidst the media circus of the GOP primary, President Obama kicked off his personal tweets with a Father’s Day message for the nation, “Being a father is sometimes my hardest but always my most rewarding job. Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there. –BO” All posts with the “BO” signature on the @BarackObama Twitter handle can be attributed directly to the President himself.

With a call to initiate grassroots voter efforts and a request for suggestions on what to tweet about on the campaign trail, Obama is venturing back into the social media space that played an integral role in his 2008 election. And that space has become more important than ever for politicians across the country and across party lines. The recent rush to secure an additional two votes in support of same-sex marriage in New York was brought to the social media stage when Republican Senator Greg Ball asked his fans and followers how they would vote if they were in his position. Although the results on Facebook have been somewhat inconclusive with roughly a 50-50 split, the sentiment on Twitter is overwhelmingly in favor of passing the bill. Whether or not this will have an effect on how Senator Ball votes is still yet to be seen, but it’s a testament to the power of these tools when our elected officials use them to reach out and hear the voices of their constituents.

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