Conservatives are fired up and various groups are looking to turn up the heat online leading up to the President's State of the Union address this Wednesday.

On Wednesday, January 27th the NRCC is hosting its first ever live text chat surrounding the White House's State of the Union address.

This unique program will allow Americans to utilize technology to engage with other concerned Americans to discuss the pressing matters facing our country, said John Randall, ecampaign director at the NRCC...

...Mobile has played a huge role in the past few political elections and with a reach greater than TV and PCs combined, it's not hard to see why.

With politics touching the very core of a person’s beliefs and the cell phone being the most personal communication device each of us have, mobile marketing is the perfect medium to connect with Americans...

The National Republican Congressional Committee is creating a two-way communication tool that will truly engage Americans and by creating a powerful, ongoing relationship.” 

Here's how you can participate: Simply text SOTU or STATE to the short code 777218.

On Wednesday, you can follow the discussion online by visiting the NRCC's mobile site for the event where you can participate in chat rooms and discuss the address with other like-minded Americans.

Be sure to read Mobile Marketer's full-length article about the NRCC's response to the White House.  

Others to Follow For SOTU Tweets--

The RNC will likely be live-tweeting the SOTU address via their account @RNCResearch.

And the Top Conservative on Twitter, @nansen (Nansen Malin), will be a featured tweeter on CBS News as will @johnhawkinsrwn (John Hawkins of Right Wing News).

Don't get me wrong. I've voted in every election since I turned 18, but this 2009 election is the first cycle where I felt social media and mobile technology played a significant role in motivating me to vote at the polls.

My case in point is how the Bob McDonnell for Governor campaign in Virginia has helped me through the voting process this fall, text by text.

It all started about a month ago with this:

Don't forget today is the last day to register to vote in VA. Tell your friends, family, neighbors if they need to register go to...

And then a couple weeks later:

REMINDER! Election Day is only one week away. To find your polling place to vote for Bob next Tuesday, please visit...

And then yesterday:

Don't forget, Election Day is tomorrow! Find your polling place to vote for Bob McDonnell TOMORROW, please visit...

And now this morning:

Good Morning Bob McDonnell Supporters! Polls are now open, so don't forget to get out there and vote today! For info on where to vote go to www.Bob4VA.com

It's like a virtual cup of coffee in my hand.

In other words, a text message is akin to the little pep talk all voters need to get them out the door and to the polling place, before even showing up for work in the morning.

While it's still to be determined, GOTV is probably the #1 use for mobile technology in a state-wide campaign. 

I know first-hand how hard it is to push & pull folks to the polls as a lowly field director during the 2006 cycle.

You have moms who are just trying to get through the day and aren't sure if they're going to make it to the polls 2 hours before the fact. You have diehard supporters who say they're going to come out and vote, but at the end of the day, forget to.

Your average voter and even your strongest supporters need a helping hand to lead them through the process.

But surely, mobile is not the be-all and end-all.

You still need to make phone calls, you still need boots on the ground knocking on doors. You need email and you need voter mail. You need friend-to-friend conversation.

But at the end of the day - for voters like me who don't have a land line phone - For voters who don't meticulously go through their snail mail, because we get all of our important statements online...

We appreciate the mobile push.

We are millenials and we're coming out to vote more and more each cycle.

And just think - we are going to make up the majority of the voting population in the near future.

Why not embrace the technology right now, text by text? 

Got Questions About Making Online Video? YouTube Says "Shoot"

YouTube is throwing a bone to content creators with questions about how to do online video right.

The mega-video site is partnering with Videomaker magazine to offer free webinars on topics of interest to the would-be iJustines and Ask A Ninjas of this world. Topics will cover how to shop for a video camera, microphone techniques, lighting, and all the basics of shooting palatable, watchable online video content.

The NRCC Launches it's First Text Messaging Campaign

In 2008, Nancy Pelosi received 204,996 votes to win reelection in her home district. We need your help today to collect at least 204,997 names on our "Fire Nancy Pelosi" mobile petition. You can put us one step closer to our goal by signing the petition right away.

YouTube's New Logo Shouts From the Rooftops: "1 Billion Views Per Day!"

Head on over to YouTube right now and there’s a minor change that’s sure to catch your eye: the site’s unmistakeable logo has been modified to include a new “1BN” banner, with the words “1 billion views per day!” beneath it. It’s obviously a huge milestone for the site, but it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise — back in June we reported that YouTube was seeing over 1.2 billion views a day, and it’s likely above that by now.

Recently, "Mike Henry, Terry McAuliffe for Governor" sent a note to me asking if I'd read the campaigns first quarter "Investor Report." I did.

In it, I found this accomplishment/little white lie for Text Messaging under "New" Media (how much longer is any of this new?):

"This is the first statewide campaign to ever use text messaging technology."

Really? The first statewide campaign to ever use text messaging? Sounds fishy.

The truth is, Terry McAuliffe was not the first statewide campaign to use text message technology.

The first were in fact run by Cherry Tree Mobile Media, a text message communications service. They provide marketing, fundraising, and interactive messaging solutions to Democratic campaigns and nonprofits. They claim to be the first mobile communications company to work with gubernatorial campaigns in California and Pennsylvania in 2006.

Here's more about those races and their use of text messaging...

California Gubernatorial Campaign:
On November 7, 2006 The San Francisco Chronicle Blog reported Democratic candidate Phil Angelides sent a text to voters saying “HAVE YOU VOTED? HAS EVERYONE U KNOW VOTED? FORWARD THIS MESSAGE! Polls open til 8 p.m.” (They also asked him to chill out on the CAPS.)

Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Campaign:
The Democratic nominee for Governor of Pennsylvania was Ed Rendell. I could not find mention of Ed Rendell running a text message campaign on Google News however according to a campaign finance report he paid Cherry Tree Mobile $9,000.

Look, Terry McAuliffe may have been the first statewide campaign IN Virginia to use text messaging (wow!!), but hardly the first statewide campaign.

Details matter.

This Thanksgiving, I'm hopeful that you will join me in thanking our troops and their families who are serving overseas.

It's simple to participate and make a difference. In fact beginning at 6 am EST on Saturday, November 17, and ending at midnight PDT on November 22, Americans can text a message of thanks to 8-9-2-7-9.

Within seconds, the sender will receive a reply on his or her cell phone from America Supports You (ASY). The message will come from a member of the armed forces or a family member of someone who is serving, who will express his or her appreciation for the support, both personally and on behalf of others who are serving.

And it works. I sent my text message a few minutes ago and received two replies from soldiers serving in Iraq.

Because all the major mobile wireless providers—AT&T Wireless (Cingular), Verizon, Sprint (Nextel, Qwest), and T-Mobile—will provide access to the ASY text message program, there is no upcharge.

Members of the military and their families—we now have troops serving in 177 countries—will learn the number of text messages and be able to view many of them.

America Supports You expects this effort to be a unifying moment for the nation, at a time in which families traditionally come together and express gratitude for things large and small that contribute to their lives.

Since its formation two and a half years ago, the America Supports You program has welcomed over 300 grassroots organizations and 35 corporate sponsors to its team. Many America Supports You team members support the troops through letter-writing, sending care packages, helping the wounded when they return home, assisting military families, sending an e-mail or making a kind gesture. To learn more about how you can help, please visit www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil.

Pick up your cell phone and send a message of support to our troops at 8-9-2-7-9. They need to hear from you.