Driving into the office today I was assaulted with last gasp radio spots. As resident of the tri-state area, I get NY, NJ – and depending where I’m driving, potentially CT or PA politicos yelling in my ear.

I drifted into thinking about our past presidential election. No matter your leanings, there is no doubt that Obama’s election was largely fueled by his team’s brilliant manipulation of social media. It enabled him to connect to populations that typically were not motivated politically – chief among them, the youth vote.

We are seeing a reply of sorts this year with the rising influence of the Tea Party movement. They have managed to connect the restless and angry across parties and have been able to coalesce them, if not into a winning voting block, at least into a loose network of the “Dissatisfieds.” The extend of their messaging has spilled way past any formalized social media into the everyday bantering of friends on Facebook or Twitter. It’s been ugly.

As I am mentally imagining how Republicans and Tea-Partiers can better organize the Dissatisfied to their 2012 advantage, I found myself listening more carefully to my radio program. They were discussing the McDonald’s McRib sandwich. As a vegetarian, I was unaware of the huge cult following this sandwich.

Apparently, Germany is the only place you can get a McRib sandwich every day. Here in the States, it is sporadically available, increasing the fever to get the word out. The McRib Facebook site has over 5,000 fans and even one entrepreneurial spirit has taken on the public service of documenting McRib availability from coast to coast.: http://bit.ly/bEnGfH. Check your Twitter, it is McRib mania!

Politicians take note – McRib has more to teach you then Obama’s case study about how social media is shaping American discourse and motivation—and to your potential future viability.