Mid-Michigan readers can hear Rick Cole every Wednesday at approximately 6:35 a.m. on Lansing radio station WILS 1320’s “am Lansing” program hosted by Walt Sorg.

by Richard Cole
February 16, 2009

America has its first community organizing, socially mediated president. Here’s a guy with a reputation for standing up to Chicago machine politics on behalf of tenant organizations and proving you can fight city hall — and win. And he’s wired. If it has not occurred to you, “Geeks rule.”

“No drama Obama” is a geek who is also a well-disciplined politician. But, he’s a crackhead — well, a “Crackberry” head, anyway. And while the Crackberry may not be a controlled substance, maybe it ought to be, at least insofar as the president of the United States is concerned.

I’ve been an unreconstructed crackberryhead for almost a decade. I know the dangers of being “strapped” with a loaded Blackberry. Believe me, “ready, fire, aim” might be useful advice for the CEO of an Internet start-up, but it takes on a different meaning when your words can start wars.

Irrational decisions get made on instant “deciding devices.” A loaded Blackberry in the hands of a stressed chief-decider brings to mind Bo Schembechler’s admonition about a forward pass. Eight things can happen and seven of them are bad. Rendering life-changing opinions on a handheld device is more dangerous than a Plaxico Burris “Big Apple moon walk.” For all its convenience, a Blackberry holds a greater possibility of a bad decision than it holds promise for a good one. Even a guy as cool and composed as our new president should not be able to carry the bomb button from the White House bedroom to the basketball court — especially if he’s in nicotine withdrawal.

Lots of others have opined on the inherently distracting nature of a Blackberry. That’s not my main concern. I am concerned that anyone under as much pressure as Obama inevitably will be running short on that “fool-suffering” salve called “time to cool off.” Sometime during the next few years, instant access to bad information could blow the tempest right out of the teapot. And there’s no chance for a press secretary to do the “what he meant to say” dance when whatever the boss said is already orbiting the Earth at Internet speed.

Others are also concerned about national security writ large. Revealing state secrets in a careless click of “reply to all” is a real threat. Beyond that, I base my concern on personal experience. Many of the impulsive decisions I have made in life are decisions I’d like to get a “Mulligan” on. There are no “do-overs” in cyberspace.

And there is one more thing. I don’t want to make too much out of this — or act like I’m trying to be the next Dutch Leonard. But need I remind you that cops regularly trace criminals or victims by triangulating cell phone signals? And when all that separates a Crackberry addict from a Unibomber is the promise of a government encryption expert, I get a little nervous. Not that he’s asking my advice, but if he did, I’d say: Mr. Obama, lose the Barackberry. Or at the very least, turn it off before you put it in your coat pocket.

Richard Cole is professor and chairperson of the Department of Advertising, Public Relations and Retailing at Michigan State University. The opinions expressed reflect his individual viewpoint and not that of the university.