Power in Social Networks and Politics
http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/13/politics/michelle-obama-donald-trump-criticism/?iid=ob_homepage_deskrecommended_pool
With the upcoming election right around the corner, the presidential candidates are neck and neck (according to CNN, Clinton is at 47% and Trump is at 42%) in a fight to scramble to the finish line. One of the most powerful ways that candidates can publicize their campaign and make sure they are well-liked is who endorses them. For example, Michelle Obama has been a key component of the Hillary campaign, because, as CNN states, her motivation is not the continuing of her legacy, so her impact has greater value since it is seen as detached from politics. From her democratic convention speech to her speech in Manchester, NY about Trump’s “locker room talk”, her presence has had extremely positive reception and great impact on Clinton’s campaign, including, but not limited to, her slogan: “when they go low, we go high.” Michelle Obama obviously has a very strong social network, having been the First Lady for 8 years, worked on multiple high-impact philanthropic campaigns, and attended two Ivy League institutions. Her credibility from living in the closest proximity to the President and from her work as a lawyer give normal citizens great reason to trust her word and who she supports.
To tie this in with power in social networks, Michelle Obama has a lot more influence on politics than many other famous individuals. In a given structure, she would be the node that can decide who she wants to make a deal with because of her status and credibility, while other celebrities would be weaker on the structure. Especially for individuals who are famous due to fields other than politics, such as music, sports, or acting, who they support means much less because of a lack of credibility. As non-celebrities, we sometimes assume these non-celebrities are only well-versed in what they are famous for (singing or playing basketball), and have little to no knowledge of American politics. But for Michelle Obama, she has up-most influence in who we believe will make the better President of the United States. Her power in social networks is probably of the highest tier that one can reach, and that has proved well for Hillary Clinton.