Congressman Uses Social Media To Connect
The newest member of of South Dakota's Congressional delegation is using social media in a unique way!
Congressman Dusty Johnson video chats with KELOLAND News to discuss the new ways members of Congress keep in touch with constituents from D.C..
Scrolling through Representative Dusty Johnson's Twitter page is a mix of work being done on Capitol Hill, and some witty observations along the way.
"If your boss wants you to text, you text. If she wants you to come in and brief her in person, you brief her in person. One thing I'm increasingly seeing is that my boss, the people of South Dakota, want to have this kind of interaction so I better give it to them," said Johnson.
Most members of Congress have an official Facebook or Twitter account. Some are even adding humor.
Johnson says doing the silly posts himself is a way for him to lighten the mood and bring people together.
"I mean, everybody makes this seem like it's some sort of Holy War, and I have to hate you and you have to hate me. The reality is, positive optimism, a willingness to find common ground, has always gotten this country farther than an us versus them mindset," said Johnson.
Recently, Johnson used social media to poke fun at the commercial controversy between corn growers and Bud Lite; using the hashtag "silly, silly".
"So I thought Bud Light took it too far, so we decided to crack open a cool Miller Lite here in the office and show our support for Miller Lite," said Johnson.
While there are a lot of jokes, Johnson also wants constituents to know he's trying to be as open and available as possible from his office in D.C..
"I feel like I need to meet them where they're at. Part of my job, if I'm doing a good job for South Dakota, is listening to people who are 12 and 14 and 18 and 24, and if they're on Instagram, you know I better be on Instagram too," said Johnson.
Johnson says he hopes to keep mixing his serious posts about policy, with the more amusing observations he's making.