Greg Ball, a republican New York Senator, recently asked his 2,200 Twitter followers and 3,400 Facebook friends “Opening up the discussion! So, if you were me, how would you vote on gay marriage? Yes or No?”

As it stands, a majority of Twitter followers have replied with a resounding “Yes!” to Ball’s Tweet while sources are reporting his Facebook followers are split 50-50. In a 62-member Senate where 29 Democrats and two Republicans support the bill, Ball’s could be a crucial swing vote.

His vote for supporting the bill is unlikely, however, since he is cited as saying “I have very specific religious protections that I would want to see…I think at the end of the day, the governor will have to agree to comprehensive religious protections to get this passed.”

With his mind already seemingly made up, I wonder why he would bother asking people for their opinion in the first place. Will a few thousand yeses actually change his mind last minute?

Does he ask for feedback to give people the illusion of power, that their voice is actually being heard? Will social networking sites be used as a tool to make a more democratic…democracy?

To answer these questions, maybe I’ll just ask my Twitter followers and friends on Facebook.

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