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Attorney General Steve Bullock (D) utilized social media to announce his bid for Montana's next Governor. The news broke in a video posted on a series of social media sites. The use of these online tools is evidence of the changing world of politics.

Politicians all over the U.S. are using Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

President Obama used YouTube to announce his 2012 reelection plans. Montana Representative Franke Wilmer (D) used Twitter to announce she was running for Congress and Sarah Palin uses Facebook to connect with more than 3 million friends.

Carroll College Communications Professor Doreen Kutufam says social media allows the average person to connect personally with politicians.

"You can also get it [the message] to the people who matter the most. So you are not just throwing it into the wind but you are sending the message to the people who form your base and that is what politicians are basically using," Kutufam says.

Kutufam says, by using social media, candidates for public office can control the message, instead of leaving it up to mainstream media to put together the story.

Kutufam says social media can also negatively impact politics. She sited U.S. Representative Anthony Weiner as a prime example. Weiner was caught sending a sexual picture of himself over Twitter.