Why more politicians should livestream their own State of the Union response

History will be made following President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday night.

Stacey Abrams will be the first black woman from either party to deliver the official response to the State of the Union. The progressive Georgia Democrat made history last year as the first black woman from a major party to become a gubernatorial nominee.

But she's not the only one responding to Trump.

Senators Bernie Sanders and Kamala Harris have each announced that they will deliver their own State of the Union responses via platforms such as Facebook and YouTube. Sanders, a rumored 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, has been criticized on social media for trying to “upstage” or “take the spotlight away from” Abrams. Harris, who has officially announced her 2020 presidential run, has received similar criticism.

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The idea that either politician is trying to take away from Abrams' response is ludicrous. Sanders, who explicitly expressed support for Abrams, will be livestreaming on Facebook and YouTube after the official Democratic response is finished. This will be the Vermont senator's third year in a row streaming his own response. Harris will stream her remarks on Facebook Live before Trump even delivers his State of the Union.

Regardless, their critics are wrong. Alternative State of the Union responses should be welcomed. Times are changing, and what Sanders and Harris are doing is the future. The reality is that the State of the Union response is an antiquated concept created by TV networks for ratings.

FDR delivered the first “official” State of the Union address in 1934. In 1965, Lyndon B. Johnson delivered the first televised evening State of the Union address. Moving the president’s remarks to primetime delivered better TV ratings. So, the following year the television networks extended an invitation to the GOP to deliver their own State of the Union response.

Fast forward 53 years later. We now live in a world where anyone can start up their very own live broadcast and stream to millions on YouTube or Facebook. The country is no longer bound to a practice originally created to boost TV ratings. Emerging (often overlooked) voices shouldn’t have to wait for the standard-bearers of the political parties to get with the times -- they can open an app, go live, and spread their message whenever they want.

An increasing number of people are getting their news from social media platforms. According to a recent Pew study, 43 percent of Americans get their news from Facebook, and 21 percent get it from YouTube. We’re seeing a huge shift from the old guards of traditional media to platforms where anyone can have a voice. What better way to take your message directly to the people?

Politicians like Bernie Sanders and Kamala Harris need to take advantage of this. Stifling important voices on Facebook and YouTube means fewer informed opinions on platforms inundated with fake news, conspiracy theories, and dangerous idealogues.

On Tuesday night, Stacey Abrams will indeed make history when she delivers the official Democratic State of the Union response. Next year, hopefully she'll share her rebuttal on YouTube and Facebook, too.