Eat The Press

Decision 2008: YouTube Will Not Be Ignored

Rachel Sklar |  Posted Monday March 19, 2007 at 09:39 AM

Worth elaborating on: We mentioned the grassroots Hillary video in today's Need To Know, about the unauthorized campaign ad for Barack Obama depicting Hillary as Big Brother in a powerful, powerful spot that inserts Hillary into Ridley Scott's famous Apple Ad from the 1984 Superbowl, announcing the Macintosh computer (see the original here). This version uses a clip of Hillary from her announcement video, synthing the voice and adding a garish electro-cast to the video. The result is unbelievably powerful, and then delivers the sucker punch — lest you miss the point — with a bright and individualized runner bursting in and huling a sledgehammer at Hillary's omniscient image, shattering it in a burst of light, and then this message:

On Jan. 14, the Democratic primary will begin. And you'll see why 2008 won't be like 1984.

And then the Apple symbol comes onscreen, reconfigured as an "O," followed by "BarackObama.com." And no one even had to pay for airtime!

This is powerful evidence (as if you needed any more, Macaca) that YouTube is a huge game-changer in political campaigns. The San Francisco Chronicle, tongue firmly in cheek, calls it a "brave new world in which passionate activists outside the structure of traditional campaigns have the power to shape the message." It quotes an influential Democratic advocacy group head Simon Rosenberg, with an interesting observation: "It will no longer be a top-down candidate message; that's a 20th century broadcast model."

He also notes that grassroots advocates "don't have to wait for permission" to engage the process — which means every candidate has reason to fear citizens with an iMac and an excess of political fervor — and time — on their hands. Even more meta, candidates are engaging right back: Witness the example of college kid James Kotecki, whose own videos critiquing the online presence of candidate are themselves getting impressive play. Not only that, they're taking his advice: Dennis Kuchinich posted a video in response (in a close-up, as per Kotecki's suggestion), the Edwards campaign has contacted him, and the Romeny campaign glowed pink with pleasure after receiving half a "YouTube Savvy" award. Kotecki is 21, but the candidates are listening.

And so are the voters: So far, this version of the Hillary vid has had 333,004 views; two others have each had 20,610 and 88,105 respectively. Brave New World, indeed. Barack Obama had better hope that people stay in love with him.

Hillary 1984 [YouTube]
Political video smackdown [SFChron]
Candidates Try Web Video, And Reviews Are Mixed [WaPo]