Youtube and campaigns
As you saw last week on johncombest.com, the Associated Press produced a pretty good piece about how YouTube is affecting political campaigns.
The message for candidates and staff is clear. You know the annoying little twerps from your opponent’s campaign that follow your candidate around with a video camera? In the olden days, like 2004, the worst that could happen was that a verbal misstep might someday make its way into your opponent’s commercial. Today, every mistake or perceived mistake your candidate makes can be posted in minutes on YouTube.
Here are a few scenarios that will play out somewhere in the country this fall. Candidates and staff, pay attention:
– A candidate (probably an old person who doesn’t understand the Internet) will confront an opponent’s staffer. Losing his (1) temper, the candidate will begin cursing and tossing about heavy-handed threats; the words are remixed, set to music, and played for eternity on the Internet.
– A candidate and their staff will make inappropriate remarks under their breath to each other; a video camera’s microphone will catch the exchange.
– A J-School dropout will seek to make a name (and a few bucks) for himself (2) by shoving a camera in the face of any candidate who will give him the time of day. In an attempt to be “edgy”, the young guy will ask smart-alecky questions (3), and at least one candidate will trip and say something stupid.
– Campaign consultants/operatives will create attack ads that television stations would never run. The ads will be posted anonymously on youtube, and the offending campaigns will claim ignorance.
– Bloggers, in an honest attempt to provide information, will put television stations’ video clips on YouTube. Stations’ management (probably old people who don’t understand the Internet) will demand the videos be taken down — clueless to the fact that the Internet can exponentially increase a station’s audience.
Staff and consultants: This post presents a great opportunity to talk to your candidate about the dangers of YouTube.
(1) Because you know it’s gonna be a guy.
(2) See (1).
(3) Kind of like Stephen Colbert, but not funny.
Following are two cautionary examples, and a third clip that is just plain funny.
George Allen earns some early GOP presidential primary support:
It was a farm bill hearing, after all…
How many of you St. Louisans would love to see this on Donnybrook?
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