Rumblings
-Welcome back to civilization, Kansas. We’re now evolution friendly!
-Interesting little commentary I found about the use of YouTube by the lineup of 2008 Presidential Candidates. (from dailykos) While a little light on the full analysis, especially on the Republican side (where the list of candidates is fairly small at this point so that machine hasn’t revved up quite yet), the analysis foreshadows where political activity is headed in the very near and even immediate future.
While I normally dislike the compression of political arguments and exploration of issues into bite-size soundbites, I do see how the internet and viral video can expand the reach of a political candidate’s message, while maintaining more of their viewpoints in their original form. The mainstream media habitually ignores context or outright overlooks deeper inspection and goes for the here-now-worry about details later story (see the Nancy Pelosi plane saga for example).
Another aspect affected by the use of the internet for proliferating political speeches and announcements is the effectiveness of those same speeches and announcements. When it’s election time, after the second or third viewing, I’ve already tuned out the TV ads. And while that may be a similar reaction if I run into the same Hilary Clinton or same John McCain or same Barack Obama speech on somebody’s myspace page or in a list of search results someplace, I think subconsciously, the appearance of an option to view or not suggests more acceptance of viewing. If I can choose to view an ad or ignore it, I’ll at least remember and acknowledge its precense.
What that means for the way campaigns approach the internet as a means by which to spread their candidate’s message, I’m not yet sure. There are no apparent standards regarding political ads and funding, and since campaigns don’t have to spend nearly as much on an internet posting as they do for a 45 second spot at 7pm on a Thursday night on an NBC affiliate, the use of YouTube and other similar sites may direct the world towards an even more net-based reality where pocket TVs and other similar gadgets we were promised in cartoons and movies may come to life. Or maybe not. It may be a completely dead means of transmission because of that same option to decline viewing.
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