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YouTube Can Be President!
July 23, 2007

I have to hand it to the Clinton and Edwards campaigns.

During the CNN/YouTube debate Monday night, the network aired YouTube videos submitted by each campaign.

Both Edwards and Clinton were in synch with the younger-skewing audience expected to tune in to the debate.

Hillary Clinton's video featured a hand flipipng tthrough a series of cards with statistics drawn in black magic marker, like the number of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Answer on the next card: Zero. The technique also reminded at least one Baby Boomer of the Bob Dylan precursor to the music video in which he similarly went through a series of cards crudely drawn cards with the lyrics on them while standing on a New York street. Very hip.

Jonathan Edwards' campaign aired a series of stills of problems in the country from explosions to scenes of povert, while the song "Hair" played in the background. The kicker was a question about which was important, the choice being between the problems and the knock on his expensive haircuts, asking viewers--or surfers--to decide.

About an hour into the debate, it has been a lively event, with the attitude-filled YouTube videos adding an undeniable spark, though the candidates were still skilled in dodging direct answers to some tough questions, like gay marriage.

Posted by John Eggerton on July 23, 2007 | Comments (0)