Two Years Ago, A Campaign Started To Die

YouTube was known for video sharing before Jim Webb ran for Senate two years ago but the political power of viral videos was unknown until George Allen's big racist mouth set up his undoing.

Happy Macaca-versary

Wow, one whole year has passed since George Allen managed to show that wonderful racist side of his. The video was a milestone for web-based media in campaigning and the beginning of George Allen's slow descent into being kicked out of the Senate by the citizens of Virginia. Witness it in all its infamous glory:

Elections Won And Lost By YouTube

We have seen plenty of examples of the power of recorded video in the previous electino cycle. Sen. Allen was plagued by the Macaca video and subsequent footage of his campaign and his vicious thugs. On the other side of the aisle an awful debate by Heather Wilson's challenger Madrid was spread around and her ratings tanked right before the election.

Now for 2008 things are going to get a lot more intense, check out the Washington Post yesterday:

"...if last year was the year of the rogue videographers, the already-underway 2008 presidential campaign is likely to be remembered as the point where Web video became central to the communications strategy of every serious presidential candidate.

Playing defense is only one use of Web video. Equally important, the candidates and their staffs see Web-based video as an inexpensive and potentially significant tool for telling their campaign story without the filters of the traditional media.

Call it the YouTube effect, and it is only growing. The video-sharing site, which less than a year after its founding was bought by Google for $1.65 billion, has revolutionized the transfer of information via video, spawned a number of imitators and forced candidates to recalibrate choices, from their announcement strategies to their staffing decisions."

Hillary, Edwards and Obama have already utilized video on the web to announce their candidacies and there is certainly more to come. The article referenced above also shows how the Mitt Romney and the republicans are using video on the web to play offense and defense in the early part of the 2008 Presidential race. So have your youtube browsers ready, get your popcorn ready and watch the fireworks!