Congress Goes YouTube

Nancy Pelosi started her YouTube channel back in 2006 and has posted nearly 1,500 videos since then, including some not taken inside the House Chamber. Despite her good efforts in getting video of Congress out to the internets, it isn't nearly enough. Now Congress, all of it, is officially going YouTube.

From RawStory:

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US Senate and House of Representatives have launched YouTube channels following a presidential election in which the video-sharing website played an influential role.

Steve Grove, head of news and politics at Google-owned YouTube, announced the creation of the channels, youtube.com/senatehub, and youtube.com/househub, in a post on the YouTube blog on Monday that also featured appearances in a YouTube video by the Democratic and Republican leaders of the chambers.

Grove said members of the US Congress would be "posting videos direct from their Washington offices, as well as clips of floor speeches and committee hearings alongside additional behind-the-scenes footage from Capitol Hill."

Well those will be two channels I'll be adding today. Hopefully all of the elected officials will make good use of them. As for C-SPAN, I'm sure they'll continue to do well with this new competition. Sometimes they are an essential source of information to have on in the background and of course if no one posts the video you are looking for.

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.

Newsflash! George Bush Heard About YouTube!

And he is afraid of the Internets too! George Bush, as well evidenced by his policies both foreign and domestic in the last eight years, is completely out of touch with the American people. Inside his bubble, everyone loves him and he can do no wrong. Yet the outside is starting to reach in to his cozy little nest at 1600 Pennsylvania, because he has heard about what YouTube can do to him.

From The Arizona Daily Star:

So sensitive were Republicans about information getting out about the goings-on at the Tucson fundraiser hosted by President Bush Friday morning, even W. himself made sure to ask the 400 or so people at the event to turn off any recording devices.

"I don't know a lot about technology," the president said, according to one insider, "but I do know about YouTube."

Held in a tent outside a nearly 9,000-square-foot Foothills palace, the president's speech to raise money for Republican congressional candidate Tim Bee was one that would surely get Democrats' blood boiling had cameras really been rolling.

Wow, well Mr. President, welcome to the modern world. I wonder what he knows about YouTube anyways?

Edwards Wins A GOP Convert On Live TV

John Edwards got the sweetest gift last night and it beats out anything he's done for his campaign (attending the WGA East protest, etc) this week. It didn't happen at a labor rally, a progressive meetup or anything Democratic. No, this was during the post-debate wrap-up on CNN last night.

From Crooks and Liars:

During the post-debate show last night, CNN’s Erica Hill asked her room full of undecided Republican voters for a show of hands to see if any had settled on a candidate and there was a lot of shaking heads but not one hand raised.

Download (276) | Play (282) Download (343) | Play (167)

But what really made the moment special was one undecided Republican voter who thought she ‘may’ have finally decided:

Sharon: “I think if the Democrats have John Edwards, I’d vote for John Edwards.” … “I had thought about Giuliani, I had thought about Mitt Romney, also Fred Thompson. I don’t care for his TV shows but you know, I thought maybe him being an actor that was just a persona and it’s not.”

Damn, thats gotta hurt for Freddie and the rest of the Republican bunch. It just goes to show that no one has really settled on a candidate over there on the right. That is because there is nothing to the eight white men on the stage. They are not in it to change America for the better, it is about winning for some...and making America less democratic for rest. Edwards actually speaks to most Americans because he is standing up for progressive principles...and like it or not, many Americans believe the same way at their core.

Short, Sweet And To The Point

How are we going to fix that document.....

The Question The Republicans Will Never Answer

Okay, there are quite a few of them out there, but none as personal as this couple posted on YouTube. Their son was murdered by people with hate for those of who's sexual orientation happens to different from them. See, for the Republicans to answer a question dealing with the effects of the Christian Right's assault on gay people, it would be to detriment of their campaign to appeal to the base.

How would you answer this?

The video below has been submitted for the Republican CNN YouTube debates by a couple whose son was killed because he was gay.

We're Lynn and Pat Mulder of Auburndale, Florida. Our son Ryan was murdered in March because he was gay. We would like to ask the presidential candidates how will they work to promote the value of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender families.

Read more about the Mulder's here.

What a shame to see this evidence of hate in our country. Why people commit these crimes is both explainable (social science stuff) yet unfathomable at the same time. Being different from each other is one of the greatest attributes of our nation. Yet it still makes people act out in terrible ways.

So will Rudy, Huckabee, Thompson or Romney take this question? Nah, I doubt it. We wouldn't want to show the world how bigoted they are.

Drivers' Licenses For All!

I love this guy....watch out, heavy sarcasm ahead!

What Do You Stand For?

Very powerful 30 seconds, definitely a must watch:

Now There's A Ron Paul Girl?

First it was Obama. Then Romney and Hillary got girls of their own and now Ron Paul's got a slightly less talented (although a little more salacious) YouTube actor on his side.

Will it help the longshot candidate? Probably not, but all of these girls are certainly amusing.

Britney's #1 Fan Goes After FOX

Chris Crocker was made "newsworthy" on Fox News after the famous "Britney" youtube video, now he sets his sights on them:

Pothead Musicians For Mike Gravel

I wonder if Mike will approve this message:

Super Tube Debate

Warning! This parody of the YouTube debate is not intended for the comically-challenged or easily-offended. I certainly LMFAO, hope you do as well.

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:

What Republicans Can Do About YouTube

All but two Republican candidates are afraid of a YouTube style debate, questions from the masses is scary I suppose. Well have no fear, the Red State Update is coming to their rescue by having a debate of their own:

No, Thank You Howard

DNC Chairman Howard Dean thanks the youtube community for their participation in this week's debate. I want to thank him for helping make the internet so influential in politics. His campaign helped touch it off and so many others contributed as well, but as a former Deaniac, I've gotta give the love back to Howard.

All But Two GOP Candidates Shrug Off YouTube Debate

CNN wanted to bring YouTubers to the Republican candidates just as they did for the Democrats. The problem is no one is showing up. Only John McCain and Ron Paul have agreed to the debate format and that isn't saying much. None of the front runners want to face a public audience such as the YouTube community, I wonder why?

From The Washington Post:

Four days after the Democratic debate in Charleston, S.C,. more than 400 questions directed to the GOP presidential field have been uploaded on YouTube -- targeted at Republicans scheduled to get their turn at videopopulism on Sept. 17.

But so far, only Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) and Rep. Ron Paul (Tex.) have agreed to participate in the debate, co-hosted by Republican Party of Florida in St. Petersburg.

"Aside from those two candidates, we haven't heard from anyone else," said Sam Feist of CNN, who's co-sponsoring the debate with the popular videosharing site.

Rudolph Giuliani and Mitt Romney, both with dozens of videos on their YouTube channels, have not signed up. Neither have the rest of the Republican candidates, including Rep. Tom Tancredo (Colo.), whose "Tancredo Takes" on his YouTube channel draw hundreds of views. Sources familiar with the Guiliani campaign said he's unlikely to participate. Kevin Madden, Romney's spokesman, said the former Massachusetts governor has seven debate invitations covering a span of 11 days in September.

Mostly the candidates claim that they already have busy schedules at that time, but Mitt Romney actually belittled the debate. He basically said he was above the questions that were aired during the Democratic debate, such as the snowman asking about global warming. Personally, it could be an Eskimo, polar bear or a puppet asking about the climatic fate of our planet, as long as the question is asked. It seems that all of them are frankly afraid of facing real questions from real people.

Daily Show Examines CNN YouTube Debate

Ok I swear this is the last post about the YouTube debates, but who else than Jon Stewart and John Oliver can truly sum things up?

Dissecting The YouTube Factor

PoliticsTV looks at the YouTube dynamic in political debates and how it is going to change the way we talk with the candidates instead of them talking at us.

Hillary V. Obama

Keith Olbermann highlights the battle between Hillary and Barack during Monday night's YouTube debate.

Scenes From A YouTube Debate

Here's the first ten minutes from last night's debate: