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Posted by Steve Grove, Head of News and
Politics, YouTube

As the 2008 election progresses, more and more voters are tuning
into YouTube to stay on top of the action. Our href="http://www.youtube.com/youchoose" >You Choose '08
platform now features content from candidates, news organizations,
and voters, and we've made it easier than ever to see where the
candidates stand on each of the major issues in this election. The
next big stop on the campaign trail is Pennsylvania, so we're
partnering with C-SPAN to collect videos from voters across the
country who will answer the question, "What is the most
important issue to you in this election?"

This is our fourth voter video program. We started in href="http://www.youtube.com/iowacaucuses" >Iowa, went on to href="http://www.youtube.com/nhprimaries" >New Hampshire, and
then went national on href="http://www.youtube.com/supertuesday" >Super Tuesday. With
C-SPAN, we're adding a new twist: in the week leading up to the
Pennsylvania primaries on April 22, we'll be on the C-SPAN
election bus throughout the state, collecting videos straight from
the campaign trail.

We think C-SPAN is the perfect partner for this program. Started in
1979, C-SPAN is a private nonprofit whose mission is to
"provide public access to the political process." That
mission is closely aligned with our own: to connect voters and
candidates through the power of online video. In a way, YouTube
politics has given voters everywhere the opportunity to create
their own "C-SPANs" and make the election all the more
transparent and accessible to voters everywhere. And that's a
fundamentally good thing. So tune into href="http://www.youtube.com/cspan" >C-SPAN's YouTube
channel in the coming days to check out the videos we're
getting from voters — and to submit your own

Tags: , Grove, Head, News, Politics, Posted, Steve, YouTubeAs

Posted by Steve Grove, Head of YouTube
News and Politics

Candidates caught
singing on camera. href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=nQi7PaYKqTU" >Dorm-room
presidential interviews. A martial arts master href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=EjYv2YW6azE" >endorsing a
presidential candidate. Citizen-created campaign href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=6h3G-lMZxjo" >commercials. And
two presidential
primary debates. 2007 was quite a year for YouTube
Politics.

At this time last year, YouTube had developed a reputation as a
place where href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=r90z0PMnKwI" >"gotcha!"
videos posted by ciitzens were changing the political
landscape. Some even called the 2006 U.S. midterm elections
"the YouTube election" after several candidates were
caught on camera saying things they probably shouldn't have.
But in 2007, that changed. Seizing the YouTube opportunity,
presidential candidates came rushing to the platform themselves,
setting up official campaign channels on our href="http://youtube.com/youchoose" >You Choose '08
platform. Seven of the 16 presidential candidates even announced
their candidacies on YouTube.

Candidates and voters now speak to each other through video. At
their best, campaigns use YouTube not as a shrunken TV screen
through which to distribute their soundbites, but as a window
through which to have a dialogue with the American people.
YouTube's leveling effect is this: anyone can upload a video
with their political message, and the best content rises to the top
through community view counts, rankings, linkages, and embeds. Any
voter with a video camera and access to the Internet has the
opportunity to be seen and heard.

Our two presidential debates with CNN highlighted this phenomenon.
Eight thousand video questions were submitted for the two
record-setting debates, which opened up a traditionally closed
event to the rest of the world via YouTube. Time was, you had to be
in New Hampshire, Iowa, or Florida to get access to candidates at a
debate. With questions coming directly from voters via video, our
YouTube debates helped to break down some of the geographical
barriers that have so sharply defined American politics in the
past.

So what's ahead in 2008? Things are only going to get more
exciting. As Congressional and Senate races heat up, you'll see
more and more candidates coming to YouTube. And as the presidential
races narrows down to two candidates, YouTube will be a critical
battlefront in the general election. With voters, candidates, issue
groups, media companies, trade associations, lobbyists and
activists all interacting on the same level platform, 2008 promises
to be a true "YouTube Election.

Tags: , Grove, Head, News, PoliticsCandidates, Posted, Steve, Youtube