The year in YouTube politics
Posted by Steve Grove, Head of YouTube
News and Politics
Candidates caught
singing on camera.
presidential interviews. A martial arts master
presidential candidate. Citizen-created campaign
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
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
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.
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