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The Most Boring YouTube Video Ever

Wow. I've seen YouTube videos that are ridiculous, provocative, nonsensical, funny and utterly meaningless, but Mitt Romney's latest entry definitely earns the least-interesting award.

His snooze-fest video is part of YouTube's "You Choose '08" initiative that lets candidates showcase their campaigns through videos.

Actually, it's nice to get a glimpse of a 2008 presidential candidate speaking candidly, alone, without annoying banners, campaign posters, megaphones or loud crowds, so props to YouTube's News and Politics site.

If YouTube videos are too literal for you, try investigating virtual communities like Second Life, where Barack Obama has set up shop and posted a national webcast of his "living room conversation" with supporters.

The argument here is that campaigning with web tools like MySpace, Facebook, YouTube and Second Life open up the door for a new sense of "intimacy" with candidates, but I'm not so sure I'm buying it. Romney's video put me to sleep. Obama's virtual self doesn't even look anything like him. At this point I'm not really feeling more connected to candidates through web campaigns, I'm feeling bored.

--Gary Moskowitz






Comments

Are you serious? This video is right on point.

Were you expecting an excerpt from Hamlet delivered in Oscar-worthy fashion, or some kind of music treatise on the American Dream with dancing Llamas in hoola skirts and the Blue Angeles flying overhead? I can’t imagine why anybody would waste time posting an item about a short clip of a candidate asking people to submit their questions. The only "snooze-fest" is your vapid criticism.

Posted by: George McFlugalson on 04/12/07 at 5:11 PM  Respond

It's more accurate to say that the new mediums available to a new generation are no better and no worse than the trad way of doing things. They are a mixed bag.

In particular, Second Life
http://www.secondlife.com/?u=d4d1b0cb52fb1ba4952e930e3c4d9a5d is nothing now in terms of real politics, but as voice enters (next month) and as an increasingly photo-realistic virtual world emerges, the "metaverse" platform will become a force for good and bad.

That's the secret that political parties and many others have grasped.

Truth is that Second Life sucks at the moment in many ways, as a lot of nerd snobs never tire of pointing out. It is nevertheless an incredible platform to do every manner of thing, good and bad, fantastic and real.

Check it out yourself--takes about 10 minutes to pick a name and sign up (it's free, but it's easy to use PayPal or a credit card to get funds to buy stuff when you're "inworld").

Posted by: Via on 04/14/07 at 4:33 AM  Respond

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