YouTube Fuels -- and Foils -- Campaigns

YOUTUBE FUELS -- AND FOILS -- CAMPAIGNS
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Amy Schatz Amy.Schatz@wsj.com]
For months, the presidential wannabes have been churning out serious, talking-to-the-camera videos for YouTube. So far, viewers prefer the spontaneous, unauthorized, less flattering fare. Traffic on YouTube related to the 2008 presidential race spiked in March and April, largely on two unofficial, critical videos, one about Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton, the other about Republican John McCain, according to a study of YouTube traffic by Nielsen/Net Ratings. While overall viewership of political videos is relatively small, the clips are becoming increasingly important in the elongated 2008 presidential campaign cycle. Lesser-known candidates are using YouTube as a low-cost method to get some attention, while the leading candidates are trying to avoid any embarrassing on-the-trail goofs that can be exploited by opponents or their supporters. This early in the election cycle, it's hard to say that Internet volume at candidate Web sites is an indicator of ultimate success at the polls. If anything, the data show that the increasing attention being placed on the Internet by candidates is a double-edged sword, since they are getting the most attention online for video clips beyond their control.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118161443560632154.html?mod=todays_us_pa...
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