The Utube Blog

Go to my report.

Video over at The Utube Blog 2.0, www.theutubeblog.net.  Hilarious skit, one of the funniest in recent memory.

Wow, the Clinton camp is pulling out all the stops.  (more)

Five days, over 2 million views.

Huckabee girl

First, there was Obama girl. Then, Hillary guy. Now, there’s a Huckabee girl, and also a Hillary girl, although both are more tongue-in-cheek.

Hillary girl

Dear Senator Obama,

This letter represents a first for me–a public endorsement of a Presidential candidate. I feel driven to let you know why I am writing it. One reason is it may help gather other supporters; another is that this is one of those singular moments that nations ignore at their peril. I will not rehearse the multiple crises facing us, but of one thing I am certain: this opportunity for a national evolution (even revolution) will not come again soon, and I am convinced you are the person to capture it.

May I describe to you my thoughts?

I have admired Senator Clinton for years. Her knowledge always seemed to me exhaustive; her negotiation of politics expert. However I am more compelled by the quality of mind (as far as I can measure it) of a candidate. I cared little for her gender as a source of my admiration, and the little I did care was based on the fact that no liberal woman has ever ruled in America. Only conservative or “new-centrist” ones are allowed into that realm. Nor do I care very much for your race[s]. I would not support you if that was all you had to offer or because it might make me “proud.”

In thinking carefully about the strengths of the candidates, I stunned myself when I came to the following conclusion: that in addition to keen intelligence, integrity and a rare authenticity, you exhibit something that has nothing to do with age, experience, race or gender and something I don’t see in other candidates. That something is a creative imagination which coupled with brilliance equals wisdom. It is too bad if we associate it only with gray hair and old age. Or if we call searing vision naivete. Or if we believe cunning is insight. Or if we settle for finessing cures tailored for each ravaged tree in the forest while ignoring the poisonous landscape that feeds and surrounds it. Wisdom is a gift; you can’t train for it, inherit it, learn it in a class, or earn it in the workplace–that access can foster the acquisition of knowledge, but not wisdom.

When, I wondered, was the last time this country was guided by such a leader? Someone whose moral center was un-embargoed? Someone with courage instead of mere ambition? Someone who truly thinks of his country’s citizens as “we,” not “they”? Someone who understands what it will take to help America realize the virtues it fancies about itself, what it desperately needs to become in the world?

Our future is ripe, outrageously rich in its possibilities. Yet unleashing the glory of that future will require a difficult labor, and some may be so frightened of its birth they will refuse to abandon their nostalgia for the womb.

There have been a few prescient leaders in our past, but you are the man for this time.

Good luck to you and to us.

Toni Morrison

News: Caroline Kennedy, daughter of JFK, and Senator Ted Kennedy have officially endorsed Barack Obama. Caroline’s endorsement of Obama yesterday in the NYT op-ed was very moving: She described Obama as the only person she has witnessed in her lifetime who could be a “President Like My Father.” That’s a remarkable statement from a remarkable woman.

Ted Kennedy still knows how to deliver a speech!

Caroline Kennedy endorses Obama

Interview

It seems beneath the dignity of a former President of the United States to be the attack dog in a political campaign.  I don’t remember President George H.W. Bush playing that role for his son.

News:  Senators Clinton and Obama took major shots at each other during the CNN South Carolina debate.  Things got ugly.

Davedays has taken the citizen political video to another level.  Take that, Obama girl.

The Utube Blog study on Presidential Candidate Videos on YouTube–click to download

News: You can download from the link above my latest report on the use of videos on YouTube by the presidential candidates. The study was completed before the New Hampshire primary.

Analysis: Here are my 3 key findings:

(1) Republican candidate Ron Paul continues to be, by a wide margin, the most popular candidate on YouTube, in terms of the average number of views per video (105,908 views per video) and the number of subscribers to his YouTube channel (42,858). He also has the most total views (9,320,763) on YouTube for any presidential candidate (although he does not have the most viewed single video on YouTube—Mike Huckabee does).

(2) Republican candidate Mike Huckabee has experienced a dramatic growth in the popularity of his videos during November and December 2007. He jumped from close to the worst in average number of views in October 2007 to the second most views per video by January 4, 2008, with 27,818 views per video. Most impressive of all is the fact that Huckabee is the first candidate with a video that has generated over 1 million views on YouTube.

(3) Finally, as the primary season has begun, the candidates’ YouTube videos have seen a huge increase in the number of views than in previous months.

2003 Barack Obama

2007 Barack Obama

Hillary Clinton, “That hurts my feelings.”

Barack Obama, “You’re likable enough, Hillary.”

News:  Frank Luntz polled a focus group of undecided voters after yesterday’s presidential debate.  Overwhelmingly, the undecideds preferred Obama over Clinton after the debate.  Clinton came across as “dogmatic,” “defensive,” and almost “angry.”  People did not like her touting her husband’s record as her own.   Yet, while the people praised Obama, they didn’t seem to have many specifics about what he actually said.

Analysis:  I met Luntz a long time ago at Harvard.  He’s known as a Republican consultant and he was on Fox News, but I have no reason to question the focus group he ran yesterday on the Democratic debate.  But it’s probably good to take everything on TV these days with a grain of salt.  If the views aired by the focus group are reflective of other undecideds or independents, Hillary Clinton is in serious trouble in New Hampshire.

News: I hope to have another official report on the popularity of YouTube videos of the presidential candidates soon. There’s been a lot of movement, especially by Mike Huckabee. You can view my past reports here. In the meantime, I will be posting the campaign videos of the key contenders each day until the New Hampshire primary. Here are Saturday’s videos:

Democrats

John Edwards

Barack Obama

Republicans

Ron Paul

Mitt Romney

What do you get when you combine the Matrix with Rocky with a lot of cleavage? Is this the next generation of campaign video?

I’ve watched hundreds, if not thousands, of YouTube videos this year. Here are my selections for The Best YouTube Videos of 2007.

1. Best YouTube Video of the Year: Esmee

Esmee Denters is an 18-year-old Dutch girl who started singing on YouTube from her bedroom. Soon, she started drawing hundreds of thousands of views. Then, in the millions. Eventually, a guy named Justin Timberlake signed her to a record deal. This video was shot right before the announcement of the deal. It represents the best that “user-generated content” has to offer.  Wait for the video’s ending. Esmee’s first album will be released in 2008.

2. First Runner-Up: Miss South Carolina

It pains me to select a TV clip as the First Runner-Up, but this video of Miss South Carolina Lauren Caitlin Upton speaks for itself. She’s beautiful and should be a spokesperson for GPS.

3. Second Runner-Up: James Kotecki interviews Ron Paul from his dorm

From his dorm room, James Kotecki interviewed Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul. Kotecki also interviewed Mike Huckabee, Mike Gravel, John Edwards, and Dennis Kucinich. The citizen-journalist might have more power today than ever before.

4. Third Runner-Up: Lazydork raps YouTube, so does Renetto

Irreverance is king on YouTube.

5. Fourth Runner-Up: Obama girl

Cleavage is queen on YouTube.

6. Fifth Runner-Up: Ron Paul

He’s the most watched candidate on YouTube. Still trying to figure out why.

7. Sixth Runner-Up: Hillary 1984

Why citizens will be a factor in the presidential election in 2008.

[I reserve 24 hours to revise my picks as I think of other videos I've watched. Drop me an email if you like to nominate another video. utubeblog [at] gmail [dot] com

News:  29,000 people flock to see Oprah and Barack Obama in South Carolina.  18,500 in Iowa.  Over 100,000 views now on YouTube in 2 days.  Is this the perfect storm for Hillary Clinton?

News: Barack Obama is now in a statistical tie with Hillary Clinton in Iowa.

Analysis: Oprah is an excellent campaigner. The Clinton camp should be hitting the panic button right now. This will be their toughest challenge for the Democratic nomination.

News:  The Edwards campaign is going on the offensive on YouTube, with this attack ad on Hillary Clinton, who had a shakier performance in the last debate (as shown on the video).

[DISCLAIMER:  This is not an endorsement of any candidate.]

News: The Utube Blog’s second report on the presidential candidate videos on YouTube is now available. Ron Paul continues to blow by the entire field of candidates, both Democratic and Republican. Newcomer Fred Thompson had a disappointing first month on YouTube.

Download: The Utube Blog second report on Presidential Candidate Videos on YouTube

Key Findings

(1) Republican candidate Ron Paul continues to be, by a wide margin, the most popular candidate on YouTube, in terms of the average number of views per video (85,194 views per video) and the number of subscribers to his YouTube channel (29,658). He also has the most total views (4,344,904) on YouTube for any presidential candidate (although he does not have the most viewed single video on YouTube—Hillary Clinton does).

(2) Republican candidate Fred Thompson has drawn only a relatively few number of YouTube viewers in the first month of his campaign, maintaining a very low average number of views per video (3,780 views per video). He gained only 581 subscribers to his YouTube channel. His most watched video captured over 55,000 views.

(3) Overall, the videos of all the presidential candidates have drawn only a relatively modest number of views on YouTube, both in terms of the actual views per video and the average number of views per video.

My second report on the presidential candidate videos on YouTube will be out soon.  Stay tuned.

News: For the past couple months, I’ve been collecting data on all the presidential candidates’ videos on YouTube. Today, I’m publishing my first report, “Analyzing the Presidential Candidate Videos on YouTube August 2007.”

The report reaches two basic findings for the presidential candidate videos thus far:

(1) The presidential candidates have gained only a relatively modest amount of views and subscribers to their YouTube videos; and

(2) Republican candidate Ron Paul is, by a wide margin, the most popular candidate on YouTube, in terms of the average number of views per video and the number of subscribers to his YouTube channel. He also has the most total views on YouTube for any presidential candidate.

Here’s one slice of the report:

View the report: Click here. I’ve also set up a new blog called The YouTube President with a copy of the report. I’ll be collecting my reports there.

Download the report: The Utube Blog study August 2007.doc

(Copyright permission: Please feel free to copy the report and re-use it, including the graphs, in other works, as long as attribution is given to Professor Edward Lee and The Utube Blog. Thanks.)