Simon McGarr has honoured me by asking me to check into VoteTube.org now and then while he tends to one of the future leaders of our country. Hopefully I’ll start posting stuff over there soon. I think it odd that this election might miss out on using video and web tech in general to execute an election campaign while the next election in 4 or 5 years time might actually have people going “Duh, of course we are using the web. Everything we are doing is tied in to the web.” Next election we are not going to be seeing newspaper articles about “blogs” and the shiny new fad of “web videos” and candidates in Mayo uploading videos with the Saw Doctors singing in the background. Blogs and videos will be tools just like leaflets are tools now for campaigns. Seen a newspaper article about pamphlets lately? (Some guy is going to link to one now I bet and prove me wrong!).
There’s been meagre efforts from most of the parties at this stage but nothing spectacular. Labour’s “But, Are You Happy Video?” and the website tie-in was a bit of fresh thinking but that’s surely just a start? The PDs have started doing some videos too and I note Dan is pissy because the Sunday Times didn’t mention him in an article on them. Dan, who cares? The Sunday Times don’t seem to have an Irish website anymore for their articles. The ones who’ll find the YouTube probably won’t be the ones reading a print version of the paper. A political consultant recently told me the average time for reading the Sunday Times is now 14 minutes. If they’re not uploading all that content so it can be found by the great Google then they’re fucked really. What’s the average time spent watching YouTube in an Irish office these days?
As Dan notes, his video has been watched way more than the PDs one. But Dan, your video is still clobbered by another politician. Guess who’s been the most viewed politician though? Trevor Sargent. And where? A YouTube clip of him on Podge and Rodge. 8175 times. 7-8 times more than the next best video. (Roughly) He still comes across as a boring shite though. (Staying with the Podge and Rodge mentality.)
Some Video viewing stats:
Harney asking to give her back her job after the election. – 661 times.
But are you happy? – 696 views
You pay taxes so we don’t have to – 1,100 times (Done twice, viewed 800 times and 300 times)
Enda Kenny looking like a cast member of Trigger Happy TV done to the music of some daytime soap – 1,353 times
Pisstake of Bertie – 1,432 times.
Trevor on Podge and Rodge – 8,175 times.
Perspective:
Irish Bloggers on de tele – 970 times.
The banned Trocaire Ad – 6,401 times.
But Video and blogs are just two bits of technology that can be used and exploited and really are not. This election I think there’ll be some advantage for the party that starts using more web technologies where next-time there’ll be no advantage. They’ll be used by all. So, my glorious and intelligent readers, what off-the-shelf tech do you think politicians should be using to interact with the voters and to run their campaigns? No vapourware shite now please.
Bonus Video. Apple fan? Remember their amazing 1984 video? Now it’s been remixed again for Obama and takes shots at Hilary Clinton:
Morning Edit: Votetube and Simon were name-dropped on Morning Ireland this morning but an interview with Simon was unfortunately bumped. He’ll have his day again though!
