I have three new posts up over at PrezVid. Yes, that’s a plug.
Tags: prezvid
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on Wednesday, March 14th, 2007 at 11:35 am.
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March 14th, 2007 at 2:44 pm
You do realize that the last thing candidates want is a real conversation. A conversation means the risk of being asked a hard question (in public).
The way politics is practiced these days is two fold. First candidate must not take a position which can turn off existing supporters. When this is happens it’s called a “gaff”. Second the candidate must appeal to the emotions of the disengaged so that some sound bite or other resonates and they become a supporter.
(Real opponents never change their minds, so candidates ignore them.)
Where does “conversation” come in to all of this? Using YouTube of other new media outlets is just going to be another avenue for them to put out their canned messages. Think of it as an electronic billboard.
You can see the same dynamics at work in presidential “debates”. All possibility for real debate has been removed as has the sponsorship (and rule setting) of a real grassroots movement. So we get alternating mini-speeches. If they are unwilling to debate why should they expose themselves online?
March 15th, 2007 at 6:35 am
Robert, how long and how effectively can they do this though?
The web is a targeted medium. Each “coversation” is designed to reach someone specific. It’s not like mouthing a platitude and waiting for a commercial break makes the grade anymore. Those days are gone. Sure, they’ll try all the old tricks (and I don’t blame them) but if the content isn’t engaging the audience will tune out - or won’t it?
March 15th, 2007 at 10:18 am
Hasan:
I certainly can’t predict the future, but with the present “gotcha” type of reporting (see Biden on Obama for an example) I don’t see pols taking much of a real risk anytime soon.
Will this make for dull TV and a small audience, probably. But a small audience which costs nothing to reach is still better than nothing.
For the immediate future I think image ads on TV will still be the dominant way pols try to influence undecided voters.