Web Videos are Changing Politics

It used to be that if you made a mistake on a campaign -- and a reporter didn't catch it -- you got lucky. The gaffe would basically die. In short, it used to be that "if a tree fell in the woods and no reporter heard it, it didn't fall."

No longer. Now, most campaigns employ "trackers" who follow the opponent around with a video camera. And the really savvy campaigns also have techies (sometimes these are supporters who do this on their own, from home) capable of creating and/or editing satirical videos about your opponent. The really good stuff spreads virally. It gets emailed around and posted on blogs.

This Slate article describes how the Lamont campaign used this tactic against Lieberman:

Throughout the contest, the challenger's supporters produced and circulated a steady stream of videos that were witty, powerful, and in a way became the fulcrum of the campaign. ... What's more, the videos offered a regular dose of entertainment to supporters who were interested but not obsessed.

Barring a major gaffe, it's hard to say if these web videos influence undecided voters. Regardless, they work in the sense that it is a form of psychological warfare against your opponent (if he's thinking about your camera, then he's not thinking about his message, etc.).

And if nothing else, they serve to entertain your supporters.