Guerrilla Political Campaigning In The Internet Age

This YouTube video that the Washington Post has a lengthy article on is actually very, very good. I have no idea how many (or even if any) copyrights were violated in making it. But it is devastatingly effective.

It's the first viral attack ad of the 2008 presidential campaign: a clever idea, visually arresting images, the sound of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's voice and, all too fittingly in this YouTube age, an anonymous filmmaker.

The 74-second spot has been viewed more than a million times online, making it far more popular than any of the official videos posted by the presidential contenders. It's a "mash-up" of Ridley Scott's 1984 Super Bowl commercial that portrayed IBM as an Orwellian Big Brother and introduced Apple's Macintosh as the bright new vanguard of computing. But now it's Big Sister, Clinton, vs. the upstart, Sen. Barack Obama.

Interspersed with speeches from videos on Clinton's official site, the clip shows a horde of ghostlike followers droning on. It closes with an altered Apple symbol — the Apple's now an O — and the Web address BarackObama.com.

And just as the young blond athletic woman in the video causes a massive explosion by hurling a sledgehammer at a giant screen with Clinton's image, this ad's reach blows up any notion that candidates and mainstream media outlets can control the campaign dialogue. Especially online.

Obama campaign officials say they have nothing to do with it. The senator called it "pretty extraordinary" on CNN Monday night. Apple Computer declined to comment. Clinton said she liked having attention diverted from the oft-viewed clip of her off-key rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner."

Obama is denying it has any connection, Hillary! is trying to ignore it. Whoever did it it works. The only real problem is that this essentially shows that traditional political operatives have a lot - a real lot - to worry about. And it will get much, much worse the closer we get to the election. Expect some political fallout from this. My guess is that another, worse, attempt on muzzling political speech than McCain-Feingold will result from this type of thing in the near future.

UPDATE: And now the lines blur. Huffnpuffpo reveals that the creator of the ad is one Philip de Vellis, who formerly was the Internet communications director for Sherrod Brown. He is also (or was until today) working for Blue State Digital. The company was apparently founded by Howard Dean's people. And it worked for Barack Obama among others. Philip de Vellis resigned today and swears up and down that he did this completely on his own and it wasn't a company project.

And I don't think an awful lot of people (except among the ClueProof™) are going to buy that. Including Hillary! This is what will taint the "citizen ads" as he calls them. There will be pro or semi-pro political operatives involved and they will get a bad rep. I stand by my earlier prediction. There will be an attempt to regulate this. Especially if Hillary happens to win the presidency. There are axes in need of grinding.

UPDATE: Funny as all heck here. Someone is trying a down the Memory Hole routine. Blue State Digital swears they terminated Philip de Vellis. Something is double plus ungood here…..

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  By Sam L., Wednesday, 21 March , 2007 @ 2:14 pm

  If the person or persons who did this are found, will Apple or Ridley Scott or anyone else connected with the original commercial sue for residuals? Or for theft of intellectual property?

  Inquiring minds want to know.

• 

  By Quilly Mammoth, Wednesday, 21 March , 2007 @ 3:34 pm

  Mrs. Clinton Sen. Rodham Her Thighness is smart to try and let this go. There are at least three versions of this on YouTube. The last thing she needs to do is continue interest in this. I wonder when it will be remixed with Obama and Hillary!. The Republicans ought to use this to portray the entire Democratic Party.

  However, it could be that the American Mandrins have already selected the next President. The US Mint has aanounced a new line of 1/2 oz gold coins to coincide with the $1.00 President’s coin.
  http://www.usmint.gov/mint_programs/firstSpouse/index.cfm?flash=yes

  That’s right…it’s the “First Spouse GOld Coin Program”.

  I guess that’s one way for Bill to get on a coin.

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