Hello my name is Claudia and I’m addicted to YouTube. I’m subscribed to 20 channels and have watched around 10,000 videos in the two years since my addiction began. Naturally enough, my other addiction, politics, overlaps with my YT addiction. It is thus that I’ve been a witness to the differences between the campaigns in their online encarnations. In few places is the generational difference between the candidate more evident than in the online world. Basically, Obama PWNES.

The YouTube channels are a perfect example. McCain’s YT channel has decent traffic yes: it has 25,900 subscribers and has the channel (that would be the page it’s videos are on) visited some 1,8 million times, with it’s most watched video having around 2.1 million views. Of the total of 309 videos posted, three have over 1 million views. The vast majority of videos are ads, though a few are more infomercial like, mini-documentaries.

Not a bad setup overall. Now let’s look at Obama’s channel.

Obama’s channel has 103,213 subscribers. His channel has been viewed some 17.3 million times. He is the 45th most subscribed and most viewed channel on YouTube (McCain isn’t ranked, as the rankings only go to 100). His most watched video (the speech he did on race) has been watched 5 million times. Of his 1595 videos, 8 have been watched over 1 million times. The total number of views of his videos stands over 82 million. Content is quite varied. All the ads are there, of course. Also the same infomercials and mini-documentaries. But they also have full speeches at different rallies throughout time. Lately every couple of days different political or pop celeberties show up in improvised videos reminding folks to vote. Michelle Obama makes occasional appearances, giving “behind the scenes” tours of different events. David Plouffe will make a video every week or two giving a pep-talk with a roundup of the current situation and strategy he wants from volunteers. Finally there is an abundance of videos portraying different volunteers in their daily business of knocking on doors, working the phones etc. Some are serious but many are light, with jokes and a general living-room feel, like videos friends would send to one another.

The webpages also show the difference between the candidates, albeit less so. Both of course first and foremost want you to donate to the campaign, but then they differ sharply. McCain’s webpage is simpler to navigate, and much friendlier to people not usually accustomed to browsing. Very large buttons will quickly direct you to different subjects. Brightly colored graphics leave no room for doubt as to where you are. Even the font is larger. It’s a page for anyone to visit and get a quick feel of the campaign. For it’s intended purpose, it’s pretty good, though I find the huge letters slightly annoying.

Obama’s webpage is a different animal altogether. Oh sure it provides the same basics. Like the McCain page it has links to issues, talking points, videos and pictures, as well as ways to sign up and donate. But Obama’s webpage feels a lot more like an insider volunteer hub than a page destined for newcomers. Below the initial “get involved” buttons there’s a lot less graphics and a lot more text. The font is smaller and in softer colors (sometimes downright hard to see, being different shades of blue). There’s a running log of updates and new stories. But that’s only the first level. The Obama page is a hub for a whole virtual universe, linking to supporter blogs hosted (though, as they warn you, not controlled) by the campaign. Both campaigns have blogs, but McCain’s is a running list of events and videos, while Obama’s is narrated by members of the road crew and includes “behind the scenes” pictures and personal impressions.

Obama also has a panel on the page called “Obama Everywhere” (no, I’m not kidding). Which links to Obama hubs at the following sites

I’m 28, and I haven’t even heard of half of these places. By contrast I was unable to find any links to any social networking sites on the McCain page. I was unable to find McCain on myspace on my own, though I’m sure he must be there somewhere.

Now, I’m sure many are saying “Well McCain has admitted that he’s not very good at the computer thingy, and anyway these online things are dominated by young people, who are Obama’s base”. While an understandable argument it makes two important misses:

That McCain isn’t very good at the computer should have no bearing on how engaged online his campaign is. Obama can’t fly a plane (though, interesingly enough both McCain’s can) and that doesn’t prevent him from riding his campaign plane.  Nothing prevented McCain from hiring the best and brightest for his online efforts, or from investing in tech-savvy crews to lead the way. Obama hired the founder of FaceBook, Chris Hughes to his “New Media” crew. He has invested people time and money into the new media, and it is paying off for him.

The other argument, that McCain essentially shouldn’t bother because it’s mostly the very young who use YouTube and MySpace and they’re overwhelmingly in the Obama camp anyway, also does not hold up. McCain gave up on the battle for the young before it was even waged. Yes, he had an inherent disadvantage. He’s 72 and looks it, and almost nothing about him says “cool”. He’s a guy most young peole would, at best, associate with a beloved grandfather. Obama is young, biracial, plays a mean basketball game and reminds the young more of a cool proff. These differences need not have made McCain give up. He should have at least tried. As irritating as it might be to the lonely Republican African Americans, I fully understand McCain not trying too hard with them, but the young weren’t initially so solidly in the Obama camp, and may have been at least partially swayed.

Additionally, although users of social network sites have traditionally been the young (students and those who just graduated) this is starting to change. At the end of October 6, 2006, that is two years ago, the average age of MySpace users, for instance, was 35. 68% of MySpace users were 25 or older. The average age of users of FaceBook, another famous social networking site, may be low (23), but approximately 50% of users is older than 35. 

I think it comes down to a difference in the belief of the practical force of the young. McCain went to Vietnam and supported the war. He was not in the anti-war movement nor was he active in the Civil Rights movement. He knows the reality of low voter turnout amongst the young. I think he really believes that the young may talk and make a lot of noise, but when push comes to shove they will not turn out and vote, so pursuing an uphill battle for their vote is not worth the effort.

Obama’s life experience was different. He was too young to be a part of the anti-war or Civil Rights movement, but he did become a community organizer quite young, and by his own account, it was something that finally gave direction and meaning to his life. He seems to really believe that the young can be more than talk, and that if they feel themselves part of a greater movement, they will act, and they will vote.

Both men have made a gamble, and in 16 days, we’ll see who was right.

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