Source: http://tinyurl.com/2wyfe2e
While most people think of YouTube as a collection of cute videos and funny clips, some of Britain’s most influential political parties are using the popular video sharing website as a platform for their campaigns. Party leaders Gordon Brown, David Cameron, and Nick Clegg answered questions from a list generated by YouTube users, giving the public a say in which issues are prioritized this election.
Interactive video was widely used in the 2008 United States Presidential Election, with both Republican and Democratic campaigners investing heavily in the digital video service. While video production has always been a key point for political campaigners – slick TV advertisements and presentations are the norm in election campaigns – the extensive use of digital video is catching many election analysts off guard.
Popular topics of discussion included potential tax increases, the Digital Economy Bill, and Britain’s involvement in the War in Afghanistan. All three candidates were polled using Facebook’s voting API according to their answers and party policies. At the time of polling, Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg was leading online interest polls made up of Facebook and YouTube users.
