Negative YouTube Clip Assails Huckabee Campaign
The power of so-called New Media is again on display as a YouTube political attack ad makes mainstream media headlines. Wired reports that a 58-second video vilifying Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee has generated 47,955 hits since Thursday on the popular video Web site. The ad, made by 29-year-old Republican Keith Emis, criticizes the former governor of Arkansas for paroling incarcerated serial rapist Wayne Dumond, who murdered Carol Sue Shields upon his early release.
Emis collaborated with a friend who specializes in video production on the YouTube clip. The video recounts the circumstances surrounding Shield's death, beginning with a close-up of her mother, Lois Davidson, who grimly states that her daughter "won't be home for Christmas this year." Emis denies that he created the video to discredit Huckabee on behalf of another Republican candidate that he may support, like Fred Thompson, as some have suggested.
The YouTube piece marks the increasing influence of internet-based media on traditional media and, consequently, the American political arena, having prompted the Huckabee campaign to respond on the campaign Web site and on CNN (and posting the rejoinder on YouTube). Indeed, some pundits say the allegations that Huckabee pressed for Dumond's premature release may prove to be politically damaging. Others argue that his clean image as a Baptist Minister will not be tarnished by a Web-based media assault. Regardless, it is clear that the supremacy of traditional media in capturing the news and informing and influencing the public is being challenged by the all-access nature of the Internet.
Then again, pundits have been saying the Internet is making a big difference in elections for 10 years, but has the Internet ever really elected a president, or has it just created hype around candidates who eventually lose? Time will tell whether the Internet decides who won the 2008 presidential election.
From Wired
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Dean @ Dec 17th 2007 3:16PM
It is really quite simple,Mike Huckabee is a hypocrite and a liar in the likenes of that other well known coward and liar George Whimpy Bush.
Chris @ Dec 17th 2007 4:59PM
Mike Fuckabee is a loser. This country needs a president, not a minister. The guy has absolutely no foreign experience and pretty much sucked as a governor not doing anything remarkable. I greatly question someone who thinks that he's risen in the polls due to "jesus". It's not Jesus Mike, it's the mass of idiots who fall for those fairy tales. Religion is nothing but a socially acceptable form of mental illness, whether it be christian, muslim, satanist, jewish or anything else.
This guy doesn't deserve any attention.
Africa survivor @ Dec 18th 2007 7:54AM
DO some research ! gov Huckabee did not let the rapist out .he does not have that right as gov .
Africa survivor @ Dec 18th 2007 7:57AM
Chris say LOOK at me I'm a IDIOT !
boredwell @ Mar 15th 2008 12:33AM
47thousand does not a negative campaign make. However, it is encouraging to know that people out there care (or do not care) enough to splice facts with fiction an call it " the truth" vs "the news" when, in fact, it could be called a vendetta or propoganda. All of us, as viewers, need to challenge the homegrown media as well as the large media. The demand for the "whole truth and nothing but the truth" has become even more farcical, satirical and unilateral than ever. Let's hope that these alternative POVs may help to change this.