Democratic challengers in Northern Virginia’s congressional races have adopted YouTube as a campaign tool, while their Republican opponents have shied from the popular Web site.
The site has recently emerged as a free and simple means of posting all manner of video clips online, and it became a key factor in Virginia’s hotly contested Senate race when Democrat Jim Webb’s campaign posted footage of Sen. George Allen calling a Webb staffer “macaca.” The jibe, widely seen as a slur on the staffer’s Indian heritage, precipitated a massive narrowing of Allen’s lead.
“I think candidates across the country see the impact of the Webb use of YouTube against George Allen,” George Mason University Professor Mark J. Rozell said. “That, of course, was made more powerful because it truly was a spontaneous moment … as opposed to a planned ad.”
There are no such “gotcha” moments to post online for Judy Feder and Andrew Hurst, who are vying for the seats of 10th District Rep. Frank Wolf and 11th District Rep. Tom Davis, both Republicans. But both challengers are posting YouTube videos to supplement television and other traditional mediums.
“It doesn’t cost a nickel, and you get people you couldn’t reach otherwise,” Hurst told The Examiner. “It’s been a Godsend for us.”
Hurst’s campaign on Monday even posted its first YouTube-only advertisement, which shows Davis talking about immigration over somber, disquieting string music. The site also features other campaign ads for Feder and Hurst, as well as footage from a handful of speeches and rallies.
“It isn’t just about playing ‘gotcha,’ ” Feder campaign spokesman Lester Feder said. “Mostly what we’re doing is putting up opportunities to see Judy in action.”
The use of the site might be explored in the future, said Nick Meads, Davis’ campaign manager, but for now the campaign has stuck to tools like mailings and television.
“Obviously the Internet is a cost-effective means of communication, but I think mainstream voters haven’t gotten to the point yet where they watch YouTube as opposed to regular television,” Meads said.
