Mediacheck

Hillary, Obama Go at It!

It's a natural hit on YouTube, where hordes surf for outbursts.

By Ben Shingler, 23 Jan 2008, TheTyee.ca

Hillary Clinton and Barrack Obama debate

Their latest blowup.

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[Editor's note: Every Wednesday Tyee Video offers a guided tour of YouTube and beyond. Our media savvy guides spotlight a favourite video, with many links to others and a bit of commentary to go along. Find all Tyee Video columns collected here.]

Barack Obama's passionate speech at Martin Luther King's church on Sunday may have been the fourth most viewed video on YouTube a day later, but the most intriguing -- and likely to become the most viewed -- moment from Monday's Democratic presidential debate in South Carolina involved a heated, very personal exchange between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

Presidential candidates would do well to pay attention to the YouTube barometer: tears and anger get the high numbers. Bill Clinton's argument with a reporter in Nevada last week and Hillary's tears in New Hampshire a week earlier are among the most popular on the web this month, each getting well over a million views.

Some have argued Hillary's moment of weakness was staged. But whether it was or not, many think it's what lead to her surge in the New Hampshire primary.

It seems voters, and viewers, are still moved by rare sequences of sincere, raw emotion -- or whatever seems to be so.

Another case in point: a top non-presidential video this week shows a tearful Terrell Owens, wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys, pleading with reporters not to blame quarterback Tony Romo for the team's loss after he went on vacation with Jessica Simpson two weeks prior to the big game.

These emotion-filled moments aren't a new way to attract viewers, or simply the new fiction-less terrain left in the wake of the writer's strike -- the most popular talk show clips have always been raw. Rosie O'Donnell's candid talk is what made The View one of the most watched daytime shows and big for online video. Her epic battle with the show's token conservative Elisabeth Hasselbeck caused a monumental jump in web searches for "Rosie" and "The View" back in May 2007. (And check out her surprise assault on Tom Selleck for his NRA support [note: link requires RealOne Player and may not work on all systems], back when she had her own show.)

And the debate between Rosie and Tom was far more civil than what took place between sports talk show host Jim Rome and the now retired NFL quarterback Jim Everett. Or one of my favorites: a Romanian talk show host going ballistic on two uncooperative guests.

Fox News host Bill O'Reilly regularly gets into heated debates with guests on his show, but probably none as astounding as his blow-up during an interview with the son of a man who died at the WTC on 9-11.

These brief moments in which emotion rises to surfaces, tears flow, and anger rages can have measurable consequences on viewers and voters. Just ask Howard Dean.

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Ben Shingler lives with his family and his greyhound Seamus in Montreal.

19 Comments:

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  • RickW

    4 years ago

    I'll Take the Underdog, Alex!

    http://www.ronpaul2008.com/

  • G West

    4 years ago

    Maureen Dowd

    On Bill and Hillary vs Obama in the Times this morning is worth reading, and chucking over.

    Have a look:

    http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/23/opinion/23dowd.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

    No one cuts through the crap more economically than Ms Dowd.

  • Skywalker

    4 years ago

    Remember when

    Not being much of a fan of Ms. Dowd I have to remember the last time there were contests in BC that involved an ethnic dimension. Masses of people turn out to vote on the basis of ethnicity and then the candidate proved to be unsuited to the task. Obama seems to be trying to walk both sides of the Black/white divide. His comments are purposefully vague showing his inexperience and his attacks also carry the same hard edge. That seems to be overlooked because of his youth.

    Then there is Hillary who might attract the women's vote and runs the same risk as with Carole James in BC. Gender politics carries with it the same risks.

    Both of these candidates now carry a vulnerability in their run for the White House. America is more likely to vote for its first woman than they are for its first black president.

    Personally I would prefer Hillary as she not artificial. In the end, anybody other than the Republican armed madmen.

  • G West

    4 years ago

    Surely you jest Skywalker?

    "...would prefer Hillary as she not (is)not artificial.."

    I have some trouble with that statement - as a matter of fact I see nothing whatever but artifice about her behavior and her campaign.

    After one (Bush) dynasty, I hope Americans have enough sense not to crown another one.

  • Skywalker

    4 years ago

    Politicians and artificiality

    I suppose G West these two go hand in hand. I should have said that I find her less so. I have yet to hear more than platitudes from Obama. He reminds me of that movie with Eddie Murphy as a candidate weaving one silly cliche after another without really saying anything meaningful. I just get then sense that the system will eat Obama alive. I watched the same hype with Dosanjh. I'm just glad I don't have to vote for either one.

  • G West

    4 years ago

    Obama

    Of course you may well be correct...and it's an American problem, but, I get the sense that Obama has a different arc to him - he's been around and his record in Illinois is pretty progressive...

    The system eats people but, as Nick Kristof wrote in the Times on the weekend, Abraham Lincoln was as much a neophyte as Obama...probably more.

    Getting elected (even just getting nominated) is such a marathon in the States - I'm not certain that whoever wins won't bring a load of unlikely expecations with him (or her).

    I just think it would be nice to have a guy win who doesn't wear one of those little stars and stripes lapel pins...and, I think, it would do black self-confidence a lot of good.

  • realisticman

    4 years ago

    Agreed

    Barack Obama would probably be fine. He went to a good school in Hawaii, as have done some illustrious alumni like Steve Case of AOL/Revolution Healthcare, ex Enron director and Ronald Reagan "my favorite economist", Wendy Lee Gramm. The school's mission is to, "Develop moral and spiritual values consistent with the Christian principles on which Punahou was founded...", but it's probably generally secular. Having Barack as his first name might help in dealing with the Israelis since Barak the son of Abinoam helped defeat the Canaanites who for twenty years had oppressed the Israelites. Hussein being his middle name could help in dealing with the moslem world. He also went to Columbia and Harvard.

  • Frank

    4 years ago

    Canaanites, the new Samaritans?

    Man, everyone is always so down on the Canaanites. I wanna know just what the Canaanites did to deserve thousands of years of disrespect.

    I can't even find a half-decent Canaanite restaurant.

  • The brain

    4 years ago

    Too bad Mike Gravel doesn't stand a chance

    Mike Gravel shoots it straight!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OGN4FpIG54&feature=related

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oe_yPDTWGgs

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWgYQANTQw4

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PQfXv3-8dU&NR=1

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtSrmfBHkZQ&feature=related

    Why I support John Edwards....

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMJO1eKB4_c

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LY0AqYXZC4&feature=related

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3fc0M7reWE

    All the debates can be found at this site:

    http://researchris.blogspot.com/2007/06/dem-pres-debates.html

  • Frank

    4 years ago

    The brain

    Lorne, you're an Edwards guy? Me too, nice to see.

    Too bad he doesn't have a chance.

  • G West

    4 years ago

    Some interesting developments

    1. The New York Times endorsed Clinton and McCain, and;
    2. There is a move among Jewish groups to question Obama's approach to the Middle East.

    Details here:
    Clinton top Democrat:
    http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/25/opinion/25fri1.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
    McCain top Republican"
    http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/25/opinion/25fri2.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&oref=slogin
    Article about Jewish concern with an Obama win:
    http://www.forward.com/articles/12543/

  • G West

    4 years ago

    Clintons marginally racist attack on Obama continues

    See Bob Herbert in this morning's New York Times:

    http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/26/opinion/26herbert.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

  • lynn

    4 years ago

    I think Rodney Dangerfield was a Canaanite

    Frank, I finally found "a half-decent Canaanite restaurant."

    When I find a decent one I'll let you know. ;-)

  • G West

    4 years ago

    Game ON!

    Obama wins S. Carolina primary with 55% of the vote.

  • James Burns

    4 years ago

    Let's home the game is on...

    Well blacks in the US, or at the very least those in S.C. (but I'd be willing to bet pretty much all of them), are more than familiar with racist innuendo. It's something they face daily, especially in the south. They undoubtedly clearly see the Clintons' tactics for what they are, subtle racist smears.

    That the Clintons have taken the tack they have just bears out my greatest concern over Hillary as president, and that is essentially more of the same of the Clinton years, where their primary interest is the shortest route to power, and all else takes a back seat to that aim. At this early stage of the campaign they are the epitome of sleaze. The sad thing is, it may just work, as the networks in the US seem more interested in ignoring their disgusting tactics and playing up her so-called experience.

  • G West

    4 years ago

    Well put James

    Let's hope this doesn't go badly - more and more Americans are starting to speak up against this narcissistic Clinton 'sickness' with each passing day.

    I don't know if Obama will have the 'power' or the character to change much down there...but I think he has the potential to do something new - and that's more than I can see in any of the other likely winners.

  • G West

    4 years ago

    More questions for Billary supporters

    In today's NYTimes:
    Start with this -
    http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/27/opinion/27rich.html?hp

  • Ben Shingler

    4 years ago

    Who do you support?

    This website shows you which presidential candidate is most inline with your politics. It seems pretty well done.
    http://www.electoralcompass.com/

  • G West

    4 years ago

    Thanks Ben, that was interesting

    Came out as most like Obama - least like Huckabee.

    Funny folks these Americans - I see a number of interesting endorsements for Obama were announced today as well.

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