Following up on last nights Democratic debate in Philadelphia, Senator Hillary Clinton’s campaign released this video where a bunch of mean male Senators gang up on her. Not included in the video: the portion of the debate where the near-perfectly disciplined Clinton got banged around a little on the issue of drivers licenses for undocumented workers.

UPDATE: Hillary didn’t have her drivers license answer in that clip, but – staying mean – the Edwards campaign put it out there:

The 2008 Democratic Primaries have often seemed as devoted to the hair on top of candidates’ heads as the ideas inside. In the Chris Dodd ad above, he re-enlists his white mane for humor – citing it as evidence of decades of fighting the good fight in the Senate. He also works in a poke at John Edwards in the process.

Opponents and critics have been going upside John Edwards well-coiffed head with these follicly-charged strikes for month – but I figured it’d end after the excellent (if late) rebuttal he brought along to the CNN/YouTube debate:

In a media-obsessed society like America has become, it drives me nuts that the biggest criticism many can hurl at Edwards is that he didn’t want messy hair on television. Lord only knows what people would say, had he gone on with a cowlick – God forbid!

But it doesn’t stop with Dodd and Edwards. In the two videos below, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama spend a little time with the striped-pole brigade.

There was a stretch in 2005 when I was looking for my next project. From time to time, I found myself watching a reality series on Bravo featuring uber-stylist-to-the-stars Jonathan Antin. If we’re going to spend this much time talking about hair, why not just run him? Or at least a cabinet position? Anything?

ALSO: On a more serious note, look at the video below. It’s a teaser that the Obama put out ahead of their barbershop clip. This is a great technique. The rumbling belly of the web video beast is soothed by appetizers such as these. One thing I’d add: a push at the end of the clip telling people to tune back in for the longer piece. An eye-catching glimpse of a compelling story (like the Army Ranger’s meeting with Obama) can be the hook that brings viewers with only a little time (in this case :45 seconds) back for something more substantial, if they see that it’s something with human appeal.

Earlier this week – impatient person that I am – I complained about the lack of releases from the Clinton campaign’s HillCam. It was no sooner than I had hit “Publish” that they started dropping clips, which you see in the playlist above.

I was so caught up watching the Dodd headquarters feed on DTV, that I didn’t get around to my reviews of the now-lively HillCam.

In three installments of the we’ve learned the following:

• There are a lot of white people in Iowa (born in Nebraska, I didn’t need HillCam to know this)
• Politicians go ga-ga over babies
• Politicians will will always stop to listen to firefighters (Rudy Giuliani is exempt from this rule)
• Bill Clinton is comfortable around a fast food counter

Not exactly groundbreaking revelations.

It’s also good to see in the second video that former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack has a new gig. I hear he makes the best blizzards in the midwest!

Before dropping out of the race to serve Derby’s and Dilly Bars, Vilsack had an excellent and very personal vLog – it’s recreated in the player on the ’08 Videos page

The moment I was really hoping to see (based on media reports from Iowa) was nowhere to be found:

CLEAR LAKE, Iowa — Former Gov. Mitt Romney and his wife, Ann, had a little time to kill before the start of the Independence Day parade here, so they decided to go say hello to the other presidential candidate and her spouse taking part in the festivities.

“Mr. President, how are you, Mitt Romney,” the Republican said after finding Bill Clinton working the three-deep crowd gathering along Main Ave. “This is my wife, Ann, and my son, Josh.”

After introductions were made, Romney observed that “this is kinda fun.”

“How many times you done this before?” he asked.

“Once or twice,” Clinton deadpanned.

“I bet that’s right,” Romney responded with a laugh.

Romney then began to explain to the former president that son Josh had taken it upon himself to visit all 99 Iowa counties in a massive Winnebago dubbed the “Mitt Mobile,” but Clinton seemed to already know.

Then, seemingly out of nowhere, appeared Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in the scrum that had quickly developed when Romney approached Bill Clinton.

“Nice to see you!” Sen. Clinton exclaimed to Romney.

Introducing Josh, Romney began to tell Sen. Clinton about his son’s plan to drive around the state.

“He’s been driving around,” Sen. Clinton shook her head knowingly, like her husband, already aware of Josh’s travels.

Proving he had been listening to how many stops Josh had made, Bill Clinton then piped up, “He’s halfway home!”

“Well, it’s a good deal,” Sen. Clinton offered

“How many counties have you hit,” Romney asked, “45?”

“About 50,” Josh quickly responded.

“Well, he’s over halfway,” Sen. Clinton said, demonstrating her knowledge of Iowa’s 99 counties. “You’ve got this built-in campaign team with your sons, boy I tell ya,” she added, good naturedly.

“There’s nothing like it,” Romney replied. “If we had known, we would’ve had more.” (The Politico)

That interaction would have been worth watching! And could have appeared on both the HillCam and MittTV…and everyone loves a crossover episode!

I work campaigns.

I have two sons – and a third on the way.

These two things are sometimes hard to reconcile. As I’m currently talking to various campaigns about what ship to set sail on next, I can hardly imagine what it’s like to be a candidate with two young children.

Off the top of my head, three Democratic contenders (Barack Obama, John Edwards and Chris Dodd) all have young children as they pursue the presidency.

In the following two videos, Senators Obama and Edwards talk about campaigning with children:

In the first episode of the new Barack Obama podcast, he discusses his children and his father in honor of the now-past Father’s Day weekend. Somehow, I can’t imagine another candidate discussing their family in the way that Senator Obama does in this clip. It’s the type of openness that made his books successful and acclaimed…and made me subscribe to the podcast through iTunes.

In this Edwards clip, Senator Edwards is a little lighter in his treatment of bringing kids on the campaign trail. A friend who worked advance for Senator Edwards four years ago had nothing but good things to say about the Senator’s plucky son, Jack. Jack and his sister, Emma Claire, appear in this piece but flee the room when it’s time for daddy to give yet another speech. His attention turns to his own father in the next clip – as he revisits the familiar setting of the textile mill where his father worked.

At the Democratic debate on Tuesday night, the CNN/WMUR crews weren’t the only ones toting video gear. In the midst of the YouTube primary, the campaigns were sporting crews of their own.

Throughout the day, the Dodd campaign was rolling tape in their signature cinéma vérité style. As a “pre-game show” they hosted a live video chat via ustream.tv. Even days before the debate they were generating debate-related clips, such as this one:

The Edwards campaign immediately followed the debate with a quick clip of the former Senator being marched into the hall by a drumline. Today they have a new release with an interesting film showing the Senator as he is given a walk-through of how the event will go down.

There’s a great deal to like here. I love the gentlemanly and impromptu meeting with Governor Richardson at the end. I would like to have seen footage from the debate worked into the piece – especially since CNN went to all the trouble of freeing up use of it for vLoggers and the ‘net.

Maybe it goes like this…

Open on the debate.

Show a great line from the candidate.

Then cut out.

TITLE: X Hours Earlier

Flashback to the walk through.

During the explanation of the first half, show a great line from the first half.

At the rundown on the second half, show a great line from the second half.

Wrap it up with the great hallway meeting, and a suggestion of where to find more substantive clips (captured from TV?).

I love the novelty of the piece, which taps into the exclusivity of having a campaign-controlled camera. It gives viewers a reason to watch. But, while you have them it is important to also deliver the message.

Because I like this idea, and because he gave me a few minutes of his time at the California Convention, I’m going to go ahead and reprint an email I just received from the Chris Dodd campaign.

In a few minutes they’ll be doing a live stream from Iowa, the beginning of D-Span – an effort to stream large amounts of Senator Dodd’s campaign live.

So, I get this email and follow the link. The video page has a place to sign-up for programming updates. But what I really like is the box of code to embed the live feed on your own site.

Dodd is in syndication!

Maybe I haven’t been paying attention, but I don’t remember seeing other candidates syndicating live video feeds.

Dear Jeremy, Let's call it a preview of things to come. At 1 P.M. Eastern, Senator Dodd is participating in a question and answer session about Iraq at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. At the same time, a healthy group of supporters and undecided voters will watch at the Iowa City Public Library as well as at kitchen tables in five locations across the state. And we'd like to invite you to do the same, online and live, from the comfort of whatever state you are in. JOIN SENATOR DODD LIVE IN IOWA Before the townhall begins, we'll be hosting video from last night's event at the Hall of Fame Dinner in Dubuque, Iowa. As you might have heard, we've recently hired a traveling blogger to provide consistent content from the road during Senator Dodd's campaign stops across the country. Sometimes live, sometimes recorded, ChrisDodd.com promises to put you on the trail with the Senator as he continues his journey towards the White House. JOIN SENATOR DODD LIVE IN IOWA, RIGHT NOW Today's live interaction with the campaign is just the beginning. Soon we'll be announcing other innovative ways you can interact live with the campaign - both the candidate and the staff. Until then, we hope you'll join us in Iowa today. JOIN THE SENATOR LIVE IN IOWA, RIGHT NOW We're going to give you a window into the campaign. Hope you'll take a look inside, Tim Tagaris Chris Dodd for President           Paid for by Chris Dodd for President, Inc. PO Box 51882 Washington, DC 20091 Info@ChrisDodd.com To stop receiving email from Dodd for President, Inc., visit http://ChrisDodd.com/de-list

 

Today’s announcement by New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson continued the trend of 2008 presidential contenders kicking off their campaigns accompanied by an online video. Like former Governor Tom Vilsack, former Senator John Edwards, and Senators Chris Dodd, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton; Richardson addressed supporters, skeptics and the world through the blossoming medium of political web videos.

The contenders’ videos show differences in rhetoric – to be sure. I’ll leave discussion of that to a million different blogs, and the traditional media. What interests me in the release of these announcement videos are the differences in how each campaign uses the medium.

Former Governor Tom Vilsack (D-IA)

Now, this is a vLog! In the most traditional sense, Vilsack nails the medium. A static camera, at that slightly low-angle makes you feel as if it’s shot with a web-cam sitting on his desk. The choice of locations – on a couch in front of a packed bookshelf – lends itself well to his homespun delivery, which is where Vilsack really shines.

I don’t know how this was produced, but I really do get the feeling from it that he is alone with the camera. Were his aides comfortable enough to just let him sit down and tape himself? Somehow I doubt it. That’s how it comes across though. Vilsack comes out on top of the heap as far as intimacy and conversational-ism. In subsequent videos, he has managed to maintain this. Having met Governor Vilsack, it’s great to see that he talks in the same thoughtful way in his vLog as he does one on one.

Former Senator John Edwards (D-NC)

Edwards creative and symbolic use of setting makes his video stand out from the rest. Coming as an preface to his official announcement the next day, Edwards continues something he started in video presentations for his pre-presidential PAC, One America. For One America, Edwards would release a video ahead of making a speech, outlining what he would be talking about and giving a personal and emotional context to the speech to come. After that, the speech would be presented as delivered, but would mean a lot more to those who watched the “pre-show.”
The use of the camera has a “hand it to the volunteer and roll” feel that is loose and gives that amateurish “grassrootsy” feeling. The remarks are obviously thought-out, but maintain an off-the-cuff quality of someone speaking from the heart.

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT)

Dodd is the one video that feels like an after thought, as if someone in the office suddenly realized, “All the other candidates have YouTube videos. We need to whip one up.” They threw up a couple flags, plopped the Senator in front of him, and told him “go!”
That said, it does lend a certain credibility to the video the others don’t have. This isn’t a calculated move. It isn’t a contrivance meant to display that the Dodd campaign “gets it.” Dodd’s announcement doesn’t have the production values or backdrop that many of the other videos do, but it gets the job done. Afterthought or not, they thought it important to reach out this way and the Senator gave us a little about himself. I especially liked how he said, “I’m a Senator from Connecticut.” He is truly introducing himself to us in this video.

The best part is actually at the very end, and resides mainly outside of the piece. If you follow a link that comes up at the tail of the video, you go to a page on Dodd’s website that asks you for a video link of your own, opening up two-way conversation via YouTube.

Senator Barack Obama (D-IL)

Senator Obama’s clip is the most “formal” of those released. Shot in a slightly loose closeup, the announcement is delivered in one take to a static camera. The lighting is very traditional, but also dramatic and rich. This video – in one word – is stable. Obama’s firm delivery, combined with the controlled setting, lighting, and camera remind me of a Presidential address. I’m pretty sure that exactly what they want you to take away.
This was shot to show control and heft. In a recent article (can’t remember which), the writer talked about Obama’s style on the stump, saying it was like watching someone think out loud. That is certainly one type of Obama speech, the “finding a way through things while everyone watches” delivery. This video is the other type of Obama speech. Like the DNC Keynote in 2004 this one is a planned march. A candidate who’s found the way, and is not looking for it. In a way, it leaves a little out of the piece. Obama’s million megawatt smile and good humor are not to be seen here – it’s all business.

This video tackles the “inexperience” argument. For what I think the aim of the piece was, it succeeds.

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY)

Normally, I’d call her Senator Clinton; but this video has “Call me Hillary” all over it. Shot in a living room on a comfy couch, with family photos in the background and a lovely day outside; the Hillary video is warm and welcoming – if a bit scripted. She is inviting and friendly, with a touch of humor – while still carrying the weight of a powerful United States Senator. It’s clear that this video intends to cozy you up to the former First Lady, who we all “know” so well. She is a familiar face and an old friend to the Party.

But, in bringing that out, I feel the presence of a “director,” who brought out a bit of a forced delivery. One thing that bugs me are her gestures. The one that jumped out was when she puts her arm up on the back of the couch. Not so much that she did it, or that it seemed “stagy.” My problem with it is in the editing. It happens twice. Back to back. She puts her arm up, delivers a line about the President. There’s a cut. She puts her arm up and makes a different point. In doing it, she seems perfectly natural. After editing though, it looks like a stage-directed move. Her lean forward on “Let’s chat.” (and even the use of the word “chat”) didn’t seem in character, either. We get it already, she’s not frigid. She’s not unapproachable. Don’t push it on us.

Most of this video gave me a very different feeling than I’ve had sometimes about Senator Clinton. Namely, that she is “Hillary.” Those few moments, where she seemed guided to do things, undercut the rest of the piece where – by actually talking to us – she was communicating all that they wanted her to get across. Let Hillary be Hillary.

Maybe I’m expecting too much in this video, or something. My wife didn’t see any of this the same way. She usually has a far more critical cinematic eye than I do, and isn’t inclined to be a fan of Senator Clinton…after this video, all that changed. She is firmly in Hillaryland, now! So, on that measure this video is a raging success. I look forward to the “chats” that are on deck in the coming week.

Governor Bill Richardson (D-NM)

The offering from Governor Richardson is formal (like the Obama video) but with the warmth of the Clinton video. He let’s us know who he is (sharing his strong resume) and where he is coming from. He also digs deeper into plans and issues than the other candidates, making a detailed case for why he should be the next President. The choice of location is excellent. The warm lighting, flowers in the background and hearth give a homey feeling…but the fireplace as angular and strong (with a classic look) that reminds of something you may see in a room of the White House. This is smart “regular-guy” at home among marble.

I’d have like to have seen him cut loose a little more, but I mostly like his delivery. He doesn’t come off as a natural communicator. But, he portrays seriousness and honesty and a genuine interest in tackling big issues. This is a man of depth, with a lot on his mind – who has so much to share he can barely even the outline into the four and a half minutes of the clip. I saw him in person once at a Democratic Governors Association event, and remember him as pretty funny. I hope future videos show a bit more of that humor.

A lot of people will key in on his speaking in Spanish, let me just add a heartfelt, “bully for you, Governor!” I would like to see these videos dubbed into other languages, as well. Richardson has a leg up in this area. Let’s talk to all Americans, even those who are new here and learning our language.

On The Whole

All of these have their good points and bad points. Some were better at being conversational. Some were lit or shot better. Some used context and setting better. What’s important is that everyone is in the game. All of the candidates have seen from 2006 the importance of this medium, and are – pardon my pun – exploring it. I hope to see them all grow as vLoggers (or whatever you’d call them!) as the campaign goes on.

My quick takes:

Vilsack – Conversational
Good: Thoughtful delivery. Intimate camera.
Bad: Hmmmm…I’ll get back to you on that. I really like this video.

Edwards – Active
Good: Top-notch context and setting. Free-flowing dialog
Bad: Get in closer. It’s a small picture area online, medium and wide shots don’t get enough emotion (read: your face) across. Start wide (to get the cleanup) and cut in.

Dodd – On-the-Fly
Good: Very open and conversational, very comfortable. Two-way video communication web page!
Bad: The “Afterthought” effect.

Obama – Controlled
Good: “Strong” camera. Dramatic lighting. Good delivery.
Bad: For this one it works, but loosen up a little in the future. Careful in your framing (ie. the “Half Hands” at the bottom of the frame).

Clinton – Inviting
Good: Conversational. Good balance of policy and personality. Nice humor.
Bad: Relax and be yourself. Like Obama, get off the script a little next time. You’re sitting on my desktop. Let me get to know you.

Richardson – Exuberant
Good: Depth and Information. Homey, yet formal setting.
Bad: Let your humor out. You’re a famous “backslapper” of a politician. Give us a little tap!