Vote Different Ad

Phil de Vellis aka parkridge47 made the 1984 themed ad providing amusement, media grist, and the announcement of something new in politics. The edginess of the ad was not the new thing, that could have been made for MSM, it wouldn't have been made by a serious Democrat, but the new thing is the complete low cost divorcement of internet political advertising from campaigns. It has been a very long since pamphleteers could influence politics, they did at one time, so the newness of de Vellis' approach is only relative, but in the world of high dollar political advertising this is a tsunami. Internet political advertising isn't new, most of the larger blogs have "click on" for whatever nearly mainstream politics you care for. I personally ran an ad on Blue Oregon, but what is going to cause heartburn is candidates being identified with independent productions. It is going to become very important what caliber of supporters a candidate attracts.

A certain amount of overblown rhetoric has accompanied this ad, the U-Tubers are not the main voting public, just as the Bloggers and their readers are not. The biggest impact of this "parkridge47" ad was due to MSM attention which was drawn by the hit numbers and the sophistication of production. Mr de Vellis is pretty proud of his ad and his motivations for making it, I will agree with him on that within the limitations of the media. But it is important to remember that we Internet users are not a huge power by numbers, we are a power by our ability to start a discussion which spreads beyond the limits of our computer monitors.

I do not fool myself into thinking that this blog is of great impact in itself, my readership is small within the blogging community, but I hopefully try to hand out thinking points, things that will enter into other conversations. In the end run my header states my objectives, to kick back at those kicking at me and my "constituents." Kos, et al, reach a lot of people - a lot of people within narrow confines, the point is to take whats gotten 'here' out into the world at large and make some use of it.

My "Comments" usage is low, I might like to see some more active discussions - for my interest - but those are really little more than that. Of narrow limitted interest. I repeatedly express my interest and participation in the Democratic Party of Oregon because I hope these discussions spark interest in participation in the process. If these kinds of ads help with that, then they are a huge benefit, if they simply become an interesting adjunct to Interneting then they are no more than that. This nation will stand or fall on the basis of our interest and participation in its political processes, that is what counts.