Guest post by Jude


     A couple years ago, when I was first considering doing a little political or cultural blogging, I consulted an innovative and very web savvy friend of mine for advice.  I knew she knew her stuff because at the time she ran online strategy and business for a major player in the ah, erm, a'hem, uh... adult industry, (she has since been headhunted into more reputable environs, and no, I have no interesting stories derived from our friendship).  She told me, in a form of geek-speak I only half understood, that whatever I did should be video based, because the web had recently crossed an important line, where video plays outnumbered searches for users logging on.  A little less Google, a little more Youtube...or something like that. 
     In case I haven't made it clear already, I'm a huge fan of Hugh's.  He does the best interviews on the radio, especially of authors.  When I listen I feel smart, if only by osmosis, and then I forget almost everything I've heard, because my mind is kind of the opposite of whatever an autistic savant is.  What DO stick in my head, though, are commercials.  Jingles, great video images, catchphrases... I can still sing and recite lots of them from my childhood.  Schoolhouse Rocks, Michael Jackson Videos, multi-media moments.
    I don't think Obama won the minds so much as the hearts of his voters - not because they aren't perfectly smart, but because his campaign was selling the sizzle and not the steak.  As Bear In The Woods will likely attest, they're doing it to this day and at this very moment on multiple fronts.  Can we win this debate on health care with sober discussion over the next month?  Can we do that at the same time as we fight Cap and Tax?  And play loyal opposition to Obama's foreign policy where necessary?  I hope so.  I pass along important podcasts of Hugh, like this afternoon's, as I'm sure many of us do.  At the same time, I root for more videos like this one on CAP'nTAX and this one on OBAMACARE, because we need to play in all media fronts in order to make the impressions we need to inform and shape opinion. 

Warning, this first one is pretty catchy(via Hot Air and The Corner).  And no, the irony in the fact that I couldn't quite embed them is not lost on me, doh!