One reason we endorsed Barack Obama as our Democratic nominee for TechPresident earlier today is because he has made an effort to understand technology and create a comprehensive technology platform. Not only is he Web-savvy, so are his constituents. A site called YouBama that launched a few days ago is a case in point. Designed by two Stanford grad students, Christopher Pedregal and Eric Park, to drum up grass-roots support for Obama, the site lets supporters upload videos explaining why they are going to vote for the candidate. The videos can then be voted up or down Digg-style. Pedregal explains to me:
The idea was to make it personal and individual. Everyone says this will be the YouTube elections. This can democratize the campaign process. It is an experiment. We don’t know if voters have a lot to say.
It is a simple but sophisticated site that will appeal to the YouTube generation, and an effective way to distill the most powerful messages with the broadest appeal. (The video at the top right now is a clip of George Clooney endorsing Obama on the Charlie Rose Show). The best part about the site is that it has nothing to do with the official Obama campaign. Says Pedregal:
There are a lot of things the Obama campaign can’t say or can’t do. There are a lot of sensitive issues regarding race or gender or attacks the candidates might use, and voters will want to react to that.
YouBama isn’t trying to be more than a grass-roots marketing vehicle for the Obama campaign. Pedregal and Park are both Obama supporters and they want to drum up more votes for his campaign. Their attitude is that supporters of other candidates can create their own sites. But they also feel that creating this site is “most applicable” to the Obama campaign because of its efforts to reach out to younger voters and speak to their aspirations. In other words, they feel they have the best chance of getting good videos from Obama supporters as opposed to those of the other candidates.
There is a youtube clone for everything now…
I think his ‘platform’ is a negative if anything. Guaranteed, say what you will now, but the more involvement from government the worse the Internet will be.
Now that this site is endorsing candidates, am I going to be reading about Obama and Mccain everyday?
whoever did this site, contact me and I will give you some buttons for the top that are’nt all blurry and whacked…
OpenCongress + Del.icio.us = Congrelicious
http://www.congrelicious.com/
Obama annoys the heck out of me. If he is elected, I’m moving.
Obama has a huge Web-savvy constituent base, just like McCain
HAHAHA, the IRONY!
@6 – Good riddance. Better start packing your bags now.
Wow. YouBama has crashed Firefox under Ubuntu 3 times in a row.
great! i saw another campaign that has been started that allows people to express what they think about obama – its an online campaign to collect thousands of support messages for obama – check it out -
http://www.mess...walls.com/obama – very neat interface
Obama is starting to appear more and more like an incoming tide.
I was sold on the man from the “concession” speech at new Hampshire. What an inspired orator the guy is!
it also showed that he doesn’t take a backward step. He “wants it” and he wants to fight for it. I really liked that, a good attribute for the leader fo the free world to have.
the next clone will be: BarTube
Speaking of: Here’s a YouTube video of the speech, that IMO, represents Obama coming out of ‘Beta’: http://youtube....h?v=MNCLomrqIN8
“I stand here knowing that my story is part of the larger American story, that I owe a debt to all of those who came before me, and that in no other country on Earth is my story even possible…”
copyright infringement with that logo
They may expect a Cease & Desist from both Google AND the University of Alabama later this after noon…
Overly litigious society, we has it.
Genius! You guys are really plumping up Obama’s PR. Great job.
user sk, to your comment #11, i did see the http://www.mess...walls.com/obama
cool idea for making it look like post-it-note-stickies!
go! obama !
the site layout is completely broken in my browser (firefox on ubuntu).
Same with me!
“Obama gives us hope”?
?? LOL… what? What are you hoping for? A tax increase? A hatchback that costs $30,000 because of Obama’s Federal Carbon Dioxide regulations?
You Democrats are weird!
I’m stunned to see how easily swayed folks are. Voting on appearance, a person voice, even there perceived ability to be a buddy. Especially now it seems there voting on gender and race.
How about we vote on what candidates actually plan on doing! Because the best predictor of future actions are past ones. Do some research in past performances.
Thus, my response to the Obama hoopla is, “Change… change what?” Because change, in itself, is neutral. The results from the change are what good or bad. And, until some answers are given on what they plan to change, shall I considered supporting anyone.
How can a guy who works for NASA support Obama who wants to destroy manned spaceflight? You make me sick.
Funny
Obama signifies change to a generation (read: technological nuts) who despertely wants it.
How much any of the presidents will truly impact the country — now that is a very different story.
Maybe we should look at who president surround themselves with – after all, haven’t we learned on the power of Dick, Paul, and Donny?
Wow Randy I guess you are happy with the worse 14 day run of the stock market in history. The Republican administration in place has run this country into the ground. We are involved in a occupation that’s costing billions a month to fund and more troops getting killed everyday.
Republicans are funny
Only too white kids could come up with way to call Obama a “bama” which when I was growing up in DC was a derogatory term for someone from the country usually Alabama. I assure you I will not be the only person to notice this.
http://www.urba...e.php?term=bama
Right on. I believe he [Obama] can make a positive change in our country, especially after the last eight dismissal years of misleadership. He inspires me every time I hear him speak.
Yes, we can!
This is what is happening in his hometown. his Grandmother is over there.
Why wait to be President. Do something now you bum. You crack head..
http://www.time...1707857,00.html
I have seen numerous stories left by his users on Earfl. It seems like they are supporting him for his charisma as well as his policies. Listen to http://www.earf...?auto_play=true
@26 A White and an Asian guy who are not from DC. I can’t believe they don’t know this little piece of DC slang. The world has come to an end.
My comment was meant to comment on something that I thought was funny that folks from DC would find funny but Chris, you’re scary, what server room are you buried in? Perhaps we can get a collectioon going to buy you a oneway ticket to Kenya if you’re so concerned. I’m switching from the greens to vote for Obama just to piss off the KKK if nothing else.
‘Bush lied terrorists died! Haliburton! Cheney! Walmart! SUVs! Karl Rove, Snark snark!’
Whoa! I get it, thanks BJ the Monkey. That’s enlightening.
Well, I take your hasty change of subject to mean you and other Obama voters don’t really care if hatchbacks cost $30,000 and light bulbs are more regulated by Washington D.C. than opium?
(Yes folks, this actually is Obama’s horrific totalitarian vision for America!)
Well gosh, you must be a rich urban fruitbag, then. Because as far as I can tell, currently only rich snobs can afford replacing every fixture in their home with exotic Low-E silicon diode light bulbs and $30,000 hybrid hatchbacks, and only urban fruitbags like you can actually make use of vehicles so chinsy and pointlessly compact. Actually, you must be EXTRA rich, because you claim you can afford Barack Obama’s proposed TAX INCREASES too! Yeah, you’d probably spring for that beautiful $60,000 Lexus hybrid that gets 26 mpg instead of 24. Actually though you should forget that baby for now and get ready to start buying up stocks tomorrow morning! Based on your recommendation above that prices are ‘too low’. What a bargain you say! Invest wisely though, just so you have more money to give to the IRS once Obama is elected.
OH… HOLD ON though… WAIT a minute! don’t you liberals hate rich folks? Oh, just rich republicans… I see. George Soros is OK, because he’s a fat liberal. He, Al Gore and a cartel of U.N. bureaucrats think that ice ages are caused by humans (just the next one I mean, not the thousands before), and that my good doctor should be put out of business and replaced by a mandated government physician, fully subsidized by my neighbor. Well thank you Democrat voters, but I’ve got my own doctor, and my neighbor has enough expenses already. I can plan for my own future. Because I’ve got “hope” too! Yes indeed!
I “hope” that I can achieve success on my OWN, not by stealing from my neighbor’s piggy bank, as Obama “hopes” I will actually come to think is amenable in the next 7 months.
@33:
‘You must be a fruitbag’: Wow, very mature. Your comment should be deleted for this.
Replacing lightbulbs: Generally cheaper in the long run.
Hybrid Hatchbacks: Those rich people buying those hatchbacks fund development that will help make them affordable for everyone. At that point everyone can buy them and save money on gas.
Tax increases: The tax increases should be
Investing: This doesn’t even make any sense.
Hating the rich:
Global Warming: And virtually all scientists and scientific journals.
Ice Ages: The earth is 6000 years old so hat didn’t leave much time for ice ages (sorry, couldn’t help myself).
Doctor out of Business: You clearly don’t understand how free public health care works – go to Canada or Austria and ask doctors there how they feel about it. The government pays them for each patient just like insurances do here. It’s much cheaper in general (though has some downsides like every policy does).
Your Neighbor Paying: Do you understand insurance? Everyone pays into the pot and when things don’t work out they can take from it. Humans dislike uncertainty and like reducing risk. Take an elementary Microeconomics class and the most conservative Professors will tell you this simple fact.
But from hearing your arguments it doesn’t sound like you made it to college. Go back to AOL?
Hope? The hope is that we can drop all the cynicism, sarcasm, and hatred and start evaluating policies with an open mind. The hope is that we can try to engage the world and show them that America stands for to help ensure that we will still be the leader of the free world 20 years from now. The hope is that we can stand up and make our country into what our forefathers wanted it to be – truly exceptional. That’s hope.
This Obama fanboyism has got to stop. Can’t I go to any site without seeing his name?
I get it, he makes good speeches.
Enough already.
johnnytoobad….
cocaine users can relapse anytime. a former crack head with his hands on the nuclear weapon button. please….
some one games a good speech and you get sold.
the truth is no president can do what is required…
uphold the law of the land. send illegals back.
do you know majority of blacks do drugs and not the casual kind. obama can’t stop that. they are doomed. no outreach from whites and no amount of restitution will make them prosperous.
this country was in the drians and will go further down the tubes…
just don’t ask silcon valley. all they care for is vc and ipo and $$$$.
Hi,
great news!
I also would like to support Mr. Obama. I offer him free bananas for him for a lifetime!
I hope he will like it.
According to me, it’s unnecessary, and won’t be popular.
Who cares which candidate this site is endorsing?
That would be a Bumma!
mr. obama has a nice smile and a true wish for transcending parties and our enemies around the world. a wish is all he can hope for. it will take more than fuzzy feelings and retoric. i’m sorry that he is certainly not ready to take on the world. he is a jv player and needs to take some time to learn what the real world is all about.
there is another site running a campaign for obama. saysomethingaboutobama.com it doesnt have videos but lets you print out all messages on a neat poster.
Support NASA. Vote Against Obama.
good , we have the alternative now !
Very cool domain name, so creative!
I see so many supporters of Obama. He is the most detestable person ever elected to such a high office. Do you supporters of Obama know that GOD gave us the 10 commanments and the fifth is “thou shall not kill” Obama is a supported of abortion which if killing of infants. He is a murderor and I pray that GOD will have mercy on him. GOD is not a silent bystander. If you think that things are bad now just wait until you see the rath of GOD. May GOD have pitty on us.