Attack Of The Hillary Clinton Barack Obama Rudy Giuliani Political Song Parody Videos

This run up to the 2008 campaign is inspiring a slew of song parody videos getting huge viewerships on You Tube. The videos are marked by irreverence that will please foes of the given candidates and greatly enrage their supporters. Music and pointed lyrics are used to boost or ridicule candidates.

Here are two of the newest making the rounds quickly.WARNING: There is some adult material.

Debate ’08: Obama Girl vs Giuliani Girl is a follow up on the wildly popular video “Crush On Obama.”

And then there’s one that will most certainly not please Senator Hillary Clinton’s camp. But Hott 4 Hill was all over television news yesterday, with features on it, the woman who wrote it, and favorable and angry unfavorable reaction to the video. There are also news stories like THIS and THIS. It clearly has generated some controversy…and “buzz.”

The use of slick, entertaining song parodies can be a double edged sword for politicians — but they better get used to it. And it will add some “wild cards” in campaigns from now on.

Political camps can put them out under their own name or even better yet via surrogates to bolster their person’s image. Or use song parodies to subtly or not-too-subtly undermine a rival.

It’s one more “unmanageable” thrust into 21st century American politics by You Tube, which is already causing (smart) politicos and politicas to watch what they say in public because a blooper or an angry moment could at any time be caught on tape by a rival campaign or citizen, then take on a life of its own.

How many people do these videos actually influence? Probably not a ton, in the scheme of things. Most Americans are still not huddled over computers waiting to read and make their decisions based on what a liberal, centrist or rightist blogger says. Nor will they likely change a vote for or against someone on the basis of a video or parody unless its truly a damning one (and there were some of those in 2006).

But will a campaign overreact? Will it go after the people that dare to produces these videos or those that dare to give them publicity? Will they let a bad image stay out there, counter attack with a new parody? Or is it best to just ignore it?

You Tube on-the-scene videos and these song parodies make it all the more harder for campaigns — because they’re aspects candidates can’t control.

Which is not a bad thing.