Former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson has finally entered the race, and done so through YouTube:
[youtube yeEmhz3KljI]
Compare this with Hillary Clinton’s and Barack Obama’s announcements, and you can make some subtle comparisons:
[youtube d0br6s7NkfA]
[youtube OAdhMLaEWLM]
The first thing I noticed was the style… Thompson standing, the others sitting. The second was Hillary’s camera movements… the camera was not static, the film was professionally done, and and it shifted back and forth from close-ups to living room shots.
Of course, we’re not going to load praise upon the loyal opposition… rather, it’s important to remember that for local and state races, the key to all of these is authenticity. Does it feel as if you were sitting in that person’s living room? Are you talking about them, or are you talking about you?
That’s the trick, and it’s useful to remember whether it’s a campaign announcement or a weekly conversation online via YouTube.