14 DAY TRIAL // Google and its media partner YouTube are launching a contest that has at stake the participation in the national conventions of the two big American parties - the Republicans and the Democrats. Everything the competitors have to do is upload a convincing video of maximum 2 minutes, in which to prove that they have the best reasons for choosing to sympathize with one of the parties, on a specially created website. "Why are you a Democrat in 2008?" or "Why are you a Republican in 2008?" are the questions that have to be answered in order to enter the competition.
The two winners, one for each political side, will receive an all expenses-paid trip with the candidate's campaign trail, and a special place at the party's national convention. Each of the winning videos will be displayed on the occasion, everyone participating at the conventions having the possibility of seeing it.
"These contests are a part of our larger partnership with the Democratic and Republican National Conventions. As the official providers for search and online video community, Google and YouTube are contributing a broad range of technology and services to help delegates, members of the media and interested citizens around the country to access convention events and information", says Steve Grove, from YouTube News and Politics, on the Google official blog. The subscription period ends on August 1.
To make the competition even more appealing for all political enthusiasts, YouTube posted two videos in which Republican Chairman Mike Duncan and Democratic Chairman Howard Dean spur the people to attend the contest and, at the same time, get an inside view of the high political class. Nevertheless, perhaps it would all have been more appealing to the people if the two officials didn't have approximately identical speeches.
Given all the explanations coming from the company that launched the contest, and that made it clear what was to be done in order to enter the contest, the two chairmen could have concentrated on really charming people with interesting aspects from both sides. You can see both videos - of the Republicans and of the Democrats - and draw your own conclusions.