“Wow, I'm totally impressed! You are really, really good. Professional, smart, funny and sharp." – Dr. Ro Conforti, Media Studies Chair at Southern Conn. State University
A video on YouTube of Rep. Dave Obey, D-Wis. is providing some insight into the tensions among Democrats as they try to come up with a new way forward in Iraq. Huffington Post contributor and Hamilton College sophomore Eric Kuhn observes, "YouTube and the power of a citizen journalist with a camera strikes again. In a recurring trend, new media collides with old media. The video of U. S. Rep. Dave Obey (D-Wisconsin) yelling in the halls of Congress was first leaked onto You Tube earlier this week, but it was quickly picked up and broadcasted by all the major media networks and cable outlets. New (YouTube) and Old (television, print) media are now ricochetting off of each other better then ever. The video was placed on YouTube, but might have gone unnoticed had the major television networks not publicized it. YouTube wouldn't be thriving if television ignored its pages, and television would not be as hip if it didn't look for these viral videos. The bottom line: as we move into this political season, politicians must watch every move they make, because any citizen can instantly morph into a powerful man-on-the-street journalist."
