New media will transform the scope of politics

Check out this post from the blog Off on a Tangent. This is Steve Garfield's blog and he also has a videoblog that is linked in my vlogroll. He helps a Boston City Councilman named John Tobin produce a video blog. And this collaboration started when Tobin ran for a seat on the Boston City Council. Check out this except from the Bangor Daily News...

Boston City Council candidate John Tobin teamed up with pioneering video blogger Steve Garfield during his last election. Through the use of a $300 digital video camera and a $10-a-month hosting account, Tobin was able to connect with local voters in a way that would have required hundreds of thousands of dollars in television buys. His short, three-minute or so video clips on the streets of Boston introduced a face, a name and a voice to what usually remains simply an R or D on a voter’s ballot. This type of new media will transform the scope of politics over the next several years, and those who get to it first will end up with a dramatic advantage... Connecting through video blogging or other new social media methods allows a much more transparent and personal message to come across, one that is free of the absurdities of old-school marketing

You can visit John Tobin here, and watch some of his videos.