Favorite Videos of the Week: Anti-McCainiana Abounds
By Joshua Levy, 04/25/2008 - 9:43am

In this week’s favorite videos, we take a look at the anti-McCainiana that’s abounding on YouTube, with non-affiliated progressive voter groups filling in the vacuum left by the Democratic candidates, who are still busy pummeling each other blind. Meanwhile, voters continue to serenade their candidates and produce cutting satires.

11. What ABC didn’t ask McCain

Reacting to the perception that ABC unfairly hounded Barack Obama in last week’s debate yet is treating John McCain with kid gloves, Robert Greenwald’s Brave New Films — which has been running The Real McCain campaign for months — produces a fantasy interview by George Stephanopoulos. In BNF’s version, the ABC newsman asks McCain a different set of questions than you might expect. About 190,000 views on YouTube.


10. DNC Ad: Better Off?

The DNC is also getting in on the action, jumping on McCain’s comments that Americans are “better off” than eight years ago (though those comments appear to have been made at a Republican debate, the last of which occurred in a previous geologic era). About 60,000 views on YouTube.


9. “John McCain Is Older Than…” Things younger than him

It’s really not fair to make fun of the candidates’ appearance or age, but this video goes after the latter anyway. Narrated by a couple of youngun’s (“he’s older than my grandfather”), the video catalogs all of the old-timey things that are actually younger than McCain. Like FM radio. Yes, really. About 42,000 views on YouTube.


8. Fabulous Life of John McCain

The new David Brock-led group Progressive Media USA parodies Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, describing the fabulous, well-funded life of John McCain. About 65,000 views on YouTube.


7. McBAIN FOR AMERICA - (John McCain Ad Parody)

YouTube wunderkind Hugh Atkin and partner Monty Taylor mash up Simpsons footage of Austrian bodybuilder and politician Rainier Wolfcastle (sound familiar?) with bits from one of John McCain’s own ads. The first scene, with Wolfcastle yelling “keep that faith, keep your courage, stick together, stay strong, do not yield…” at Homer Simpson, is priceless. Almost 4,000 views on YouTube.


6. “It’s Our Time” Inspired by Hillary Clinton by Jennie Walker

Easily the most earnest pro-candidate song released this cycle. The video shows a little too much of the singer singing into a microphone, and the song is kind of generic, but it hits all of the country/soul/pop/rock notes required in our time of American Idol homogeneity. About 3,700 views on YouTube.


5. Hillary Clinton Rap: Taking Back The White House

Hillary raps. I can't get the refrain, "I'm takin' takin' back back the White House White House," out of my head. About 14,000 views on YouTube.


4. Extreme

A TV ad produced by the North Carolina GOP that even McCain says he won’t touch, this calls Barack Obama “too extreme” for North Carolinians. It has yet to air, but has been viewed more than 170,000 times on YouTube.


3. Obama Flips off Hillary

Did he or didn’t he? You be the judge. About 330,000 views on YouTube.


2. HILLARY GONE WILD

Barely Political, the folks who brought you Obama Girl, walk a fine line with this send-up of Girls Gone Wild. They do produce some laugh lines by finding footage of Hillary Clinton saying things like, “I’m not a Mardi Gras coconut.” About 31,000 views on YouTube.


1. How Hillary Can Still Win

A completely plausible scenario for a Clinton victory, simply relying on time travel, canceling the Louisiana Purchase, and shaving the U.S. down to 11 winnable states. Viewed more than 230,000 times on YouTube.




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