politics + internets = ?

This is a page put together by the Wellstone Action Center, named after the late senator Paul Wellstone. They are interested in training democratic activists, and have a few resources for organizing, messaging, etc. But of this resource kit, I am interested in their showcasing of several videos of political candidates and their low-budget (pre YouTube, but seemingly made for it) commercials. Why did these commercials succeed in the messaging of “authenticity”?

In many ways, this is the billion dollar question. Was it because these people WERE authentic? The minute you “craft authenticity” — as is the current marketing MO– then it’s not authenticity. It’s the appearance of authenticity. It’s “authenticity”.

I think it has everything to do with scale. I don’t think it is possible to come across as Authentic to millions of people. Unless you are a total outsider who wants to get people primarily excited about their potential as agents of change, and secondarily running a campaign. Usually it is the other way around at best. At the end of the day, in order to get true Authenticity across, you need an Authentic person to carry it, and most of these rare souls want nothing to do with politics as we know it. Kind of a catch-22.