“In praise of Esrati” for YouTubeilizing the revolution
The website “Watching the House” posted today praising my grassroots campaign to inform the voters of OH-10 of what’s going on with their candidates. While the major media has ignored this race (the lone exception is the Washington Courthouse Record Herald) I’ve done my best to keep you informed. Here is my youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/electesrati it has 43 videos right now- and more are being uploaded as I write.
Here is what “watching the House” said:
Ohio activist and Congressional candidate David Esrati doesn’t just post his campaign videos and public speeches, he also films all of his competitors‘ speeches fairly and uploads them for a worldwide audience.
*** ***
that’s 32 videos in the last 3 weeks, and more to come on Thursday after the Valentine’s Beavercreek Chamber event. this is no trivial event given that 2 weeks ago, most candidates didn’t even have websites, and upstart candidate and pizza delivery guy Ryan Steele still has not provided so much as an email address. Even the candidate Esrati most often clashes with, Sharen Neuhardt, has more easily-accessible video available than most candidates in the entire nation.
Thus far, Watching the House has gathered information on 120 congressional districts in 11 states* and has carefully charted every candidate in the 4 states holding March primaries (45 districts in OH, AL, MS, and IL). no district compares to Ohio’s 10th in the wealth of information publicly available.
It is largely due to the diligent work of David Esrati. in many districts (especially rural districts), candidates have much less internet exposure. it is also in those districts, at least in Ohio, where incumbents appear primed for walk-over victories.
When Gil Scott-Heron said “The revolution will not be televised” he was correct- but, it will be on YouTube. I can guarantee you that.
As to Sharen Neuhardt having video– it’s left-overs from her last campaign- where she spent three quarters of a million dollars. Unfortunately, her video looks dime store. Here is one of her top viewed videos:
What we really need is substance, instead of these three minute and five minute speeches. Real debates, real positions. It’s unfortunate that in making campaigning “politically correct” we’ve taken the politics out.
On the campaign trail, I’ve only had one chance to ask a question of Ms. Neuhardt, you can judge how she answered it:
thanks for the pub. going to keep an eye on this race, though my site will refrain from endorsing any candidate. most of these speeches are redundant, and you expressed some disappointment at the lack of interaction or debate between candidates.
what is the level of internet saturation in dayton and d-10? would you and/or the other candidates be interested in doing a moderated debate via skype/google+/etc? or in being interviewed? I know that I am not, strictly speaking, part of the oh-10 constituency, but I think it’s important to have dialogue in a campaign as well as information giving.
Thanks David for preparing and posting these videos on You-tube. These videos are a valuable contribution to the public record and show a commitment to transparency that every congressional representative should demonstrate. I appreciate your efforts.