Election viral video numbers go boom

Checking the numbers on US elections viral videos I was astonished to see the stats for the will.i.am (Black Eyed Peas) pro-Obama video. It's been posted nearly 5000 times and viewed by nearly 12 million in just over a month.

To put this in context, 'dramatic look' (where some sort of rodent gives a cute impression of a bad actor) is 'just' 16 million and 2300 posts. Other videos with huge numbers, such as 'evolution of dance' (85 million) are universal, not just American.

Not long ago, 5 million for 'vote different' - the anti-Hillary viral which is based on the famous 1984 Apple TV ad - seemed astonishing. Another context is that "The Daily Show"with Jon Stewart on Comedy Central averages a nightly audience of just 1.3 million viewers (and, to be generous, maybe a million online).

Given that the Obama cheer squad video only really appeals to Americans, 12 million in a month marks a real turning point — viral video isn't a sideshow. It's also calculated, the Obama campaign has been pushing supporters to distribute it (despite not commissioning it) to 'bolster and deepen voter outreach' whereas the Clinton's buy time on TV.

Here it is:



Here's the really funny anti-McCain parody: