A darned obvious observation: sometime after November 4th’s US election, we’ll hit upon Political Startup Judgement Day: the time of reckoning for the hundreds - nay, thousands - of sites that owe their popularity to the ballooning buzzcloud around this presidential race. This virtual bushfire might not come until 6 months in to Obama’s presidency (and the Obama part is assumptive, but a reasonable assumption at this point), and it’ll ultimately spare the best of the crop.
BarelyPolitical, creator of the viral video hit “I Got a Crush on Obama“, sees evolution as the route to continued success; and a success it has been - the original video has totaled up 8.7 million online “views”, putting absolute distribution immeasurably higher.
Sitting down with creator Ben Relles and star Amber Lee (aka Obama Girl) at our Mashable Exhibit Hall in New York just over a week ago, the pair seemed assured of the team’s longevity. Our Nokia N95 caught snippets of the conversation (above).
Clinton’s stepping down and the Obama-McCain faceoff formed the fluff of my sugar-coated softballs (yes, there is a McCain girl - in fact multiple girls), and yet in retrospect it was the prospect of the post-November challenge that stuck with me.
We talk a great deal in this industry about “first mover advantage”, “network effects”, “tipping points”, “critical mass” - the idea that, once you’ve established a certain level of success, a virtuous circle persists, carrying you ever higher than your competitors. For many political startups, the election has been that springboard…BarelyPolitical is one.
Political coverage will crescendo, for sure, around election day, but a select few may retain momentum…social media’s influence on politics won’t wane post-election, much as Jon Stewart doesn’t find himself homeless outside of election season.
BarelyPolitical will just have to hope it’s this season’s Colbert, rather than the political media’s Pet Rock. Current odds: 51% in their favor.
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