In addition, constituents can use the platform to respond to people running for office. Users add to the conversation by praising or insulting opinions in the same effortlessly available manner. Unfortunately sometimes these enthusiasts may be your opponent.

Recently more and more videos with disreputable intentions have surfaced in State campaign races. For example, in Missouri representative hopefuls have utilized YouTube to track consistency and uncover any activity that may be harmful to opponents. Democratic Attorney General Jay Nixon and rival incumbent governor Matt Blunt have both acknowledged that they have employed “trackers” whose job is specifically to follow around candidates, document and post activity(David All’s recommendations at work). At the state and local level, widespread use of such “trackers” could potentially impact race outcomes with more and more macaca moments.

YouTube is an open platform for all to use, but this openness leaves little room for fact checking.  must Many videos may be entertaining they are not necessarily always authentic or fair. More than ever negative information is easier to generate but harder and harder to discern fact from fiction. YouTube certainly levels the field. Candidates are in less control of the information circulated relating to them and more accountable for behavior, which on the whole is probably good for the democratic process.