Mitt Romney's Video Ad Contest is Potentially More Harmful than Helpful

Mitt Romney wants YOU to make his next campaign video.

The former Governor of Massachusetts, who’s one of the leading Republican candidates for the 2008 US presidential election, has partnered with online video-editing site Jumpcut for a contest for which supporters  create their own campaign commercials. The entries will be judged on “creativity, on-screen appeal, and persuasive and appropriate enthusiasm for Romney for President,” and the winner will become the campaign’s new official TV advertisement.

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Jumpcut’s contest site offers a number of Romney-approved photo, video, and audio clips, as well as the ability for interested parties to upload their own non-copyright-infringing footage to edit together in promotion of “True strength for America’s future.” Content like the below is some of the fascinating material that constituents will have the ability to work with.

In May, Senator Hillary Clinton solicited the online community to help her choose a campaign song. That was lame. Romney’s outreach into new media might be marginally more interesting, but it could very well have some unintended, not-so-pleasant consequences.

NewTeeVee’s Craig Reuben’s notes, “This seems to be an invitation for the net-savvy saboteurs who brought the Chevy Tahoe’s user-generated ad campaign so much unwanted attention.” When the American car company wanted to promote it’s new SUV, it gave users the online tools to create their own ads applauding the Bad Bowtie’s latest, but instead got a bunch of potshots.

There are obviously plenty of pundits who would love the opportunity to trash Multiple Choice Mitt using the very tools intended to praise him, and these videos would have a much greater chance of going viral. Sure, the eligibility requirements state the “contest is open to legal residents of the United States who support the presidential candidacy of Governor Mitt Romney,” but what’s the campaign going to do if an uncomplimentary video shows up? Take it down? Where’s our free speech then? I can already feel Daily KOS getting its story started.