Political Pandemonium!

The 2008 Iowa presidential caucuses are tonight; the New Hampshire primaries are next week.  They’re groundbreaking for many reasons, but none as exciting as the robust online video coverage of this long awaited political tradition.  For the first time in the history of presidential elections, voters have access to a myriad of diverse video coverage from independent updates to live coverage to earnest discussion and debate and, of course, a whole lot of satire. 

Here’s some suggested coverage to keep you in the know…

Slate

The Washington Posts slighly hipper younger sibling, which features all sorts of thought provoking content, offers a tight and well-produced piece on the cultures  of the Republican and Democratic Iowa caucus and, specifically, how to involve oneself in this convoluted process.

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Political Lunch

Launched in March 2007 by Hudson Street Media – the same production company behind Millis’ politically-minded interview show American Microphone (Tilzy.TV page) – the Lunch, as they call it, reports on both sides of the Left-Right fence and each presidential candidate, including purely speculative. 

For the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary, we get on-the-scene, thoughtful-but-quick commentary.

Barely Political

Barely Political, which we’ve covered and criticized a few times, offers a new video featuring scantily clad Amber Lee Ettinger strutting some pseudo girl power. Why isn’t Hillary represented, and if she were, would it be by Clinton Girl or Hillary Boy or what? 

The Uptake

Live coverage from various sources courtesy of the brilliant tv-studio-in-a-browser, Mogulus, which we covered here. 

The Ointment

SoCal-based Steve Tatham, who is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met, a stand-up comedian

and Disney Imagineer. Nearly each weekday since February 2006,  he  has broadcast a news show from his house. While his wife and kids wonder how their house became a studio, Steve continues to create his 3-minute daily episodes that cover everything from Condoleezza Rice and Nancy Pelosi to Nicole Ritchie and Tom Cruise.

He offers informed, if rather tongue-in-cheek, coverage of the Iowa caucuses.

Purple States

"During the primary season, Purple States TV will film a team of citizen-journalists — a 23-year-old florist from Iowa, a laid-off manufacturing professional and libertarian from New England, a 33-year-old Baptist mother of three and former teacher from South Carolina, a Cuban-America health insurance agent from Florida, and a grandfather from southern California who lives with his daughter and his Mexican-American son-in-law and works for AT&T — as they report on the primaries and caucuses held in these five states."

Awesome.

Veracifier

TPM host Joshua Marshall discuss some background and his take on what to look for as tonight’s results come in.

Debate Porridge

Earnest discussion and debate from diverse and interesting perspectives.

Meet the Press

For those who will prefer to be informed with in-depth interviews of the candidates moderated by the top political pundit in the country–who is, by the way, the top for a reason: he’s learned, tough, and balanced — MSNBC offers a great- – albeit slightly technologically behind —  online series Meet the Candidates.