McCain VP Choice: YouTube Friendly?

John McCain’s tapping of Alaska governor Sarah Palin as his vice presidential candidate seems made for the YouTube age. At 44, Palin is younger than Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama, and frankly, quite a bit cuter than Obama running mate Joe Biden. But her limited experience on the political scene has some wondering, is this simply a desperate move to show that Obama doesn’t have the exclusive market on young and cool? In this week’s Station Conversation, Liz Shannon Miller and Jill Weinberger discuss how important YouTubeableness is in a candidate, and if the telegenic Palin really fits the bill.

Jill: Whassssssup?

Liz: America went crazy on me! Remember when we joked yesterday, about him picking a young sexy lady as his V-P? And then he WENT AND DID IT?

Jill: I think McCain has lost his s**t. I think how it went is, he went, “That Tina Fey sure is popular. The kids seem to like that 30 Rock. Get me her. Oh? She’s a Democrat and also not in political office? Well, can we get someone who kinda looks like her?”

Liz: Haha.

Jill: “Take that, Democrats! You may have a black guy, but I have a GIRL!”

Liz: And I think it’s really interesting in the context of online video for the following reason: Everyone knows that if you want your web series to succeed, you have to have a lady host — and a cute one.

Jill: Especially one with glasses.

Liz: Yep. So clearly, this is a sign that online video’s influence has finally extended beyond the Internet. Apocalypse ensues.

Jill: What McCain seems to be going for is the vote of the mythical we-like-our-politicians-attractive-and-minimally-experienced set, which Obama previously had covered. And I think that is probably a big crowd for web surfing.

Liz: It does seem that McCain’s “not enough experience” argument against Obama is kind of jacked, because Palin’s resume is super thin.

Jill: On the other hand, billing yourself as a hockey mom, “self-styled” (WTF?) or otherwise, doesn’t exactly hook the YouTube set, however young and monitor-friendly you might be.

Liz: How old are her kids? I bet they watch The Hills. I bet she watches with them. And I bet that McCain and Palin secretly met through a Hills message board. This theory is SOUND. My logic is based on FACTS.

Jill: They bonded over their concerns over the Heidi-Spencer relationship. I bet McCain was online and typing, “I R close perzonl frend o’ Heidi! Her endrosses me.” (Because he doesn’t really get the text speak, see.) And then Palin was all, “OMFG U ROXXOR! Heidi N Spence rrrrr DA BOMBSES!”

Liz: Maaaaybe I shouldn’t let you write about video game culture anymore.

Jill: Hah. I am out of control. “BTW, do you vote REPUBS?!?!?!?!?”

Liz: Answer me this: How do you think this pick will affect Barely Political’s McCain Girl?

Jill: I think she’s going to be super, super jealous. I mean, McCain Girl’s got the looks too, and she’s been in the public consciousness for longer than this Palin chick. Why should she get edged out by a hockey mom? Where’s the love? And what about other hot young chicks glossed over for the V-P spot? Paris Hilton had already thrown her hat into the presidential ring. Her energy policy seemed sound. McCain could have tapped her as easily as Gov. Palin.

Liz: Except, of course, for that pesky Constitution thing.

Jill: Bah. She may not be 35, but she’s lived a lifetime.

Liz: Palin does have more leadership experience than Paris Hilton. Or Britney Spears.

Jill: Or Heidi Montag.

Liz: Or, really, anyone else in online video.

Jill: True. But while that is a sufficient yardstick for us here at NTVS, I’m not so sure that clearing the “more experience than anyone in online video” is really enough of a hurdle for approval on the national campaign scale. Still, I would enjoy seeing Palin with a What the Buck-style snarky commentary show (only with politics), or even just a nice Backstreet Boys cover.

Liz: I mean, Palin’s young, she’s probably got some sass — if McCain’s hoping that she’ll counterbalance Obama’s cool, then she’s going to have to get in front of a camera at some point.

Jill: She was on Headline News this morning, and her presence didn’t really say “new media star” to me. It said, “Marge.”

Liz: Like Fargo’s Marge Gunderson?

Jill: Yes. But not so cool. Like, “This is Marge. She brought the tater tot casserole.” Only with an impressive amount of knowledge of and strong opinion about oil drilling in Alaska. But maybe if she had been talking about something important, like Britney or WoW or her iPhone, I would have been better able to judge her sass level.

Liz: True.

Jill: But there’s probably an awkward visit to SNL or at least Ellen in her future, so time will tell.

Liz: Oh man, we have over two more months of this. I am excited, but also full of fear.

Jill: Hey, if he was going to pick “hot” and “young” and “sassy,” he could, in theory, have picked Ann Coulter. So count your blessings.

Liz: AUUUUUUUGH. Stop that. I sleep badly enough as it is.

Jill: Yeah, I made my own self throw up a little there. That was not well thought out.

Liz: It’s OK. In this world, though, where a screenshot of boobs is enough to get your video onto the YouTube Most-Viewed page, I’m interested to see where this takes us. It all comes down to…well, I’m not sure what. America, I suppose. Who will we pick? How will they fare?

Jill: And will they be able to top Avril from becoming the most viewed on YouTube?

Liz: Probably not. As always, our priorities as a nation are in place. Avril rules supreme. The Canadian Invasion!

Jill: I guess our politicians should probably be investing their energy someplace other than making cool online video. I guess. Shame, though. I think Obama and Biden could pull a mean Improv Everywhere stunt with fairly minimal effort. And then sweep the election.

Liz: I like it.

Jill: James Carville, look out. There’s a new political mastermind on the scene — me! And I’m bringing my videocam.

Liz: John Adams would be so confused.