Barack Obama: U.S. presidential election, 2008/Anti-Hillary viral web (political) video



"The creator of a widely circulated viral web video portraying Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton as an Orwellian Big Brother was identified Wednesday [March 21, 2007,] as an employee of an Internet consulting firm that works for one of her opponents, Sen. Barack Obama, Mike Dorning reported in the Chicago Tribune. "The Obama campaign denied any involvement in the ad and the consulting firm said it fired the employee immediately after the company learned of his role."

"Phillip de Vellis, a strategist with the Washington-based consulting firm Blue State Digital ["a company created by members of Howard Dean's Internet Team"], which hosts the Obama campaign web site, acknowledged he was the creator of the ad shortly after his role was disclosed by HuffingtonPost.com, a liberal-leaning news and opinion web site," Dorning wrote.

"DeVellis said he produced the ad outside of work and that neither Blue State nor the Obama campaign was aware of his role in the ad."

"The video had been posted [March 5, 2007,] on YouTube anonymously under the name 'parkridge47,' an apparent reference to Clinton's home town of Park Ridge, Ill., and her birth year of 1947," Dorning wrote.

External articles

 * Carla Marinucci, "Political video smackdown. 'Hillary 1984': Unauthorized Internet ad for Obama converts Apple Computer's '84 Super Bowl spot into a generational howl against Clinton's presidential bid," San Francisco Chronicle, March 18, 2007.
 * Garance Franke-Ruta, "Informed Speculation," TAPPED, March 19, 2007.
 * Greg Sargent, "Matt Drudge Posts 1984-Style Anti-Hillary Video; Networks Jump," The Horse's Mouth/Talking Points Memo, March 20, 2007.
 * Carla Marinucci, "The Spin Cycle: 'Hillary 1984' mystery sizzles," San Francisco Chronicle Politics Blog, March 20, 2007.
 * Adam Connor, "Anatomy, Mystery, and Impact of The Obama 1984 Ad," MyDD, March 20, 2007.
 * "The Search For 'ParkRidge47'," Political Radar Blog/ABC News, March 21, 2007.
 * Greg Sargent, "Now An Anti-Obama Version Of 1984-Video Makes The Rounds," Election Central / TPM Cafe, March 21, 2007.
 * Lynn Sweet, "Hillary ad traced to staffer of firm hired by Obama," Chicago Sun-Times, March 22, 2007.
 * Carla Marinucci, "Obama supporter owns up to video. Web strategist says he did anti-Clinton ad away from work," San Francisco Chronicle, March 22, 2007.
 * Mike Dorning, "Web video maker unmasked. Obama camp denies link to anti-Clinton ad," Chicago Tribune, March 22, 2007.
 * Andrea Mitchell and Alex Johnson, "Mystery creator of anti-Clinton ad identified. Cloud now hangs over the Obama camp," MSNBC/NBC News, March 22, 2007.
 * Jake Tapper and Jonathan Greenberger, "Anti-Clinton Ad Maker Lived With Obama Senate Staffer. Senator Denied Campaign Connection but Mock Ad Maker Lived With Press Secretary," ABC News, March 23, 2007.
 * Lynn Sweet, "Sweet Friday column: Obama tells Sun-Times links with YouTube anti-Hillary admaker only 'attenuated.' Small world--Obama Senate spokesman once roomed with ad creator" and "Obama distances himself from creator of anti-Hillary ad," Chicago Sun-Times, March 23, 2007.
 * Dan Morain, "Ad creator claimed role in Obama campaign. The man behind an anti-Clinton spot took credit for work on an official website," Los Angeles Times, March 23, 2007.
 * Howard Kurtz, "A Brave New World of Political Skulduggery? Anti-Clinton Video Shows Ease of Attack In the Computer Age," Washington Post, March 23, 2007.
 * "Sen. Barack Obama Denies Ties To Anti-Clinton Ad, But Notes Its Popularity Online," Associated Press (CBS News), March 23, 2007.