YouTube turns on political channels

With all those candidates and other politicians using YouTube to spread the word, the Google-owned site has created a channel to make it easier to find the latest message. The editor, one Steve, blogs on the site:

I'll be working as YouTube's News & Politics Editor and couldn't have arrived at a better time – we just launched "You Choose 08", a central hub of channels created by Presidential candidates for 2008. Check out behind-the-scenes footage from the campaigns, and make your own response videos to what these Presidential hopefuls are saying… This is your chance to interact directly with the candidates and tell them exactly what you think.

We've got a lot to come before November '08. Soon I'll be launching the YouTube political blog in which I'll be highlighting must-see videos from candidates and users, and offering my own spin on the election as it unfolds on YouTube.

The YouChoose 08 portal gives an interesting view of who's popular. Of the major candidates, Hillary Clinton's channel has 21,000 views, John Edwards has 23,000, Joe Biden less than 5,000, and Barack Obama .... 70,000. On the Republican side, Mitt Romney bests John McCain, 10,000 to 6,000.