Resplendent in a snow-white pantsuit and a black straw hat sporting a rhinestone image of Texas, Tawana Cadien clutched a microphone, faced the camera at the Pepsi Center and awaited her cue.

"Three, two, one . . . go."

And like a high-flying media pro, Cadien spoke.

"I nominate Barack Obama as president of the United States of America because he has a heart for people and is a breath of fresh air," she said.

Cut and wrap, for about the 150th time since the Democratic National Convention began Monday.

While it boasted all the trappings of a network news broadcast or major podium moment, right down to a woman with a gleaming smile, this was a YouTube event.

And by the time you read this, Cadien's little turn at stardom will be on the Internet.


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All because months ago, someone at the San Bruno, Calif.-based online giant had a bright idea: Show up at the Democratic and Republican conventions and let delegates and dignitaries — or anyone — film a YouTube pitch for their candidate.

It takes mere seconds, and the result is posted at 2008conventions.

"I think what's really exciting is that a lot of these delegates have never uploaded a YouTube video in their life," said Steve Grove, head of the company's fledgling news and politics division. "But the idea of grabbing a microphone and broadcasting a video to the rest of the world is a powerful thing.

"It wasn't a hard sell to the political parties. They got it.



Everybody wants to be in showbiz, now more than ever.

Grove and his crew don't exactly have to put conventioneers in headlocks to get participants. The studio, such as it is, is set up in the open on the second-level concourse.

Business is as brisk as the water- bottle stands.

"Yesterday we had three delegates from Puerto Rico waving the Puerto Rican flag," Grove said. "We've had everyone from Bill Richardson of New Mexico to Katie Couric to the singer John Legend."

If this were being done at YouTube's headquarters, the uploads would be out on the Internet in minutes. Here, Grove and his crew must ferry the footage elsewhere in the Pepsi Center to edit it, so the turnaround to posting takes about an hour or so.

"That's not instant by our standards, but it's not the worst thing in the world," Grove said.

At day's end, YouTube culls the five best video endorsements and broadcasts them in the convention center.

Presto, you're a star.

Cadien, a delegate from Beaumont, Texas, where she's a precinct chair, had a Lone Star-size grin after the taping.

"This was really neat," she said. "I'm actually getting a message out to the world."

Next week, some Republican delegate in St. Paul will be saying the same thing.

The YouTubers are pressing on. They're getting people to submit video questions in the U.S. Senate races; the best will be put to the candidates and broadcast online.

Grove told me Democrat Mark Udall and Republican Bob Schaffer have agreed to participate, with Sept. 9 as the tentative online air date for the candidates' "debate."

"It's just sort of the natural next step for us," he said.

I don't know whether "us" meant YouTube or we, the people. But it sure looked like the future.

William Porter's column runs Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Reach him at 303-954-1977 or