The House GOP’s YouCut program is gimmicky, sure, but savvy, too.
In 2006, with a flashy, YouTube-mimicking cover, Time magazine declared you — “Yes, you,” they wrote — their Person of the Year. Frank Rich of the New York Times called it a “cover stunt,” one that revealed the dead-tree weekly’s “desperation” to “appear relevant and hip.”
House Republican whip Eric Cantor has been subject to similar eye-rolls from the Left for YouCut, his office’s anti-spending overture to plugged-in Americans. But while the program is a tad gimmicky, it’s also politically and technologically savvy.
Cantor debuted YouCut earlier this month. Its premise is simple: Each week, Americans can vote for their favorite of five potential spending cuts on the web (or via text message to 68398). Cantor works to bring the winner to the House floor. With one click, you can help to shape the House GOP agenda.
“It allows us to focus on out-of-control federal spending, the number-one issue for millions of Americans,” Cantor says. “For us, it is an unprecedented online project. So far, we’ve received over 500,000 votes. The response has exceeded all of our expectations.”
Some critics, such as economist Mark Lieberman of Fox Business Network, have criticized Cantor for “ceding” power to “Internet browsers” and ignoring the argument of Edmund Burke that legislators should be strong figures, not simply delegates who act according to the popular will. But YouCut is hardly the start of direct democracy in Washington. Instead, it is a way for the House GOP to prick the Pelosi machine, hand in hand with frustrated citizens.
“It is important for Republicans to demonstrate that we want to engage with the public,” Cantor says. “The public wants to participate. This country, and the rest of the world, is now communicating 24-7, so you have to embrace that; you can’t avoid it.” Every day, he adds, he becomes more involved with social-media tools such as YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter.
“YouCut’s focus like a laser on spending is why it has been wildly successful,” says David All, the founder of TechRepublican.com. “People are deeply interested in this, and there is a hunger out there to be involved and at the table. They want to know, and change, what’s happening in Congress. YouCut’s ability to adapt to the quick news cycle — a new winner and resolution every week — says a lot about where House Republicans are at.”
Not surprisingly, some Democrats have slammed YouCut. They seem quite nervous about the GOP out-hustling them in the wired arena. “First, this is not American Idol or Dancing with the Stars,” snapped Rep. Alcee Hastings (D., Fla.). “This is America’s legislature. For all we know, on YouCut, Osama bin Laden could be voting. Please know that a handful of organized, gotcha Republicans are not going to control this legislature.”
Read more at NRO
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