Newt Gingrich says 'so long' on YouTube

Former Speaker Newt Gingrich hasn't hit the airwaves yet to announce his exit from the race but he did post this YouTube video, announcing his departure and thanking his supporters, this morning:

It's a fitting finish for a candidate who began his presidential journey on YouTube just under a year ago. Here's his announcement video:

Now, close to 10 million channel views later, he's calling it quits. Farewell, sweet Newt.

Six years later, the campaign tracker sees a re-birth on YouTube

In 2006, George Allen uttered the word "macaca" on film and changed the course of YouTube Politics forever. From that moment, the political world learned two important lessons: 1) YouTube is a powerful medium for spreading political messages and 2) everything a candidate says can be recorded on camera by a campaign tracker, employed by the opposition.

In 2012, campaign trackers are no longer a novelty on the trail. Today's NPR "All Things Considered" story offers a deeper look at how this position has evolved into a campaign "must-have" and how they've changed how politicians operate.

But what about hiring a tracker to document your own campaign's every move? That's precisely what the Romney campaign is doing. Governor Romney's body man Garrett Jackson has been uploading behind-the-scenes footage of moments along the campaign trail to his personal YouTube account, offering a glimpse of Romney that the public doesn't see very often.

Garrett's most-popular video, uploaded three weeks ago, has received over half a million views and documents an April Fools prank on the Governor:

With viewership like this, the Romney campaign should seriously consider having Garrett upload to their official campaign channel instead. For comparison's sake, the most-viewed video in the last month on the official Romney channel has received only 91,000 views.

With a great big roar...

Yesterday marked the White House annual Easter Egg Roll and while the footage of kids rolling eggs is pretty cute, the media seems to be zeroing in on another tradition -- President Obama's reading of his favorite book, "Where the Wild Things Are."

Watch it here, particularly starting at 1:15 when Obama really gets into character, letting out a pretty epic "wild rumpus" roar. Even Bo gets in on the action.

You can also compare it to his reading of the same book from last year:

and 2009:

This Week's Top News Stories on YouTube-- Dramatic rescue in Italy, protests in Tunisia, and uneasy truce forms in Zabadani, Syria

Everyday on the CitizenTube Channel (and @CitizenTube on Twitter), along with our curation partners @storyful, we look at how the top news stories are covered on YouTube. Every week we'll post a weekly recap of the top news stories of the week:

• We witnessed dramatic rescue efforts as the cruise ship Costa Concordia crashed into rocks in shallow waters in Giglio, Italy.
• We watched the CEO of the Costa company blame human error, as most accused the ship's captain, Francesco Schettino, of being at fault for the crash.
• We monitored events in Syria where military forces attacking rebels in Zabadani agreed to a ceasefire, as Obama raised concerns about the violence there.
• We saw unprecedented amounts of snow falling in the state of Washington, with many going out and making the most of the rare event.
• We followed the GOP candidates during a dramatic week on the US campaign trail, as Jon Huntsman and Rick Perry both dropped out of the running for the Republican nomination.
• We marked the anniversary of the 'Arab Spring' with protests in Tunisia at the slow pace of reforms.
• We witnessed Russian oil supply ship Renda arriving in Nome, Alaska with assistance from the US Coastguard.
• We viewed the forced closure of Kruger National Park in South Africa due to prevalent flooding caused by heavy rain. 
• And finally, we celebrated with Muhammad Ali, one of the most iconic figures alive, who turned 70 this week. 

This Week's Top News Stories on YouTube-- Mitt Romney claims victory in New Hampshire, award-winning French journalist is killed in Syria, and a national strike paralyses Nigeria

Everyday on the CitizenTube Channel (and @CitizenTube on Twitter), along with our curation partners @storyful, we look at how the top news stories are covered on YouTube. Every week we'll post a weekly recap of the top news stories of the week:

• We were saddened as award-winning French journalist Gilles Jacquier was killed during attacks on a pro-government rally in Homs, Syria.
• We watched strong condemnation worldwide as video emerged of four US marines urinating on Taliban corpses.
• We monitored events in Syria as eleven Arab League observers were injured in an attack on one of their cars in Latakia.
• We marked Guantanamo Bay's tenth year of operation, a period Amnesty is calling "a decade of damage to human rights".
• We followed the GOP candidates on the US campaign trail, as Mitt Romney took New Hampshire and looked ahead to South Carolina. 
• We saw more than ten feet of snow falling on parts of Alaska, especially around the town of Cordova.
• We viewed a national strike in Nigeria bringing the country to a standstill as thousands continued to protest the scrapping of the fuel subsidy
• We witnessed a surfer's paradise develop in California as massive waves hit beaches all along the coast.
• And finally, we watched South Africa celebrate one hundred years since the forming of the African National Congress.

This Week's Top News Stories on YouTube--New Year celebrations, the Iowa Caucuses, and more

Everyday on the CitizenTube Channel (and @CitizenTube on Twitter), along with our curation partners @storyful, we look at how the top news stories are covered on YouTube. Every week we'll post a weekly recap of the top news stories of the week:

• We began the New Year by remembering some of biggest events of 2011: from Occupy Wall street to the death of Steve Jobs
• We monitored events in Bahrain as protesters and security forces endlessly clashed, leading to the tear-gassing of the funeral of a 16 year old. 
• We witnessed the powerful eruption of Sicily's Mount Etna volcano, which sent huge plumes of ash into the air, sparking flight disruption fears
• We viewed thousands of Nigerians take to the streets in protest over the doubling of petrol prices due to fuel subsidy cuts.
• We followed the GOP candidates as they gave eloquent speeches at the Iowa caucuses; the first major electoral event on the US campaign trail.
• We saw Occupy Wall Street protesters get the drop on New York police as they reoccupied Zucotti Park on New Years Eve.
• We watched a devastating landslide kill and injure dozens in the Philippines after a week of heavy rain.  
• We were shocked at a bomb attack in Damascus that killed at least 25, sparking more anti-government protests.
• And finally, we watched the world bring in the new year with widespread celebrations in Asia, Europe and the US

This Week's Top News Stories on YouTube-- North Korea holds two days of funeral ceremonies for Kim Jong-il, Arab league monitors arrive in Syria, and Nordic storm "Dagmar" batters Scandinavia

Everyday on the CitizenTube Channel (and @CitizenTube on Twitter), along with our curation partners @storyful, we look at how the top news stories are covered on YouTube. Every week we'll post a weekly recap of the top news stories of the week:

• We observed scenes of uninhibited mourning in North Korea as the country held two days of funeral processions to mark the passing of Kim Jong-il.
• We monitored the heavy military crackdown in Syria as Arab League officials arrived in Homs amid large-scale funerals and demonstrations.
• We witnessed the powerful storm "Dagmar" smash into Northern Europe, causing building damage and huge power cuts.
• We viewed dramatic images of bomb attacks on five churches in Nigeria on Christmas day.
• We followed the GOP candidates on the US campaign trail in Iowa as Occupy Caucus protesters made their presence known. 
• We watched in shock as Turkish air-strikes mistakenly killed 30 Kurdish villagers, believing they were rebels.
• We watched Australia suffer through an unpleasant Christmas as Melbourne was hit with tennis ball-sized hail and the country endured widespread flooding.
• We saw heavy snow in Texas interrupt the holidays as poor road conditions caused life to slow to a crawl.
• And finally, we celebrated the holidays in style as we watched the world celebrate Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

This Week's Top News Stories on YouTube--North Korea's "dear leader" dies, Egyptian women protest after beatings, and dozens killed in Iraq after US troops leave

Everyday on the CitizenTube Channel (and @CitizenTube on Twitter), along with our curation partners @storyful, we look at how the top news stories are covered on YouTube. Every week we'll post a weekly recap of the top news stories of the week:

• We monitored the news out of secretive North Korea that the country's notorious "dear leader" Kim Jong-il died and the videos showing a country in mourning. 
• We witnessed an unprecedented uprising of thousands of Egyptian female protesters who marched in solidarity for more rights, democracy, and respect after seeing other women brutally beaten by the country's armed forces.
• We saw dozens of Iraqis die in a series of Baghdad bomb blasts a day after the last US troops left a country embroiled political chaos.
• We watched devastating floods kill over one thousand people in the Philippines as Tropical Storm Washi (or Sendong) roared through over the weekend.
• We followed the wives of the GOP candidates on the US campaign trail as they became more visible and featured themselves in ads.
• We were saddened by the death of former Czech president Vaclav Havel, who was one of the key figures in Czechoslovakia's democratic reform movement.
• We watched security forces in Bahrain and Syria continue to violently suppress protesters as tensions escalated in both countries.
• We viewed dramatic videos from Kazakhstan that showed striking oil workers clashing with police in the cities of Zhanaozen and Aktau.
• And finally, we got in the holiday spirit with some celebrities who spread Christmas cheer and goodwill in different ways. 

The Top Political Videos of 2011

From candidate ads to pundit debates, speeches from the White House to impassioned pleas from the American heartland, this year’s most-viewed political videos show us that a message that resonates can come from anywhere -- and anyone.

Surpassing the President and various presidential hopefuls in views, the #1 video on our list comes from a young man in Iowa speaking candidly to his government. This video of Zach Wahls speaking about gay marriage has been viewed more than 18 million times.



Three candidates for 2012 made the most-viewed political videos list. Gov. Rick Perry's highly-covered "Strong" ad was uploaded just this month, but has already racked up 7 million views (another one of his ads, “Proven Leadership” is also on the list). Herman Cain, who recently suspended his bid for President, showed that quirky gets views. President Obama reached an audience of millions on YouTube as both commander in chief, and stand up comedian.

Here’s the full list of the most-viewed political videos from the YouTube News and Politics category:

1. Zach Wahls speaks about family
2. President Obama at the 2011 White House Correspondents’ Dinner
3. Strong [Rick Perry ad]
4. President Obama on death of Osama bin Laden
5. Brother, can you spare a trillion? Government gone wild!
6. Seth Meyers remarks at the 2011 White House Correspondents’ Dinner
7. Rick Perry - Proven Leadership
8. Jon Stewart Goes Head-to-Head Bill O'Reilly
9. Now is the time for action! [Herman Cain ad]
10. President Barack Obama's First Ad of 2012 [NRSC Ad]

In all, the videos on this list account for over 50 million views, demonstrating that there is significant interest in political video on YouTube before the primaries have even begun. For all the key moments in online political video during the coming election, visit YouTube.com/Politics. For more of YouTube’s most-viewed videos of 2011, visit YouTube.com/Rewind.

This Week's Top News Stories on YouTube--The war in Iraq officially ends, post-election violence in Egypt, and a tragic attack in Belgium

Everyday on the CitizenTube Channel (and @CitizenTube on Twitter), along with our curation partners @storyful, we look at how the top news stories are covered on YouTube. Every week we'll post a weekly recap of the top news stories of the week:

• We witnessed the relatively low-key end to the nine-year war in Iraq in a quiet withdrawal of troops that left many wondering if it was all worth it.
• We watched more violence erupt in Egypt, this time following the country's second round of parliamentary voting as a sit-in at the parliament reached two weeks long, with rumors of activists being detained and badly beaten.
• We saw an awful tragedy unfold in Liege, Belgium when a man went on a rampage in a busy marketplace with grenades and firearms, killing at least five people and himself.
• We observed the largest protests to take place in Russia in decades after people fed up with corruption came out in the tens of thousands against recent allegedly fraudulent parliamentary elections.
• We followed all of the GOP candidates on the US campaign trail in their final debate before the primary season kicks off with the Iowa caucuses on January 3.
• We were saddened by the killing of two student-teacher protesters during clashes with police in Mexico in which the demonstrators were reportedly protesting their daily food subsidies.
• We noted the first post-World War II conviction for a former French head of state in which Jacques Chirac was found guilty of embezzlement and sentenced to a 2-year suspended jail term.
• We monitored Occupy protests all along the US west coast that attempted to shut down numerous city ports as well as an Occupy protest at Goldmen Sachs bank in New York.
• And finally, we took note of record breaking rains, mudslides, and flooding on New Zealand's south island with an array of videos documenting the damage. 

This Week's Top News Stories on YouTube--Horrible deja vu for Virginia Tech, Mass sectarian killing in Afghanistan, and Russians protest election

Everyday on the CitizenTube Channel (and @CitizenTube on Twitter), along with our curation partners @storyful, we look at how the top news stories are covered on YouTube. Every week we'll post a weekly recap of the top news stories of the week:

• We were shocked by the shooting on the Virginia Tech campus that left people with a feeling of deja vu in which a police officer was killed and another person was found dead.
• We witnessed the first sectarian attack in Afghanistan in recent memory that left at least 55 Shi'ite Muslims dead and tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan strained.
• We observed thousands of angry Russians take to the streets in unprecedented protests after reports of fraud and irregularities in parliamentary elections.
• We saw embattled former Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky get arrested and jailed on new charges of child molestation.
• We followed Herman Cain's announcement he was "suspending" his campaign and a controversial Rick Perry ad on the US campaign trail.
• We watched Syrian president Bashar al-Asad speak to America's ABC News and deny accusations that the government is involved in killing thousands of protesters as more violence raged on.
• We monitored opposition protests around the world as people waiting to hear election results in the Democratic Republic of Congo grew frustrated at what they fear is a sham vote.
• We took in the early winter snow storm across parts of Texas and New Mexico as locals had some fun with the unusual weather.
• And finally, we gazed at images of NASA's incredible discovery of an Earth-like planet with the potential of containing life 600 light years away.

This Week's Top News on YouTube: Egyptians voting, Clinton in Burma, and #OWS kicked out in LA and Philly

This Week's Top News Stories on YouTube--Egyptians go to the polls, Secretary of State Clinton goes to Burma, and Occupiers in LA and Philadelphia go away

Everyday on the CitizenTube Channel (and @CitizenTube on Twitter), along with our curation partners @storyful, we look at how the top news stories are covered on YouTube. Every week we'll post a weekly recap of the top news stories of the week:

• We watched history unfold in Egypt as citizens went to the polls to elect their first post-Mubarak parliament after a week of violent clashes and protests killed dozens of people.
• We monitored US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's trip to Burma (Myanmar) to promote change and democratic freedoms on the highest level US official visit to the country in more than 50 years.
• We noted police raids on Occupy encampments in Los Angeles and Philadelphia that ended in arrests and effectively wiped out the movements' city bases.
• We witnessed enraged Iranian protesters storming the British embassy in the capital Tehran after diplomatic relations with the UK were downgraded by the Iranian parliament.
• We followed Rick Perry confusing the voting age, a Sarah Palin for president ad, and a creative promo from Jon Huntsman's daughters on the US campaign trail.
• We saw up to two million public sector employees go on a strike in the UK that closed down schools, hospitals, and transport in an effort to prevent having to pay and work more for their pensions.
• We observed the second elections to take place in the Democratic Republic of the Congo since the country's five year war amid reports of widespread irregularities and following violence.
• We were blown away by videos showing uprooted trees, property damage, and power outages because of extremely high winds from California to Utah.
• And finally, we marked World AIDS Day by looking at the state of the disease around the globe and hearing from world leaders and those affected.