While several YouTubers took part in Sunday’s Democratic party debate in South Carolina by asking candidates questions, YouTuber Raymond Braun used his platform to give viewers another look at the world of primary politics.
Braun, who’s a Hillary Clinton supporter, produced a behind-the-scenes look at the operations in South Carolina leading up to and through the debate. His video shared the opinions of a diverse group of Clinton supporters, including one who went as far as having Clinton’s face tattooed on his leg.
“There was such a swell of optimism and momentum in the air at the debate watch party and on the ground in South Carolina,” Braun told the Daily Dot. “So many different diverse groups of people were all supporting Secretary Clinton and I loved hearing all the diverse reasons for why they were supporting her.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02yyaDSPZKY
Braun is a longtime Clinton supporter, having interned for her in 2008. He’s also a former YouTube employee who left to start his own channel and foster online conversations about LGBTQ issues. He’s previously vlogged from the Supreme Court’s same-sex marriage decision and hosted other LGBTQ YouTubers for interviews.
“Secretary Clinton champions so many issues that I care about deeply,” Braun said. “For example, LGBTQ rights and issues are so important to me and I believe Hillary Clinton has released the most comprehensive, progressive, bold, and exciting platform for LGBTQ rights of any candidate in our nation’s history.”
Braun said he’s inspired by YouTube’s potential influence in educating a younger demographic about politics, and that’s what drove him to coordinate with the Clinton campaign to make this video.
“For a while, I’ve been thinking about how to create YouTube content that will hopefully encourage first-time potential voters to get registered to vote and to participate in the election process,” he said. “I reached out to Clinton’s campaign to share my passion for politics and YouTube, and they were kind enough to provide me with behind-the-scenes access to their campaign in South Carolina.”
While he hasn’t hosted a one-on-one moment on his vlog with Clinton yet, he did get a chance to snap a picture and speak with the candidate.
“I felt honored to be able to capture how excited Secretary Clinton was right before she went into a packed room to speak to and thank her supporters in South Carolina,” said Braun. “It was also so cool to see President Bill Clinton alongside her to show his support, and I captured a candid moment of them both together right before they walked in.”
As for Clinton, she’s showing her support for Braun and left a comment on his video.
https://twitter.com/raymondbraun/status/689603272655540224
Screengrab via Raymond Braun/YouTube