Rained Out

There are several interesting features of this video in which Lawrence Lessig explains his rationale for choosing not to run for Congress, despite the "Draft Lessig" movement on the Internet, given his poll numbers against front-runner Jackie Speier.

This video can be read as a video about the Internet and politics. Even though the web is often described as a medium well-designed for high-speed viral campaigns, Lessig admits that getting the message out (and making his political brand recognizable) within thirty days would still be impossible. And yet this video also implicitly argues for a continuing value of web platforms to politics. First, he explicitly mentions Facebook as a factor that energized the campaign. Second, he recommends a website called ChangeCongress.org as a source for information about this new movement for grassroots organizing against influence peddling, although the site has an "under construction" message and a 2004 date prominently displayed, which is strange to see, since Lessig is known for his Internet savvy.