A few weeks ago Casey Neistat, upload a YouTube video indicating his decision to vote for a particular presidential candidate in the upcoming american presidential election. As well as endorsing a candidate he also challenged other YouTubers to endorse a candidate as well.

This challenge was met with a wide variety or response from those who made simple endorsement videos, to others who suggested that calling out other YouTubers in such a manor was a TOS violation as it incited cyber bullying. Some however questioned the reason why they should have the right to tell there viewers who to vote and questioned the value of doing so.

While celebrity endorsement is not in anyway a new feature of elections, YouTubers often lacking legal and staffing support are perhaps poorly equipped to offer an informed endorsement. This practical reality combined with the relativism of private truth and the current post truth, political discourse makes an interjection difficult.

However, engagement in politics is a crucial role of the citizen (this is the reason I tend to indicate my voting intentions online here) and the lack of engagement of any part of the electorate is inherently problematic. Therefore, I think Casey Neistat interjection should be welcome and his challenge to others, to consider there political position is worthwhile.