Tonight on CNN, David Gergen mentions that public perception turned against the Big Three auto bailout when “bloggers” feasted on the Big Three’s executives arriving to the November 19 Senate hearings in corporate jets (”going to the soup kitchen in tuxedoes“). Now they’re driving their hybrids to tomorrow’s hearings, but the gesture smacks of an insincere attempt at appeasement.

I like the way Gergen, who used to be Clinton’s press secretary, addresses “bloggers” as a unique media group, and how he gives them credit for influencing and setting the political tone around this tragic debate.

The press is illuminating the fact that there is a profitable car industry in America, it’s just not in Michigan (read the article). CNN claims tonight that the Senate doesn’t have the votes for passing the auto bailout. So the final option may be just to move the car industry south:

There’s no natural law that America must have a Detroit automotive industry, any more than steel had to be made for all time in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania or textiles in New England. Britain sold off all its car plants to foreigners and was no less an advanced economy as a result, though it was a healthier one. Detroit may yet adjust to avoid destruction in the best spirit of American capitalism. The other American car industry is a model for how to do it.

1. It’s free. Buying airtime is way expensive.
2. It has global reach. Airtime only reaches a regional broadcast area.
3. It’s viral. Anybody can embed YouTube messages like I’ve done.

It’s time to call YouTube the uber-network, it transcends TV and cable. Barack Obama has endorsed it for his weekly addresses to the people:

The auto industry, care of GM’s PR group, has also made its plea on YouTube:

Note that Barack and GM have followed the “sound bite” rule – 4 minutes tops to keep our peripatetic consumer focus.

Final thought: Advertising can be served up free on YouTube and other online video services, and people can comment on them freely. Multimillion dollar national TV ad campaigns become budget-challenged in this economy, and ad agencies start looking like candidates for disintermediation.