(August 7, 2004) -- LB-based Paul Racko's firm, NetKontent Digital Media, has landed a cutting edge national gig: the Green Party's presidential ticket has hired the firm to convert its campaign videos (previously distributed on clunky VHS cassettes) into a hassle-free video format that Mr. Racko says can be viewed on the internet by the majority of web users.

Using Flash video, the Greens' Cobb/LaMarche message can now be broadly distributed to a wider audience for the fraction of the cost of duplicating and shipping cassettes.

Green Party presidential candidate David Cobb said in a written release, "As a Texan, I love to talk. NetKontent's work in streaming our video files let me talk to thousands of voters about the Green message of peace, democracy, social justice and ecology. We are thrilled with how quickly NetKontent was able to encode the files. Soundbite politics is a thing of the past."

NetKontent president Paul Racko said in his firm's release that web video is experiencing a greater role in political campaigns for good reason.

"When the mainstream media dilutes important messages down to meaningless soundbites, it's important for a candidate to get their message across to voters via other channels. The internet is the perfect alternative, and streaming video allows a candidate to bring an unfiltered, personal message to every prospective voter."

The Green Party was underwhelmed by the Democrats' National Convention in Boston, calling it "an entertaining show...paid for by $15 million in taxpayer dollars and $40 million from corporate America -- but little of substance that indicated an alternative to George W. Bush and the Republican Party."

In a Party release, the Greens said the Boston convention showed the mainstream of the Democrat Party was "Republican Lite" rather than "an opposition party with opposition candidates." It said Democrat nominee John Kerry "essentially agreed" with President Bush on "the continued occupation of Iraq (Kerry would end 40,000 more troops); endorsement of the Sharon government's illegal policies in Israel and other foreign policies that are inflaming animosity towards the U.S. around the world; maintenance of a health care system dominated by corporate HMOs, insurance, and drug firms [and] U.S. involvement in antidemocratic trade cabals (NAFTA, WTO, etc.)"

Meanwhile, it has been announced that independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader (with running mate Peter Camjeo) failed to submit enough petition signatures to qualify for the CA ballot...and some speculate that Mr. Nader may seek help from the Green Party. That story is developing as we post.

NetKontent maintains its own web site at www.NetKontent.com

Mr. Racko also operates LongBeachPolitics.org, a left of center, take no prisoners political web site at www.longbeachpolitics.org.