Two years ago, the Barack Obama presidential campaign used online videos to win “The YouTube Presidency,” according to Jose Antonio Vargas of The Washington Post.

Today, YouTube is being used in state and local elections around the country.

For example, State Senator Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton) has started uploading campaign videos to YouTube. Here’s one with an optimized title. In case you haven’t figured it out, the keywords are: Senator Jamie Eldridge, alternative energy sources, and green jobs in Massachusetts.

Senator Jamie Eldridge Speaks about Alternative Energy Sources & Green Jobs in Massachusetts

I should disclose that my son, Brendan, works on Senator Eldridge’s staff. But I was supporting Jamie long before that and I’m proud that he was the first (and only) candidate ever elected under the Clean Elections Law — before the Massachusetts Legislature repealed it.

And I should disclose that I provided about 5 minutes of free advice on how to optimize the title of this video. But I have no financial interest in supporting alternative energy sources and green jobs in Massachusetts.

So, take the FTC blogger guidelines and Massachusetts campaign finance laws and, well, follow them.

It’s also worth noting that this YouTube video has been embedded on the homepage of the Jamie Eldridge for State Senate website. This best practice was also used in the U.K. by The Conservative Party, The Liberal Democrats, and The Labour Party.

So, it’s not just the 2008 Obama campaign that is redefining the way that elections will be won in the future.