About James

James Kotecki is political video blogger from Arlington, Virginia.

James with his cousin, Jake.

In January of 2007, James Kotecki started a video blog on YouTube from his college dorm room to analyze the use of YouTube in the 2008 presidential campaign.  Within four months and The Economist called him “probably the world’s foremost expert on YouTube videos posted by presidential candidates.”  He also interviewed Congressman Ron Paul in the first-ever dorm room interview with a presidential candidate.

James then joined Politico.com, where he developed, wrote, produced, and hosted a new video series called KoteckiTV.  The show delivered rapid-fire political news and analysis using biting satire, frequent pop culture references, and the occasional musical interlude. James also took his show on the road, reporting from the Iowa caucuses, the New Hampshire primary, two presidential debates in California, and the Democratic and Republican Party conventions.  KoteckiTV won the Golden Dot Award for Best Vlog in 2008 and 2009.

Highlights of James’ time at Politico include feuding with MSNBC anchor David Shuster, spending election night as FOX panelist with Shepard Smith, and placing second to Mike Huckabee in the 2008 DC’s Funniest Celebrity competition.

James has provided analysis and commentary on CNN, FOX News, NPR, CBS, and the BBC, and he has been profiled by the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, Yahoo! News, and US News & World Report.

Along with consulting in the international development and non-profit sectors, James has spoken at events sponsored by Google, YouTube, Harvard University, Georgetown University, and numerous student and non-profit organizations.

In May 2007, James graduated magna cum laude from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service with a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service degree.  He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and an Eagle Scout,

James is married to his high school sweetheart, Emily, who is a terrific cook and food blogger.