YouTube -- YouRecommend???

I've begun looking into YouTube's "recommendation" system.  At first I'm quite confused about what is going on under the hood.  YouTube definitely has a content based system.  At the same time however it allows users to rate videos Netflix style.   It also allows users to declare something as a "Favorite."   It is unclear to me whether or not YouTube uses my ratings and favorites to "recommend" videos to me.  The Netflix style star system is being used for sorting.  Videos can be sorted into a 'Top Rated" category.  I have not found a system the appears to be using these ratings other than "Top Rated."  To test I began rating videos.  I rated mostly music video, trailers, and videos of Santa Claus falling of the roof.  I hoped to sway any possible recommendation system towards videos similar to them.  Once I returned to the main page I found that I was being should videos of "Super Tuesday."  This either means that not enough input has been given, no system is in place using the stars, or the JUNO soundtrack is closely related to Barrack O'Bama.