A melting snowman asking questions of presidential candidates?
Monday night’s CNN-YouTube debate between eight Democratic candidates was offbeat, for sure, but if it gets more young voters engaged in the debate, it will have been well worth the effort.
The unconventional format even allowed the candidates to show a little more spunk than in the previous debates, which we can all be thankful for. The unusual questioning seemed to leave less room for their customary canned responses that too often come with the buttoned-down panel-style debates.
It was just the latest example of how the Internet is shaping the 2008 election and politics.
We’ve already seen it used as an effective tool by candidates to raise money and market their candidacies. Sen. Barack Obama has used Internet “netroots” to keep pace with Sen. Hillary Clinton, who leads in the polls. We’ve also seen the blogs, MySpace profiles and the music videos spoofing some of the candidates. The ads can be made on the cheap, yet they can be seen by millions.
For this week’s debate, nearly 3,000 questions were submitted via the YouTube video website and 39 were picked by CNN, which televised the debate. The questions ran the gamut from sincere to witty, touching on subjects from Iraq to slavery. They were presented in frequently entertaining style by a diverse group of questioners. There was the guy who sang his question about taxes. And the woman who pulled off her hair piece as she questioned the candidates about making preventive medicine affordable. There was the strange man brandishing an automatic weapon and asking if the next president would protect “my baby.” Then, of course, the snowman with eyes made of oranges asking a question about global warming.
The candidates were forced to use their experience and instincts to respond to questions such as whether they would commit to meeting with dictators of Iran, Syria, Cuba, North Korea and Venezuela during the first year of their presidency and whether they would be willing to work for minimum wage. Most of the candidates said “no” to the dictator and “yes” to the minimum wage. To the man with the assault weapon, Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware responded, “If that’s his baby, he needs help.”
It wasn’t the first time everyday Americans were allowed to ask questions during a presidential debate. But it was the first time an entire format was devoted exclusively to taking questions from ordinary citizens in the domain of their choice – unfiltered video.
Interspersed with Monday’s questioning were a string of new 30-second video ads from the candidates. Some were offbeat, like the one from Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd, which closed with the line, “Dodd, the guy with white hair for the White House.” One from former Sen. John Edwards was jarring. As music from “Hair” played in the background, an obvious allusion to his $400 haircuts, pictures of war and poverty flashed across the screen. “What really matters?” the spot asked.
For the moment, the YouTube debate format is all the rage. Republican presidential candidates will stage their YouTube event on Sept. 17. But the candidates and viewers need to be mindful that while that type of medium may be the future, the messages put forth by those ordinary Americans are what’s truly important.
