Video of the Day: CNN YouTube Debates

Today's clip comes from last night's CNN/YouTube debate. It was billed as an historic opportunity for "real people" to pose pressing questions to presidential candidates in an official debate forum. The Democrats were able to answer 39 of the reported 3,000 questions submitted to YouTube.

Here's how some professional TV watchers weighed in:
Paul Brownfield of The Los Angeles Times: "didn't amount to a lot more than an interesting town hall"

The Associated Press: "provocative, video-driven debate"

Jeff Jarvis of The Washington Post's Channel '08: "too many obvious, dutiful, silly questions"

Ted Johnson of Variety: "provocative twist to a format already growing a bit stale"

As a sample, I've pulled this exchange about healthcare. It didn't provoke the most fireworks or TV-ready soundbites, but I think it best highlights the effectiveness of the YouTube method.

While it's one thing to hear a hypothetical question about providing affordable health insurance -- it's quite another to hear it from someone suffering from breast cancer.

While we're on the topic of healthcare, be sure to listen tomorrow for Farai's interview with filmmaker Michael Moore. His film, Sicko, has already been a lightning rod for conversation on this blog, and this interview won't disappoint.

Geoffrey Bennett

11:44 AM ET | 07-24-2007 | permalink

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