Tuesday, July 24, 2007

CNN "vetted" the 3000 submitted questions for last night's CNN/YouTube debate, meaning that it chose which ones (and how many) to air, meaning that it pretty much created a TV show out of the free raw video materials, not entirely unlike an episode of America's Funniest Home Videos. Then the network's analysts fell over themselves praising the show, and the great questions.

The self-congratulations -- in the guise of praise for the YouTubers -- continued on CNN.com, where the news story about the debate raved "it was the personal, heartfelt and, at times, comical nature of the user questions that stole the spotlight." According to CNN, reaction to the YouTube experiment ranged from Loved It! to Loved It Except For The Candidates!:

Some said that the questions from YouTubers were as good or better than those of the media and phrased that the candidates had a tough time ducking them.

Others, though, said that the candidates dodged questions from YouTubers like they did those of the media.

As for me, I tend to think that personal questions work best in a single-candidate forum, not a crowded debate. But I give CNN, the party, and the candidates credit for trying something new, and at least trying to bring people into the process.

And I have to admit I'm looking forward to the GOP version in September.