CNN and YouTube: Making Political Debate Matter Again
Something interesting is happening in the debates this year leading up to the 2008 Presidential Election – I’m actually seeing them. Maybe it’s just because I’m older and starting to care more about politics, but I don’t think so. I think it has more to do with the Internet being used as the Internet should, to disseminate information to the masses.
You browse to CNN.com, there are long video excerpts of the debates, you go to YouTube, there they are as well. Now, CNN is gearing up to announce a partnership with the video sharing site to actually hold their own debate for the Democratic nominees. The deal, set to be announced in a few hours, marks the first time one of the old standards (though not quite network-old) has teamed up with the new standards to create such an event. YouTube users will supposedly be allowed to upload video questions which, if selected to be played, the candidates will answer.
I’m hard pressed to find a way this is anything but good. Sure, there will be videos uploaded that won’t make the cut because they are offensive, too-hot, or simply stupid – but I see this format as a first step towards actual meaningful debates. Too long have the election debates been men in suits asking other men in suits softball questions and getting canned answers back. A debate should be a debate, not a ‘who can give the least-offensive, broadest answer’-a-thon.
Technology, and the Internet in particular, is changing politics. As everything becomes more transparent, more things are getting exposed. Who knows, maybe someday in the near future a candidate will even be able to win an election without support of either the Democrat or Republican parties.
Does anyone else remember when Al Gore said that he created the Internet? Ha. I’m sure glad *he* did.
