YouTube Debate Lives Up To Its Hype

The YouTube presidential debate actually lived up to its hype. For about two hours last night, American political discourse was more genuine, diverse and – just as the Internet visionaries promised – more authentic than most days on the campaign trail.

CNN presented compelling homemade videos on a wide range of topics. Volunteers called for intervention in Darfur, as they stood amidst children in a refuge camp. One Michigan resident asked for the candidates' views on gun control while brandishing a huge assault riffle, which prompted Joe Biden to note that the guy "needs help." Stephen Sorta, a middle aged Californian, pressed the candidates with an idea that sparked one of the most revealing exchanges of the evening. He asked the candidates to commit, during their first year in the White House, to unconditional meetings with the leaders of Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba and North Korea, in order to "bridge the gap that divides our countries." Obama seized the idea, committing to the meetings and aggressive diplomatic engagement, while also blasting the Bush administration's "ridiculous" notion that "not talking to countries is punishment." It was a fine answer for Democratic voters fed up with Bush's cowboy foreign policy. But then Clinton and Edwards both offered much deeper responses, worth quoting in full:

CLINTON: Well, I will not promise to meet with the leaders of these countries during my first year. I will promise a very vigorous diplomatic effort because I think it is not that you promise a meeting at that high a level before you know what the intentions are. I don't want to be used for propaganda purposes. I don't want to make a situation even worse. But I certainly agree that we need to get back to diplomacy, which has been turned into a bad word by this administration. And I will purse very vigorous diplomacy.

And I will use a lot of high-level presidential envoys to test the waters, to feel the way. But certainly, we're not going to just have our president meet with Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez and, you know, the president of North Korea, Iran and Syria until we know better what the way forward would be.

(APPLAUSE)

COOPER: Senator Edwards, would you meet with Hugo Chavez, Fidel Castro, Kim Jong Il?

EDWARDS: Yes, and I think actually Senator Clinton's right though. Before that meeting takes place, we need to do the work, the diplomacy, to make sure that that meeting's not going to be used for propaganda purposes, will not be used to just beat down the United States of America in the world community.

But I think this is just a piece of a bigger question, which is, what do we actually do? What should the president of the United States do to restore America's moral leadership in the world. It's not enough just to lead with bad leaders. In addition to that, the world needs to hear from the president of the United States about who we are, what it is we represent.

COOPER: Time.

EDWARDS: That, in fact, we believe in equality, we believe in diversity, that they are at the heart and soul of what the United States of America is.

Edwards and Clinton are right to emphasize that Bush's incompetent rejection of diplomacy cannot simply be replaced with diplomacy on the cheap. Even American allies have to jockey for presidential level meetings, so the dictators and tyrants of the world don't deserve speed diplomacy for nothing in return. But that doesn't mean it was a bad question. I actually think Mr. Sorta's idealistic, big picture question is precisely the kind of issue that voters care about -- and the traditional media often refuses to raise. As CNN producer David Bohrman recently explained, many YouTube entries were great because they pose "straightforward, interesting questions that the mainstream media couldn't -- or wouldn't -- think to ask."

There were a lot of questions like that last night. And there should be more on the way, at the Republicans' YouTube debate in September, the YearlyKos candidate forum next month (more information and disclosure here), and hopefully in another round of citizen-driven campaign events during the general election.

Comments (27)

1. one

   Posted by Will C. at 07/24/2007 @ 12:53am

2. debate on YouTube inspired all these threads

   Posted by Will C. at 07/24/2007 @ 12:53am

3. Republican debates are all about who supports torture, and getting rid of the Bill of Rights, the most. Poor John McCain tried to destroy the party, telling everyone their fun is immoral.

   "Me support bigger surge, bigger victory in Iraq. Smash little peasant revolt even harder. Torture good Bill of Rights liberal."

   Democrats have meaningful discussions. Getting out of Iraq rather than figuring out how to make it even worse. Getting Osama Bin Laden rather than letting him roam free in big tough invincible impenetrable Waziristan.

   Posted by conshame at 07/24/2007 @ 01:16am

4. Waziristan stirs... America trembles...

   What a disgrace Bush has dragged America down to today.

   Posted by conshame at 07/24/2007 @ 01:18am

5. Ari, that was a cheap shot at Obama. I'm sure if Obama had responded second or third like Clinton or Edwards, he would have been able to improve on their responses as well!

   Cheap, cheap, shot!

   Posted by Metteyya at 07/24/2007 @ 01:49am

6. Absolutely on the cheap shot. I live in Florida. I want to know why we are boycotting Cuba and not China. When is the last time one of our leaders met with Castro and didn't try to assassinate him? Honestly, our Cuba policy is foreign policy by default.

   I want to know about Venezuela's offers of cheap oil. I want to find out what the countries that really matter in Middle East security - Iran and Syria - have to say. And, I think Kim Jong Il does deserve a presidential meeting. Really, do we have to wait for a nuclear bomb?

   Posted by Hilseb at 07/24/2007 @ 02:00am

7. Engagement is the key issue for our country when it comes to diplomacy; not childish finger pointing, petulant avoidance, and/or what's worse "unprovoked, preemptive" attacks/war. On this last, how ironic, eh, that UN weapons inspector Hans Blick, et al, were not prominently consulted and heard/respected in the MSM's sychophantically complicit rush (with "flush Limbaugh" and "rummy roving bolted dick shrub") to war.

   Posted by lewwelge at 07/24/2007 @ 06:27am

8. Never fear, "Meteyya." Obama's brilliant one-liner, that Bush believes "not talking to countries is punishment," is one of the highlights of this debate and will not be forgotten.

   I am glad that the Democrats are able to use diplomacy. Now I only wish that they could do something unilaterally now and then -- like impeaching Cheney and Bush. The Democrats today make the impression that they are not willing to do a single thing on principle unless they have a number of Republican co-sponsors to hide behind. This reputation is going to be hard to live down.

   Posted by JakobFabian at 07/24/2007 @ 08:05am

9. Where is PONTIFICUS?

   I'm waitin'.

   simple question, how do you know Plame as not covert?

   Prove it.

   Or go away.

   are you so filled with Clinton hate that you are no longer able to find your way home, again.

   Any of the apologists want to help out our resident mental midget? Got any proof, anybody?

   anything?

   Posted by crabwalk at 07/24/2007 @ 08:41am

10. How about some coverage of the other 7 dem candidates?

    Sick of reading about Hillary, Edwards and Obama. They have a perfectly good press team to get their message out.

    do they need The NAtion to mega-phone for them?

    Posted by crabwalk at 07/24/2007 @ 08:44am

11. Here is the chance for all the neo-cons to jump on poor Ol' Crab. SLam me in public, prove me wrong.

    Plame was covert. The office of the VP outed her, damaging national security.

    C'mon, I'm waitin.

    Who are the dems involved in the witch hunt?

    Or are you all full of shit?

    Posted by crabwalk at 07/24/2007 @ 08:49am

12. Libertarian Robert Frank:

    "There is . . . something morally questionable about a society that allows people's fate to hinge solely on market outcomes," he said. "That's never been the prescription for a sound society."

    Posted by crabwalk at 07/24/2007 @ 08:53am

13. Interesting the continual use of the adjective "vigorous" with "diplomacy". Must be test-marketed. "Diplomacy" alone sounds too wimpy. "Vigorous diplomacy" comes off as "Yeah, we'll talk to them, but we won't trust the bastards and we'll watch their every move."

    Nothing substantively different, but it doesn't come off as the same ol' stereotype of Democrats as Neville Chamberlain waiving the Munich Agreement and declaring "peace in our time".

    Posted by Mask at 07/24/2007 @ 08:54am

14. June 2006,

    IN 1985, THE FORBES 400 were worth $221 billion combined. Today, they're worth $1.13 trillion--more than the GDP of Canada.

    THERE'VE BEEN FEW new additions to the Forbes 400. The median household income has also stagnated--at around $44,000.

    AMONG THE FORBES 400 who gave to a 2004 presidential campaign, 72% gave to Bush.

    IN 2005, there were 9 million American millionaires, a 62% increase since 2002.

    IN 2005, 25.7 million Americans received food stamps, a 49% increase since 2000.

    ADJUSTED FOR INFLATION, the federal minimum wage has fallen 42% since its peak in 1968.

    THE $17,530 EARNED by the average Wal-Mart employee last year was $1,820 below the poverty line for a family of 4.

    5 OF AMERICA'S 10 richest people are Wal-Mart heirs.

    PUBLIC COMPANIES spend 10% of their earnings compensating their top 5 executives.

    THE U.S. GOVERNMENT spends $500,000 on 8 security screeners who speed execs from a Wall Street helipad to American's JFK terminal.

    UNITED HAS CUT the pensions and salaries of most employees but promised 400 top executives 8% of the shares it expects to issue upon emerging from bankruptcy.

    UNITED'S TOP 8 execs will also get a bonus of between 55% and 100% of their salaries.

    POOR AMERICANS spend 1/4 of their income on residential energy costs.

    EXXON'S 2005 PROFIT of $36.13 billion is more than the GDP of 2/3 of the world's nations.

    CEO PAY AMONG military contractors has tripled since 2001. For David Brooks, the CEO of bulletproof vest maker DHB, it's risen 13,233%.

    AT THE $10 MILLION bat mitzvah party Brooks threw his daughter last year, guests got $1,000 gift bags and listened to Aerosmith, Kenny G., Tom Petty, Stevie Nicks, and 50 Cent--who reportedly sang, "Go shorty, it's your bat mitzvah, we gonna party like it's your bat mitzvah."

    In the US, the average CEO "earns" $475 for every $1 earned by an average worker.

    In the UK it is 22/1, In S. Africa it is 21/1, canada, 20/1, Japan, 11/1.

    I do believe Pontificus is full of shit all the way around.

    Posted by crabwalk at 07/24/2007 @ 09:03am

15. Posted by MASK 07/24/2007 @ 08:54am

    Or Chimpy declaring Saddam is a threat to the US.

    Posted by crabwalk at 07/24/2007 @ 09:04am

16. Newly revealed federal data shows how $9.8 billion in farm and land subsidies was handed out to billionaires and investors - some of whom don't live anywhere near a farm. Farm and land subsidies are designated by the USDA, as is the federal Food Stamp Program, through the Farm Bill. While philanthropist David Rockefeller, Microsoft billionaire Paul Allen, and former NBA star Scottie Pippen each received thousands of tax dollars in the form of farm subsidies, participants in the federal Food Stamp Program now receive an average of $1 per meal per person. While people applying for Food Stamps have to go through a complicated, often drawn-out process to prove they deserve at least $1 for a meal, billionaires and investors receive farm and land subsidies - few questions asked.

    I think the best way to get rich is for a single woman to get knocked up and go on welfare. In many states she will be limited to four years of benefits. Meanwhile, the Iraqis get unlimited resources for fighting against the US.

    Posted by crabwalk at 07/24/2007 @ 09:08am

17. Still waitn'. I'll check in later to read the volumes of proof supplied by the neo-cons

    Posted by crabwalk at 07/24/2007 @ 09:09am

18. Conshame----It is precisely your type of statements and attitude that makes getting anything done in this country difficult. Your constant demonizing of conservatives will only be met with the same demonization of liberals---Result--nothing gets done because we are too scared of the other side. A more reasoned and compromising approach will be met with the same---anything else is nothing more than a demonstration of juvenile temper tantrums that are at best counter productive.

    Posted by Len Mosse at 07/24/2007 @ 09:52am

19. Posted by CRABWALK 07/24/2007 @ 09:04am

    He wasn't alone in that, CRAB. He was just stupid in trying to invade Iraq over it.

    Posted by Mask at 07/24/2007 @ 09:53am

20. Posted by LEN MOSSE 07/24/2007 @ 09:52am

    CS is the mirror image of RIO BRAVO, LEN.

    Posted by Mask at 07/24/2007 @ 09:55am

21. Conservatives: IN FAVOR OF licking George Bushs boots

    Liberals: AGAINST

    That is terrible. "A more reasoned and compromising approach will be met with the same---" yeah right. Yeah right. I am tired of hearing Liberal Liberal Liberal my whole life from these anti-American authoritarians who call themselves Conservative Republicans. You get tired of Liberals getting put down. Liberals are geniuses, we knew Bush was a disaster from the beginning, we knew what a disaster Iraq was from the beginning, and we told you about PNAC, Liberals have clean hands on the issue of Iraq - Conservatives dont.

    Posted by conshame at 07/24/2007 @ 10:40am

22. Posted by CONSHAME 07/24/2007 @ 10:40am

    CS, again, what do you call the Democrats who voted for the Iraq war in 2002?

    Posted by Mask at 07/24/2007 @ 10:57am

23. Self Righteousness seems to be your forte'---To believe that all Liberals are geniuses and all conservatives are "anti-american", evil, morons is delusional at best. Your efforts get nothing done---you just make it harder for the rest of us to make progress.

    Posted by Len Mosse at 07/24/2007 @ 11:03am

24. Posted by MASK 07/24/2007 @ 10:57am

    Politicians running for office.

    fools.

    Posted by crabwalk at 07/24/2007 @ 11:07am

25. Posted by CRABWALK 07/24/2007 @ 11:07am

    Ahh, but CONSHAME doesn't believe in that. He believes in "geniuses" and "idiots"...."good" and "evil"...dating back to the dawn of time.

    So...where does HE put the Dems (like Hillary or Edwards) who voted for the war....since "liberals knew from the beginning that the Iraq War was a mistaken", HRC and JE could NOT be "liberals" in CS's mind....so what are they?

    Posted by Mask at 07/24/2007 @ 11:56am

26. CS, again, what do you call the Democrats who voted for the Iraq war in 2002?

    Posted by MASK 07/24/2007 @ 10:57am

    Whatever your little heart desires.

    They certainly aren't liberals. Actual liberals, even in the old-timey democratic sense, are few and far between in washinton D.C. (Dank Cellar).

    Eric

    Posted by Malcontent at 07/24/2007 @ 2:37pm

27. Some YOU TUBE Contributors Used Right-Wing Framing

    Yes, I agree that there were some wonderful, direct questions--and it was very cool that folks in the audience were asked whether a candidate answered his or her question.

    However, one thing that annoyed me was that more than one YouTube contributor used the prevailing right-wing framing of the issues (eg. Social security is broke and we can't afford it, Democrats always increase taxes, etc.) so more than a few falsehoods were presented as accepted truth--But I suppose what annoyed me even more was that none of the candidates chose to challenge the framing.

    Progressives need to challenge inherent biases whenever possible to make folks realize they are the false premises that warp the debate--otherwise we'll never explain anything to satisfaction. For example: the GOP should never get away with calling the Dems tax and spend liberals--both Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush created enormous deficits; they borrowed money that has to be paid back later--and as Bill Maher says, it took an adult, a Democrat like Bill Clinton to act responsibly and clean up the mess after Reagan/Bush.

    Let's not keep ceding this one to the wingnuts. People are saavy enough to understand things that are not sound bites.

    Posted by vikrez at 07/24/2007 @ 3:28pm