"The Democratic presidential debate last night was unlike any that had come before: two hours of questions conveyed on homemade videos from Americans who were by turns tough talking and highly emotional, mixing pathos and bathos with the simply offbeat."

Last night’s Democratic debate was another step forward for citizen journalism where your “average Joe or Josephine” participates in the media on a historical basis. Hats off to CNN for this groundbreaking media event.

In all, 39 questions were asked from the 3,000 questions submitted to YouTube. To my pleasant surprise there was something curious and engaging about the debate and how the questions were posed.  It seemed more real. It was not the first time questions had been submitted to candidates by ordinary people.  Still, to put a voice and face with a question seemed to make a difference to me as a viewer and to the candidates as well.

From USA TODAY:

"The questions, and the questioners, were different. ... And the answers in the debate sponsored by CNN and YouTube on Monday were in many cases sharper and more confrontational than in the candidates' first three debates.

And then there was context.  Even in a town meeting format where audience members ask questions, you would not see the back story of those asking questions as we did last night as noted by The Elements of Persuasion

“Take question 18 when “Gary”, standing in front of three glass enclosed flags (the type given to families after a military funeral) told us that those flags had been on the coffins of grandfather, father and oldest son, that his own flag would be joining them someday, but that he didn’t want his youngest son to continue that military tradition. He wanted to know how long each candidate would keep troops in Iraq. We have heard that question many, many times before, but this time stands out because of the emotions it contained. By asking it Gary becomes my hero – my way into the story his question contains and so like him I demand a real answer, not something prepackaged.”

And of course if you missed the debate, check out YouTube clips of the debate on PoliticsTV or the score on the DemMemo.

CNN deemed it successful enough to invite viewers to submit their views, commentary and reaction to last night’s Democratic debate via I-Report, its media upload tool. Who know, your video could be part of CNN's post-debate coverage.

And don’t think CNN is just about the Democrats.  CNN is just about the Democrats. You can submit your YouTube video questions for the Republican debate scheduled for  September 17.

Power to the People