If I know what someone’s answer is going to be before he or she gives it, then why engage them at all?

Our two-party system has de-evolved into a standing game of Monday Night Football, in which the goal is for one team or the other to win and keep winning, the needs of the country be damned, and even more importantly, for the players—and their corporate owners— to reap as many rewards as possible.

What we need isn’t a YouTube/CNN debate involving presidential candidates, it’s a national conversation amongst ourselves about making this country everything that it can and should be—leaving the politicians to play their silly games alone…until they notice the stands are empty.

It’s a good idea to vet the questions, but I think the vetting should be done by someone with no dog in the hunt. Pick some bipartisan committee to vet the questions or a bipartisan think tank or some such.

CNN is always going to go for “wow” factor and questions that support the current narrative on various issues. On health care, to pick an example, they’re always going to pick questions about insurance and access, because those go to the current narrative of the stories they’re running.

I’d say put the videos up to a vote, but you know how that goes on the internet. Out of pure snark people would vote for the most outlandish videos, pop up some popcorn and relish the spectacle.

The real problem here is that both parties are so disgusting these days that no one takes politics or elections seriously. When your choice is between two sets of dishonest, self-aggrandizing, corrupt politicians who will say or do just about anything to get elected, it’s just hard to care too deeply or take it very seriously.

I’d love to see a national “throw the bums out” movement. I think we’d be better off with a complete set of newbies than the bunch we’ve got. Hell, I think you could almost pick Americans at random and do better than we’ve got.

Oh wait… 1992 was the last time this hypocritical, mis-informed hilbilly heroin addict was really relevant, wasn’t it?

http://www.buzzmachine.com/2007/05/10/your-advice-should-i-debate/

I guess people have their reasons to decide who, when, where, how they debate.

American citizens don’t have a track record of being too smart about or involved in politics and current events, so why should owning a video camera and a computer change things all of a sudden? Jeff, you’re making it sound like these little videos are going to give America some kind of profound and much needed “wake up call.”

Why is it I have to take my shoes off before I get on an airplane, while simultaneously the US-Mexico border is wide-open, and has been for many years?

There’s something *really* screwy there.

Your characterization of Limbaugh’s position is dishonest but fair - he is continually ridiculing people for positions they don’t hold - why shouldn’t he receive some of the same?

This is not to say that YTers don’t count or don’t have legitimate questions or aren’t “average Americans.” But it would project a more populist feel that makes it nearly unassailable by either party.