Something Old, Something New

The Mainstream and Online media collided in last night's YouTube/CNN debate for the candidates for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination.

Here's the recap from YouTube; Here's the one from CNN.

I thought it was fresh--which is always good. The debates were far more interesting than than they normally are. I should say "debates" of course, because they there's no debate in these things. They remind me more of the question and answer portion of beauty contests. I'd rather hear each of the candidates have extended open ended interviews with smart people. Speaking of smart people here's what some had to say in Slate and FoxNews. Some of the opinion seems based on what one thing of the denizens of the online world.

In class we discussed what difference it made having people not only ask the questions, but doing it in a format they controlled. The question from the lesbian couple for example. It's one thing to speak about gay marriage in the abstract, quite another to have it posed by two pleasant looking people directly affected by your answer.

My personal favorites--and current heroes--are Jackie and Travis, the red state upstate guys from Murphysborough, Tennessee. See all of their questions here. Best one: asking John Edwards how good looking he thought he was on a scale of one to ten.

No longer anomymous

This is disappointing.

The guy who made the big sister ad has been identified and it's a democratic operative with ties to the Barack Obama campaign. I was hoping it was a pimply faced teenager working in his or her parents attic.

No such luck. Maybe next time.

Here's a quote from the culprit:

This ad was not the first citizen ad, and it will not be the
last. The game has changed.

Big Sister

The first major anonymous attack ad has surfaced on YouTube. The Washington Post is reporting that it has aired more than any official ad.