July 22, 2007
The YouTube/CNN Pre-Game Show
CHARLESTON, S.C. – The first in a series of six DNC sanction debates is supposed to be different from any other one of its kind in political history. In what has often been billed the future of political discourse, this debate is the first to use questions submitted via YouTube for the candidates.
Over the past few weeks, a team of CNN and YouTube employees have looked through all the videos to determine which ones will be used in tonight’s first DNC sanctioned debate. Each candidate will get 30 seconds to make their case to both the virtual and real life audience before moderator Anderson Cooper will let the videos roll. Additionally, a few lucky YouTube users have been flown into South Carolina to ask their questions of the candidates to the candidates in person.
In preparation for tonight, campaigns have to count on doing some things a little differently. How do you express empathy to a video tape? How do you react when a voter shows you their hurricane-ravaged home on a screen? How tersely do you respond to a pointed question when the questioner isn’t even in the room? Although the Democratic campaigns have been unsurprisingly mum on how they prep the candidates for this debate, a few of the campaigns have planned online activities (read: try to get the media’s attention) in preparation for the big event. Here’s a quick survey of what the campaigns have done and plan to do for the CNN/YouTube debates [SHIRA TOEPLITZ]:
JOE BIDEN launched an online effort late last week that aims to challenge other WH ’08 Dems to answer what they would do after they ended the war in Iraq. The goal is to get enough users to submit the same question so that CNN/YouTube will take notice.
HILLARY CLINTON is using her opening statement to feature a lucky supporter who will describe their support for her candidacy in 30 seconds or less. The campaign gave YouTube users almost two weeks submit a video that will premiere tonight.
CHRIS DODD's campaign has become known in political technology circles (okay, it’s a very small circle) for doing creative debate coverage. Internet Director Tim Tagaris said the Senator will be again answering questions after the debate on a live chat with Internet users and they’ll stream live from the spin room.
JOHN EDWARDS’ campaign announced on James Kotecki’s video blog that he’ll continue to take questions after the debate ends. Voters can submit follow up questions during the debate via text message, IM, facebook, MySpace, etc.. Campaign staffers will sift through those questions and feed them to the Senator, who will stream his answers live for an additional 30 minutes online after the debates. Edwards will also answer the top two questions with the most votes submitted through CommunityCounts.us
BARACK OBAMA has not launched any kind of special online initiative for the debates. But if you have an extra ten minutes, the campaign did release a video from his dinner with four supporters. Warning: It’s not that flashy or exciting, but it’s pretty real and honest for a campaign video.
BILL RICHARDSON is finishing up their YouTube week in the spotlight by asking users about their plans to curtail energy use in this country. Richardson says in the video that he plans to visit the person who his campaign decides has the best idea to start a new energy revolution. But for tonight’s debate, the campaign says they are planning to have staffers answer questions via online chat.
Both MIKE GRAVEL and DENNIS KUCINICH’S campaigns did not respond to a request for information about their plans to prepare for tonight’s debate [SHIRA TOEPLITZ].
Posted at 11:02 PM
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