Is it possible that someday we will all be watching flat screen Internet hung from our living room walls instead of HDTV cable? CNN and Youtube are getting together to sponsor live and interactive coverage of the upcoming South Carolina Presidential Debate.
CNN's Political Ticker blog reports that people will be able to submit questions via YouTube video. So it's history in the making. I'm visualizing an overloaded system but that may be wishful thinking since I want everyone to be involved in our political processes.
The Democratic debate will be on July 23rd. The Republican debate held in Florida will be on August 17th. We have the possibility of exciting more interest in participation, especially among young people. What do you think of the Youtube web page announcing this? They are clearly trying to create some excitement. They call it 'broadcasting yourself.' I like that sound byte. Hopefully along with the prerequisite fifteen minutes of fame will be some insightful questions! The guidelines for submission of questions can be found there as well.
The deadline for your video questions for the Democratic Debate is July 22nd.
Youtube also has a site called Citizen Tube. This is where we go to watch the debate live and then lend our comments afterwards. I love that Youtube is sounding so grassroots, asking people to be in 'video camera will travel' mode. Let me explain. They urge us to go to people who do not have access to the Internet and get their questions recorded; then come back and do the submission for them! This is truly sounding wild and wonderful.
Yes, I can imagine the flurry of advance activity by all the candidates to get people to place questions each political camp wants asked....but hey, they do that anyway. I'm choosing to see this as a modern miracle that could entice young people to begin participating and get older folk out of their cynical doldrums and into the process again!
I remember watching The West Wing when they had a Presidential debate between Jimmy Smits and Alan Alda (okay, their alter egos). When it was over I said to myself, this is the best Debate I have ever watched and it's not real!
Stay tuned as Web 2.0 leads the way, hopefully, to a better democracy. Peace Out! 3C
Watch the Youtube video on Citizen Tube calling us all to action here.
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