YouTube Goes To Washington

Tonight is a historic evening as the very first of two Presidential
debates sponsored by CNN and YouTube are scheduled to air. The
questions that will be asked are all from user submissions on
YouTube.com.

The debate tonight is for the Democrats and will air for two hours
starting at 7 p.m. EST. The next one will air on September 17th for
the Republicans. Anderson Cooper has been slated to moderate and is
reported to offer between 20 and 30 questions.

In an elaborate campaign that equally advertises CNN, YouTube, and
parent company Google, the debate will feature geographical locations
of questioners on Google Earth maps; and oversized projector screens
streaming questions by visitors to the site.

CNN has been advertising for the debate with video clips from
YouTube.com of American citizens submitting questions. Health care and
the economy have been the most popular topics of choice for questions
including: How are you going to make healthcare more affordable? and
What are you going to do about the value of the dollar?

Another effort put forth by YouTube for the impending race was
YouChoose '08 which allowed visitors to vote on various candidates'
video channels.

This night brings a new awareness of the integration of the internet
as the standard for information, advertisement, and entertainment
across the globe and its influence on our daily lives.