Do-it-yourself democracy

This just may prove to be the best worst idea ever: CNN and Google are co-sponsoring a Democratic debate in which the questions will come from ordinary (and, just guessing/hoping, a number of abnormal) people who post them on YouTube:

“[Anderson] Cooper has already made an appeal on CNN to viewers to be “creative” in their videos. No one knows quite what to expect. The videos are likely to reflect the irreverence inherent on YouTube. But how far will CNN go in airing the site's often-subversive attitude, like the "1984" video portraying Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton as Big Sister? If the videos shown are too bland, there could be a revolt on YouTube, where users are likely to post their videos anyway, whether they make it on the air or not.”

This is a tacit admission that there are certain questions reporters are too wussy to ask politicians, so it’s up to We The People to challenge them. (Do you think Republicans, in this atmosphere, would agree to this format?) I can’t wait to see questions asking when they’ll come clean on the government’s role in bringing down WTC building 7 or if it takes a stake through the heart to take down Alberto Gonzales why doesn’t someone just f@$&ing do it already or if they can get Barney Frank’s phone number.

Alas, it ain’t happening yet. Based on my cursory search, there aren’t many questions submitted yet and few have any production values or are remotely amusing – most are pretty earnest, actually; some come from one-issue people not worth pandering to and others are stock questions that have been asked before. Still, a few merit comment:

If the candidates don’t publicly reject creationism thereby alienating religious wingnuts, this guy won’t vote for them.

Question on gay marriage where the only honest answer is “Because I’m pandering to religious wingnuts.”

Maybe you shouldn’t tip your hand by wearing an Obama ’08 T-shirt.

Myopic, arcane, and you don’t even get to vote in the first place, you Aussie loser.

A modicum of effort creativity-wise – but just a smidgen – but a really dumb question.

A wonderfully weird question that seems to conceal a little menace: “Have you given blood within the last 5 years and where did you donate?” What is this guy, a vampire?

Scoreboard: “Please try to avoid the political clichés that we constantly hear all the time.”

The most professionally done of all the questions (nice zoom); too bad the question’s too arcane to get screen time.

Most awkwardly posed question so far. Dude doesn’t like being in front of the camera.

If anyone really doesn’t like illegal aliens, it’s legal aliens who feel they wasted their time.

Good question, but good luck answering it in a minute without sounding like a phony gasbag.

Excellent question; good luck, however, answering it in any fashion in a minute.

Finally! A bona fide crackpot! From the crazed look in the initial freezeframe to the escalating anger as he works himself up, this is a guy you don’t want as a neighbor.

Another loon, but he’s intentionally working his lunacy.

C’mon, America! We can do better! Post your how-soon-after-you-take-the-oath-of-office-before-you-charge-Bush-with-war-crimes query today!

Anyway, here’s betting Alaska bomb-hurler Mike Gravel does really well with this format – his YouTube films elevate political theater to the level of creepy performance art.