The CNN/YouTube presidential debates were a series of televised debates held during the 2008 Republican Party and Democratic Party presidential primaries that were sponsored by CNN and YouTube. In the debates presidential primary candidates who were invited to the debate and still had active campaigns at the debates airing. participated and fielded questions submitted through YouTube. The Democratic Party installment took place in Charleston, South Carolina and aired on July 23, 2007. The Republican Party installment took place in St. Petersburg, Florida and aired on November 28, 2007.
History
The CNN/YouTube Debates were conceived of by David Bohrman, the Washington Bureau Chief of CNN, and Steve Grove, the Head of News and Politics at YouTube. YouTube was a new platform on the political scene, rising to prominence in the 2006 midterm elections after Senator George Allen's Macaca Controversy, in which the Senator was captured calling his opponent Jim Webb's campaign worker a "Macaca" on video, which went viral on YouTube and damaged a campaign that narrowly lost at the polls. Media companies were looking for new ways to harness the possibilities of web video and YouTube was looking for opportunities to give its users access to the national political stage, so Bohrman and Grove formed a unique partnership in the CNN/YouTube Debates. It was the first-ever web-to-television debate partnership.
Democratic debate
Introduction A man named Chris from Portland, Oregon introduced the debate in a YouTube video. He challenged the candidates at the debate (Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Mike Gravel, Chris Dodd, Dennis Kucinich, Bill Richardson, and John Edwards) to "actually answer the questions" instead of "beating around the bush". Moderator, Anderson Cooper, stepped in and discussed why many of the video questions were not selected, even showing the most popular video, made by YouTube celebrity Tony Huynh, better known as TheWineKone.. Retrieved May 14, 2012 After that, more video questions were shown and the candidates answered them.
Questions
Here are the video questions that were directed at each candidate. Sometimes, the questions were asked to one candidate, multiple candidates, or all candidates. Moderator Anderson Cooper opened questions directed at one candidate to specific additional candidates. Cooper also sometimes allowed candidates to respond if they were mentioned or addressed in another response.
Questions for Senator Biden If you had to pick any Republican member of Congress or Republican governor to be your running mate, who would it be? [Biden chose Richard Lugar or Chuck Hagel]. Senator Biden, in the past, you've talked about NATO troops. What about American troops? (Anderson Cooper, Senator Gravel also had a response) I have two questions. By what date after January 21, 2009, will all U.S. troops be out of Iraq? And how many family members do you have serving in uniform? Who was your favorite teacher and why? (Sheena Currell, South Carolina) Senator Biden, everyone on this stage who was in Congress in 2001 voted for No Child Left Behind. Would you scrap it or revise it? (Anderson Cooper)
Questions for Senator Clinton Mrs. Clinton, how would you define the word "liberal?" And would you use this word to describe yourself? (Rob Porter, Irvine, California) Whenever I read an editorial about one of you, the author never fails to mention the issue of race or gender, respectively. Either one is not authentically black enough, or the other is not satisfactorily feminine. How will you address these critics and their charges if one or both of you should end up on the Democratic ticket in '08? (Jordan Williams, Coffeyville, Kansas) Senator Clinton, is he [Edwards] a better advocate for women? (Anderson Cooper) Should American troops go to Darfur? (Anderson Cooper) Just in the spirit of trying to get the answer, does that mean no American ground troops? (Anderson Cooper) Senator Clinton, do you think women should register for Selective Service? (Anderson Cooper) This question is to Senator Hillary Clinton. The Arab states, Muslim nations, believe its women as being second-class citizens. If you're president of the United States, how do you feel that you would even be taken seriously by these states in any kind of talks, negotiations, or any other diplomatic relations? I feel that is a legitimate question. (John McAlpherin, Okinawa, Japan) In the spirit of that type of bold leadership, would you be willing to meet separately, without precondition, during the first year of your administration, in Washington or anywhere else, with the leaders of Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba, and North Korea, in order to bridge the gap that divides our countries? With Bush, Clinton, and Bush again serving as the last three presidents, how would electing you, a Clinton, constitute the type of change in Washington so many people in the heartland are yearning for, and what your campaign has been talking about? I was also wondering if any of the other candidates had a problem with the same two families being in charge of the executive branch of government for 28 consecutive years, if Hillary Clinton were to potentially be elected and then re-elected.
Questions for Senator Dodd Senator Dodd, you've been in Congress more than 30 years. Can you honestly say you're any different? (Zack Kemph, Provo, Utah) Do you believe the response in the wake of Hurricane Katrina would have been different if the storm hit an affluent, predominantly white city? What roles do you believe race and class played in the storm's aftermath? And if you acknowledge that race and class affected the response efforts, what can you do to ensure that this won't happen in the future? And what can you do to ensure this nation's most needy people, in times of crisis and always, something will be done to help them too? (Morgan G., Atlanta, Georgia) If you were elected president of the United States, would you allow us to be married to each other? (Mary and Jen, Brooklyn, New York) Should women register for selective service when they turn 18 like men do currently? (originally asked Tony Fuller, Wilson, Ohio) I have two questions. By what date after January 21, 2009, will all U.S. troops be out of Iraq? And how many family members do you have serving in uniform? So my question for you is, how is the United States going to decrease its energy consumption in the first place? In other words, how will your policies influence Americans, rather than just using special light bulbs, to do this? We all know that Social Security is running out of money, but people who earn over $97,500 stop paying into Social Security. What is up with that? (Nancy McDonald, Wilmington, Delaware)
Questions for Fmr. Senator Edwards Senator Edwards? Any Republicans? (Anderson Cooper, goes along with the first question asked to Joe Biden) Should African-Americans get reparations [for slavery]? (Will, Boston, Massachusetts) Senator Edwards, earlier this week, your wife said that you would be a better advocate for women than Senator Clinton. Was she right? (Anderson Cooper) Senator Edwards said his opposition to gay marriage is influenced by his Southern Baptist background. Most Americans agree it was wrong and unconstitutional to use religion to justify slavery, segregation, and denying women the right to vote. So why is it still acceptable to use religion to deny gay American their full and equal rights? (Reverend Reggie Longcrier, Hickory, North Carolina) Senator Edwards, are the troops—did the troops in Vietnam die in vain? (Anderson Cooper) Senator Edwards? (Selective Service question, Anderson Cooper) My question is, we here at Planned Parenthood support comprehensive sex education and I'd like to know if any of you as candidates have talked to your children about sex and used medically accurate and age-appropriate information? (Anne, Pennsylvania)
Questions for Fmr. Senator Gravel Senator Gravel, are you a liberal? (Anderson Cooper) My question is for Mike Gravel. In one of the previous debates you said something along the lines of the entire deaths of Vietnam died in vain. How do you expect to win in a country where probably a pretty large chunk of the people voting disagree with that statement and might very well be offended by it? I'd like to know if you plan to defend that statement, or if you're just going to flip-flop. Thanks. (Don, West Virginia) Senator Gravel? (Selective Service question, Anderson Cooper) Who was your favorite teacher and why? (Sheena Currell, South Carolina) So my question for you is, how is the United States going to decrease its energy consumption in the first place? In other words, how will your policies influence Americans, rather than just using special light bulbs, to do this? Do you have a problem with it (Democratic Party)? (Anderson Cooper)
Questions for Congressman Kucinich What do you have that Senator Clinton and Senator Obama do not have? (Davis Fleetwood, Groton, Massachusetts, Clinton and Obama also respond to this question) If you were elected president of the United States, would you allow us to be married to each other? (Mary and Jen, Brooklyn, New York) I have two questions. By what date after January 21, 2009, will all U.S. troops be out of Iraq? And how many family members do you have serving in uniform? As president, what will you do to ensure that my son will live a full and happy life? This video question features an anthropomorphic snowman. And I'd like to know, if the Democrats come into office, are my taxes going to rise like usually they do when a Democrats gets into office? (Marcus Benson, Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Questions for Senator Obama Senator Obama, your position on reparations [for slavery]? Whenever I read an editorial about one of you, the author never fails to mention the issue of race or gender, respectively. Either one is not authentically black enough, or the other is not satisfactorily feminine. How will you address these critics and their charges if one or both of you should end up on the Democratic ticket in '08? (Jordan Williams, Coffeyville, Kansas) Senator Obama, the laws banning interracial marriage in the United States were ruled unconstitutional in 1967. What is the difference between a ban on interracial marriage and a ban on gay marriage? (Anderson Cooper) Senator Obama, are the soldiers dying in Iraq in vain? (Anderson Cooper) To the question of, did the troops—are the troops dying in vain, though: Yes or no? (Anderson Cooper) Senator Obama, should women register for Selective Service? (Anderson Cooper) In 1982, Anwar Sadat traveled to Israel, a trip that resulted in a peace agreement that has lasted ever since. In the spirit of that type of bold leadership, would you be willing to meet separately, without precondition, during the first year of your administration, in Washington or anywhere else, with the leaders of Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba, and North Korea, in order to bridge the gap that divides our countries? Who was your favorite teacher and why? (Sheena Currell, South Carolina) Senator Obama, Mitt Romney has accused you this week of saying that 5-year-old children should be getting sex education. Was he right? (Anderson Cooper) We all know that Social Security is running out of money, but people who earn over $97,500 stop paying into Social Security. What is up with that? (Nancy McDonald, Wilmington, Delaware)
Questions for Governor Richardson If you were elected president of the United States, would you allow us to be married to each other? (Mary and Jen, Brooklyn, New York) What action do you commit to that will get these children back home to a safe Darfur and not letting it be yet another empty promise? (Gabriel, refugee camp near Darfur) You say U.N. troops. Does that mean American troops? (Anderson Cooper)