YouTube Questions Force Real Answers
Harry Smith: CNN's YouTube Debate Puts Candidates Outside Their Comfort Zone
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Play CBS Video Video Fires Flare At GOP Debate Candidates' views on immigration, capital punishment and the Iraq war were front and center at the YouTube GOP debate, with each fight yielding a surprising outcome. Jeff Greenfield reports.
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Video Republican YouTube Debate The topics discussed in the Republican YouTube debate ranged from the death penalty to whether the candidates owned guns. David Mark, Sr. Editor for Politico, discusses the candidates' answers.
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Video Greenfield On GOP Debate Harry Smith speaks with senior political correspondent Jeff Greenfield about the GOP debate and the surprise questions presented to the candidates via YouTube.
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Republican presidential hopeful, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, left, interrupts Republican presidential hopeful, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, during an exchange on immigration at the CNN/You Tube debate in St. Petersburg, Fla. Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2007. (AP Photo/ Chris O'Meara) (AP)
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Republican presidential hopeful, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. speaks during the CNN/YouTube debate in St. Petersburg, Fla. Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2007. (AP)
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Republican presidential hopeful, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., left, exchanges a point with Republican presidential hopeful, Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, during the CNN YouTube Republican party presidential debate Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2007 at the Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) (AP)
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We got to see YouTube two last night and I can’t wait for YouTube three, four, five and six.
I speak of course of the Republican debate where the questions come from real people recorded and sent into CNN on their computers.
The questions are clever, quirky, better thought out, and better posed than the ones most of us reporters come up with and, for that very reason, the candidates seemed forced into a position of actually answering the question as opposed to the usual careful couching of an answer -- which feels like no answer at all.
The voting starts in little more than a month. Much is at stake and you could really see it on TV last night.
A little sweat on the lip. Contorted faces during an opponents attack. Verbal stumbles. Awkward silences.
Soon it will be too late to mount a comeback, to reintroduce or redefine yourself. Don’t wait for 2008. The campaign is now and, thanks to the YouTube questions, the candidates are out of their comfort zone.
Harry's daily commentary can be heard on many CBS Radio News affiliates across the country.
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