The CNN/YouTube Presidential Debate

If you watch nothing else tomorrow night, please take the time to watch the CNN/YouTube Democratic Debate tomorrow night at 7pm EST on CNN.  In what I expect to be the most interesting and important Presidential debate to date (if not of the whole campaign), the Democratic candidates are going to be addressing issues and answering questions that real Americans truly care about.

Americans from all over the country, and the world have been submitting questions for the candidates via YouTube from some time now, and tomorrow night some of those videos will be shown and will force the candidates to answer questions that they may not be prepared for.  What are they going to do about the healthcare system?  What is there plan to address the Autism epidemic that has seized our country?  With are their plans to rebuild the Gulf Coast?  If the military is so important, why haven’t they joined (this from a young teenager).

Tomorrow night’s debate is going to be historic and in light of what’s going on in this country today you must take the time to watch this debate tomorrow night.  I’m begging you to do so.

Here are a just a few samples of the some of the questions the candidates might be faced with tomorrow night.   More videos and more on tomorrow night’s debate from CNN after the jump.

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Lifted from CNN.com

For the first time in presidential debate history, user-generated video will drive two unprecedented debates.

On July 23 at 7 p.m. ET, the Democratic candidates for president will face your questions. No journalists. No panelists. No filters.

Just the people’s questions and the candidate’s answers. The Democratic candidates will be confronted with the questions you send in via YouTube.

For the first time, user-generated video questions will drive presidential debates.

 In another first-ever facet of this live event, you will be able to provide your views as part of CNN.com’s post-debate political analysis by submitting your video commentary through I-Report.

Then, on September 17, the Republican candidates will participate in the second CNN-YouTube debate.

CNN’s Anderson Cooper will moderate the two-hour debates and pose follow-up questions.

The Democratic debate, the first Democratic National Committee-sanctioned presidential forum of the 2008 election cycle, will be held at The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina. The Republican presidential forum hosted by CNN and YouTube will take place in Florida. Both will be aired live on CNN.

You will be able to submit questions on YouTube until July 22. The site includes the questions sent so far along with some tips on how to help get your video chosen. Check out a few of the video questions »

CNN will produce the televised events and will select the questions used in the debates. Select YouTube contributors will be flown to Charleston to watch the debates live.

“YouTube enables voters and candidates to communicate in a way that simply was not possible during the last election,” said Chad Hurley, CEO and co-founder of YouTube. “For the first time in the history of presidential debates, voters from around the country will be able to ask the future president of the United States a question in video form and hear the answer.”

“These debates take the bold step of embracing the ever-increasing role of the Internet in politics,” said Jim Walton, CNN Worldwide president. “The inclusion of the massive online community enables these debates to engage more viewers — and potential voters — than ever before.”

Immediately after the debate, user questions and candidate answers will be featured on YouTube and the full debate video will be available for viewing on CNN.com. Also, on both sides, people will be able to engage in community features, extending the life of the debates, and participating in the ongoing political dialogue.