CNN Screws Up a Good Idea

Mickey points out that they're successfully mixing the spontaneity of a scripted presidential debate with the high production values of home-made internet videos. Sounds like a recipe for ratings gold!

Kind of misses the point, doesn't it? Instead of being spontaneously and uncontrollably selected by Web democracy, the YouTube questions will be safely filtered through the predictable, respectable sensibilities of CNN editors. They'll be not much different from the queries traditionally sent to the front of the room on index cards--just in video form. Sure, the questions will be asked by "voters from around the country," but debates have been accepting (filtered) email questions for years, no?

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