Voters to address candidates via YouTube

[Ron Burgundy]

AP - Democratic presidential hopefuls struggled Monday night to answer questions posed by young, Internet-savvy voters who challenged the candidates' own place in a broken political system and posed questions about traditional political labels such as "liberal."

"Wassup?" came the first question, from a voter named Zach whose video got the debate off to an unconventional start. He went on to ask how any of the Democrats would do better than the failed leadership in Congress and the White House.

"How are you going to be any different?"

Sen. Barack Obama, a freshmen lawmaker trying to appeal to the public's thirst for change, replied, "One of the things I bring is a perspective ... that says Washington has to change."

His chief rival, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, claimed she has a 35-year-record as an agent of change. "The issue is which one of us will be ready from Day One."

The debate, sponsored by CNN and Google-owned YouTube, featured questions submitted to the online video community and screened by the all-news cable TV network. It was held at the military college of The Citadel in South Carolina, site of one of the earliest primaries — Jan. 29.

Before the questioning began, CNN opened the two-hour debate with a video from a voter named Chris. "Can you as politicians ... actually answer questions rather than beat around the bush?"

The answer, if with some reservations, was yes. The candidates faced a slew of blunt questions and, in some cases, delivered blunt answers.

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070723/ap_on_el_pr/democrats_debate [link]