GOP Candidates Can’t Chicken Out on YouTube Debate

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Joe Klein makes an interesting point about the Republican YouTube debate that’s scheduled for September: why would they do it? YouTube appears to lean left (otherwise, why would conservatives need to start a right-wing version?), and when you let everyday people ask the questions, instead of professional journalists, the questions are bound to be more raw and biting. And from Iraq, to their flip-flopping, to their various party apostasies, the Republican candidates have a lot of material for angry YouTubers to work with.

Also, speculates Klein, FOX might be whispering to the GOP canidates, “The Dems bailed on our debate, you can bail on CNN’s.”

But CNN anticipated the problem and Klein reports its solution:

CNN has taken the clever step of getting the Florida Republican Party and Governor Charlie Crist to co-sponsor the CNN/YouTube Republican debate…Which will make it hard for the candidates to chicken out. Can’t wait.

Neither can I. As you can tell from my massive live blog from the Democrats’ YouTube debate a few days back, I love this format. It’s going to be awesome.