CNN/YouTube debate? Yawn.

Questions, not answers, highlight YouTube debate - CNN.com

First don't get confused, this was not about Hill88 or Renetto asking questions of presidential hopefuls. Nor was it what you dream of - anyone being able to ask ANY question and it be aired on a national forum.

It was YouTube[Filtered by CNN] and the questions were what you would expect from hot-button political theater (at least the part I watched - I got bored with "more of the same"). Safe questions that are your standard fair red vs. blue "flamebait".

Wow it would have been great to see a question about investigating thoroughly 9/11 and find and hold accountable the party or parties involved. Or a thorough accounting of Iraq war spending. Or the deficit with China. Sigh.

The only other thing that seemed worrisome was constantly pointed to by Mike Gravel. Why in an age - when UPS can tell me with chilling accuracy when my made-in-China iPod is going to arrive at my doorstep - can't we make sure that all the candidates get equal time? That was odd. I also was curious as to how Edwards/Clinton/Obama ended up center stage since it would only seem fair to put them in alphabetical order.

I think the thing that convinced me I was being "sold" and not "informed" was during the debate when there was a nice 3-shot of the big fundraisers and Edwards was violently wiggling his fingers - and lo and behold Cooper calls on him next. Wow imagine that.

I'm pretty sure it probably boils down to who is going to buy the biggest ad rotation on CNN next year but it seems a shame that we can't actually try to find the most qualified, most intelligent person to hold the office and instead have to continue to play "the game."

Okay back to work.