July 22, 2007

Enter the CNN/Youtube "Debate" Contest Meta-Contest!

As we all know by now, on Monday CNN and Youtube will be holding a debate which will most likely be a "debate". The moderator is none other than Super Puffball Anderson Cooper, former anchor for a news program for kids (Channel 1). Some of the questions will be provided by users of that service, and in fact there have been over 2000 entries so far. However, CNN itself is choosing the questions that will be asked (via this):

At CNN, a small group led by led by Senior Vice President David Bohrman and CNN Political Director Sam Feist [contact info: sam.feist *at* cnn.com] is looking over the questions... Bohrman said there may be some questions that challenge the candidates... "There's not going to be a foolish, gotcha question because we're not out there to stump," Bohrman said. "We're out there to actually see how people who want to be president think and handle issues and questions and people that are slightly outside of their comfort zones... There are questions that we, the journalists, we, the mainstream media, would never think to ask in the presidential debate."

Ooooo... I'm sure the candidates are scared. Those who want what may be the most powerful job in the world might be "challenged" by some of the questions... they'll be taken out of their "comfort zones" just a tiny bit. And, I'd imagine that my question for Hillary Clinton falls under the "foolish gotcha" banner. Is asking questions designed to stump someone who'd have to deal with North Korea really that "foolish"? If Hillary can't deal with that question, how is she going to deal with Iran?

(If you aren't mainstreamed out enough already, you can watch Howie Kurtz interview Ana Marie Cox and Glenn Reynolds about the debate.)

On his TV show and in various promotional videos Cooper has telegraphed just about as loud as he possibly can that this is going to be the touchiest-feeliest, puffiest of the puffball debates possible, spiced with comic reliefs designed to contrast the wacky, wild internet vs. the respectable, responsible world of journalistic hacks.

So, in order to make it somewhat interesting, I propose a contest. The winner who's closest with the answers to the following questions will win a date with either Anderson Cooper, Marc Cooper, or Larry King (subject to the winner's, their doctor's, and their approval):

Q: How many video questions will feature people wearing masks? (My answer: 3)

Q: How many will feature either a puppet, a muppet, an animated character, or similar? (My answer: 1)

Q: What are the chances that my entry will be shown? (My answer: 1/infinity)

Q: How many questions will not be greeted with a sigh of relief by the candidates, as they go on to say "Good question!" followed by their standard stump speech? (My answer: none).

Posted to Politics at July 22, 2007 02:11 PM