Tubular debate

Questions from cyberspace
Instead of fielding questions from TV anchors or newspaper editors, Democratic presidential candidates responded to short videos submitted by everyday Americans.
STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty Images

The latest showdown between the 2008 Democratic presidential contenders included a technological twist. All of the questions asked during the CNN/YouTube debate came in the form of 30-second video clips.

Nearly 3,000 people posted queries for the candidates on the popular Web site YouTube. Some inquired about renewable energy, pre-emptive strikes, and border control. Others offered up original songs about tax reform, health care, and outsourcing.

CNN executives chose 39 of these multimedia messages and posed them to the eight Democrats with their eye on the Oval Office.

Reporter Nikki Tundel takes a look at this hi-tech interaction between candidates and constituents.