For those of you who were questioning the legitimacy or value of YouTube, check this out.

I read on Lost Remote that CNN announced today it will host two debates that will feature video questions submitted by users through YouTube. Select YouTube users will also be part of the audience. After the debate, the questions will be edited together with the answers and posted on YouTube.

“YouTube enables voters and candidates to communicate in a way that simply was not possible during the last election,” said Chad Hurley, CEO and co-founder of YouTube. “For the first time in the history of presidential debates, voters from around the country will be able to ask the future president of the United States a question in video form and hear the answer.”

Users can submit questions to the candidates here.

Question: Did you read Bridget Johnson's column suggesting that Americans care more about candidates' "cool factor" than political issues, and are you contributing to this idea by appearing on YouTube?

While this seems to be a departure for the company that made video communications mainstream, YouTube actually has made past attempts to improve its credibility by hosting high quality, educational videos, like this one.

Yet another reason why I really should be a journalist: so that people don't have to read the editorial diarrehea synicated columnist Bridget Johnson turns out week after week.

In her column, "Forget issues -- presidential candidates will have to be hip, funky and fly for '08," Johnson suggests that voters care more about how cool presidential candidates than their positions on political issues.

This column:

• Demeans the intelligence of average Americans.
• Is based upon the notion that Americans shape their political priorities by the same criteria demanded to choose high school Homecoming royalty.
• Is utter bullshit.

While Johnson does cite legitimate examples of candidates reaching out to be cool (appearances on 'The Daily Show,' swanky Web sites and MySpace pages, and staking celebritity endorsements), Johnson fails to connect the synapses and point out how these are just altered tactics of the same, decades-old strategy: connecting to the average American.

"I Like Ike" buttons, national tours by train, televised debates -- all of these marketing methods were meant to connect candidates to average Americans. Now that Average Joe has a MySpace page and trusts Jon Stewart more than Brian Williams, candidates must adapt to remain visible. I actually don't think this makes candidates any more "cool," per say (I'm not suddenly taking style lessons from John McCain), but it does make them more accessible and relatable.

Johnson seems to be distracted by the 24-hour news cycle she contributes to and doesn't step off her hamster wheel to realize that the issues she dismisses in her column, ("Iraq war, gay rights, immigration, Iran, stem cells, yadda yadda") do matter to people who are especially affected by them.

Healthcare matters to people who don't have it. Jessica Simpson appearing at a fundraiser matters to people who don't have the capacity to understand that her endorsement means absolutely nothing to the political landscape of this country. As Matt Wood would say, "Shoot them all and let God sort them out."

Perhaps Johnson should realize that mainstream Americans aren't as dense and celebritized as she is, and have enough stamina to filter through the media blitz to learn about candidates' values and align them with their own to make educated voting decisions.

And if I'm wrong, thank God we have an Electoral College.

Congratulations to Nonna for passing the written test for renewing her driver's license. Despite technological and linguistic barriers, her dedication to studying and determination really paid off. Nice job, Nonna!

Today is the CD release party for the focuspoint CD I've been whoring information out about over the last month. I think I've been so vocal about it because it's been taking up nearly all of my time outside of work to complete. All the info about the CD is here, or in the sidebar. Hope to see you out.

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Congratulations to the following people for getting out of jail:

Dr. Jack "Dr. Death" Kevorkian:

Paroled from a Michigan prison last week after serving 8 years for second-degree murder, Kevorkian, 79, said Tuesday he would dedicate himself to a longshot effort to convince Americans to support assisted suicide.

However, as a condition of his two-year parole, Kevorkian promised the state he would not assist suffering and terminally ill patients commit suicide and said he would hold to that vow even after his parole ended. Practice what you preach, dude.

Paris Hilton:

Hilton, 26, was released from jail on Thursday for medical reasons after serving just three days of a three-week term, but was confined to her home with an electronic ankle bracelet for 40 days. Likely, the bracelet is accented by canary yellow diamonds. Hilton was serving time for violating probation after being caught driving with a suspended licence.

Authorities did not specify the medical issue that led to her "reassignment" or say why she could not be treated in jail, though logic points to venereal diseases.

Pundits (Matt, Scott, Wesley, Gramps) call for Hilton to be jailed again, if only for her radically unentertaining sex video, as society should maintain higher standards for the quality of such videos, they contest.

Update: Paris is, of course, going back to jail now.

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