I believe MSNBC and Foxnews should switch debates.  The Democratic debate goes to MSNBC, thereby legitimizing MSNBC and hurting Foxnews.  Foxnews can have the Republican debate MSNBC signed on for.  

I REALLY like this idea.  We should be pressuring our leaders as hard as possible to empower the new open source media and help build a viable alternative to the old media gatekeepers.  It's WAY past time for the rebirth of the marketplace of ideas, don't you think?

Yes! Yes! Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't see how anyone could oppose this while claiming to have the best interests of the Democratic Party in mind.

Current TV is not available on basic cable.  I'd rather it be on the Food Network.

This is a truly great idea, so long as Gore commits to staying out of the race.  I want Gore to run, but that would retroactively make this a serious conflict of interest.

I like Current TV a lot - love the pods - but isn't their reach a little sparse? I know they have a young demographic, but we need to reach a wide audience too.

Couldn't they try for PBS?

Anywhere but the FOX Noise Channel.

This would be a good idea, but for the fact that Current TV is only available to those with Digital cable, at least in Maryland.  

That means millions of people (the poorest btw) would not have access to the debate coverage. Of course the same problem sort of exists with FOX news being only on basic cable.  

Great idea.  If only Current were more accessible.  

I hate to tell you but Murdoch has even got his grubby little hands on Current TV too...

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/de691d8a-552e-11 db-acba-0000779e2340.html

But yes, it's a good idea to get Current TV on-board.

Or take this other scenario - CurrentTV breaks down clips in real time, posting them on the web, and then asks viewers to remix answers as the debate is going on.  They will play the best newly remixed clips at the end of the debate.

Or better yet -- let viewers type or videotape responses to the clips (as on YouTube) and play those back to the candidates so viewers can respond in real time, while the debate is still going on.

No better way to reach out to a new constituency-I mean a really new one like younger voters, not the same Fox Noise conservatives the Dems have been unsuccessfully triangulating themselves to for the last 3 presidential cycles.

It does have a smaller reach, though the C-Span link up helps that. Even more than the relatively low number of persuadable eyeballs a Democratic primary debate will bring on the Republican network, playing this right and strong will pay other dividends. It will mark hardball with the media. Piss on the Dems, and you will not get a free pass anymore.  It will help delegitimize the propaganda channel-whose numbers are trending downward anyway-that will go back to bashing you at the earliest opportunity because they are bad actors in the process anyway.

And the controversy can drive more eyeballs to your eventual venue to see what all the fuss was about.

Nonetheless, what it boils down to, imo, is that the western Dems are afraid that they'll look beholden to the scary blogger hoardes if they change course here. So, they'll shoot the entire field in the foot yet again, because toes are overrated.

AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH H!!!!!!!!

Use the primary to BUILD YOUR NATURAL BASE and bring in new voters.

Woo the crossovers during the general election. The primary is for solidifying and exciting your base voters.

and let us know what he says.

...as a Democratic TV channel.

And they only play short videos (usually 12 minutes or less).

I don't see this happening in 2007/2008.

This is a great idea.  I take everyone's points about audience size and availability, but as Matt pointed out, Current reaches 30 million viewers and posting clips on the net and/or cosponsorship with C-SPAN seem to answer most of those question marks.

I also wanted to point out though that this isn't the only debate these guys and gal will have.  Everyone in America will have their chance to take a look at all the horses.

Also, seems that the big point here is not just to dump FOX sponsorship, but to seize on the opportunity to try a new debate format.  Getting out of the staid format that just results in innumerable, meaningless soundbites from the candidate is an end in and of itself.

Think of this as proof of concept for future elections.

As part of the demographic that Current is aimed at, I think its pretty good.  I'm not sure how well it would work for them to host or run a debate, but I think its a good idea.

Excellent suggestion. Even if they can't do it for this debate, Current should hold one later in the year.

They'd do a fuckload better than MTV "Does your campaign use Macs or PCs?" News for hosting a youth debate.

You tube probably has more viewers then Current, and it certainly has more people able to access it (I don't get current).  When Current rolled out, I remember thinking it looked ridiculous.

I think it's a clever idea to try and remove the constraints of main channels. Perhaps this will work  for the politicians to widen their voice, but I don't think the main field of play is going to change. By and large, the politicians will stay in the same slot they are in today. I'm reminded of the impact Rock Your Vote first had with Clinton campaigning on MTV, but I also remember where he ultimately made his big speeches. MTV was very big deal, and Clinton gave the young audience a image of a guy full of optimism. Personally, I thought he came off disconnected from the audience he was trying to connect with, but that's just me. He got elected. Dean capitalized on blogs, and now the known-knowns are out: bloggers are actually an engaged part of the population.

As far as CurrentTV as an opening up the the forum to address Q & A, I think this could bring in potentially some new ideas, or questions from the audience, or at the very least, perhaps give the CurrentTV audience a chance to engage with political heavyweights. I'd be interested if the candidates would be willing to field question without knowing them ahead of time.

How many homes will be willing to tune into the debate? What's the poll on who's heard of CurrentTV? Are there other alternatives out there that can also be tapped? What about creating several different forums for discussion? Not just CurrentTV and presidential blogs, but other fields of mass broadcast, so the gaps in communication can be bridged. PBS (they're web based too) could be an over-the-air broadcast source that could connect the TV public that might not be connected via PC, they may possibly become interested and gradually migrate across the communication gaps and come closer and maybe even participate. Creative outlets might not get someone to vote immediately, but it could get many to connect and participate- audience participation is key for the CurrentTV concept to function.

A devil's advocate might say, you're lucky to get 50% of the vote to cast a single ballot on election day, and someone thinks ten hundred thousand people are going to participate in online political forum? If you get anyone, they'll be the same people already engaged.

Take care,
Rob