YouTube presidential debate blazes new trail.

[illinoisprogressive]

The unusual format drew the candidates out on matters rarely discussed at the presidential level, such as their children's sex education and the willingness of at least some candidates to serve in the White House for the minimum wage.

The two-hour session, on the campus of the Citadel military college in Charleston, S.C., also included several sparks, in particular over the war in Iraq.

Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois delivered one of his sharpest direct jabs of the campaign when Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York defended her recent inquiry to the Pentagon on ways to end the war. Unlike Clinton, Obama opposed the U.S. invasion from the start.

Though calling it "terrific" that Clinton asked the Pentagon about its plans, Obama added: "I also know that the time for us to ask how we were going to get out of Iraq was before we went in, and that is something that too many of us failed to do." The partisan audience burst into applause, as Clinton stared ahead expressionless.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-debate24jul24,0,3101242.story?coll=la-home-center

[robinlynne]

1. why didn't they ask the number one question? we voted. we weren't heard.