I could not find anyone who seen the debates or even knew about them.

[CK_John]

I made sure to stop by the local diner this morning to check out what the locals were saying, nobody even knew about them let alone watched. Many don't have cable (rural area, you have to x amount of houses on a road before they will run a line) and when I mentioned YouTube they looked at me like I was speaking in tongues.

How about your area?

[Jed Dilligan]

1. I didn't see them myself

No cable, can't afford it. Or rather, it isn't good enough for me to prioritize in my budget. And I don't like watching anything longer than ten minutes or so on my computer screen.

[CK_John]

3. I still use the rabbit ears myself and use dialup, audio is ok but video is not.

I did find the written transcript on the MSNBC site.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

2. I wouldn't expect a lot of people to have seen them, though I haven't checked yet

As you say, not everyone has cable and CNN doesn't generally pull in a lot of viewers during primetime. YouTube is a hot pop cultural phenomenon to be sure but it still mostly appeals to young people. I do think the YouTube debates were a great idea because the questions were interesting and those video clips will be getting viewed, commented on, and emailed around well into the future, whereas a traditional formal debate is watched and forgotten. I know young activists who send YouTube clips to their parents and other older people all the time so it does work but it's a viral thing so you have to wait for it to catch on.

[CK_John]

4. Long shelf like, may be a plus. n/t

[zanne]

5. I dialed 411 to get the number for Obama headquarters....

The operator said "who"? I said, loudly and slowly, OBAMA. He said "Could you spell that for me"? Sometimes I wonder how people manage to avoid watching the news, hearing it on the radio, seeing it online, or reading it in the newspaper. Apparently, quite a few people manage to do just that. It seems outrageous to me, but I guess I'm just a news junkie.

[quinnox]

6. wouldn't surprise me

I bet the majority in America have yet to see one debate. Only politics obsessers like us pay attention this early.