The text president

Matt Bai has a great idea in today's New York Times:

MAYBE someday soon the candidates will have laptop computers at their lecterns, and we’ll hang a giant screen behind the stage. Then, as one candidate is talking, the others will use instant messaging to create a kind of scrolling commentary and critique, and all the comments will appear overhead.

Important question

John Edwards' campaign posted this video from Monday night's AFL-CIO debate.

Romney reconsiders?

The Politico's Anne Schroder caught this quote during discussion of a 'Romney Girls' video, emphasis added.

Mitt Romney and his wife were on "Fox & Friends" this morning talking about the video. Romney said: "There's nothing like getting a good spot on YouTube."

So will he or won't he be attending the Republican CNN/YouTube debate?

Edwards rebuffed

Yesterdy, John Edwards came under fire from Joe Biden's campaign today for inauthenticity. Biden adviser Larry Rasky said, "It seems like he has decided to play Howard Dean in this election," and "Sooner or later they will look at your record" (among other things).

And Edwards was quickly rebuffed for this jab at Hillary Clinton last night:

You will never see a picture of me on the front of Fortune magazine saying 'I am the candidate that big corporate America is betting on.'

Within three hours, The Huffington Post reminded Edwards of his 2002 speech to the "Fortune Global Forum" -- an event "limited to the chairmen, CEOs, and presidents of major multinational corporations."

Old Guard versus New

Chuck Todd frames tonight's AFL-CIO debate as a clash between "the old guard of Washington" -- Clinton, Biden and Dodd -- versus Obama and Edwards.

It's a fascinating dynamic that I think is developing in this primary. But how long can Edwards and Obama be allies and how comfortable will Dodd and Biden be carrying Clinton's water?

Meanwhile, "Richardson is going to be the under-the-radar candidate; it's obvious; he's not getting involved in the bashing of Obama, Edwards and Clinton and that could pay dividends in Iowa."

Romney flip flops on an attack

On this morning's Republican Presidential Debate, moderated by George Stephanopoulos, Mitt Romney suggested he has changed his position from March attacking Rudy Giuliani for being pro-choice, pro-gay marriage, and anti-gun.

Whitman: YouTube or die

Former New Jersey Governor Christine Whitman blogs at Politics NJ that Republican presidential candidates will forfeit support of young voters – who are tending Democratic – if they don't speak their language.

Bailing on the upcoming YouTube/CNN debate – a format designed specifically for young voters – is a big mistake.

Full page praise

CNN took out a full page ad in today's New York Times to run praise for it's Democratic YouTube debate -- the "most-watched presidential primary debate in cable news history among adults 18 - 34."

It closes, "Up next: The CNN YouTube Republican Debate."

We hope.

Clinton disappointment

Read Sullivan's excellent 'Clinton, Obama and Fear.'

GOP YouTube debate

Two items gleaned from Jose Antonio Vargas in The Trail on blowback from Republicans' refusal to the YouTube debate.

First, the base is not pleased (as predicted).

Second, refuting Joe Klein's "the general skew of the YouTube audience leeward."

YouTubers -- who, according to a study by comScore, which tracks Web audience, lean more Republican than Democrat. (Michael Bassik over at techpresident writes: "Specifically, there are 3.3 million self-identified Republicans on the user-generated video site versus 3.1 million Democrats. (An additional 5 million consider themselves independent.)"

Ducking the GOP YouTube Debate

Read More:

• 'Update: Rudy Likely To Opt Out Of YouTube Debate' - Marc Ambinder - The Atlantic Online.
• 'Romney no fan of CNN/YouTube debate antics' - John Distaso - The New Hampshire Union Leader (via Political Wire).

Clinton/Obama spat

GOP YouTube Questions

Read Klein's Swampland post.

On Democratic nominees & equality

Biden and Darfur

Certain waters of last night's CNN/YouTube Democratic debate are being tread pretty heavily. Others less so.

Steve Clemons of The Washington Note swims away from the pack with good analysis of Joe Biden's answer on Darfur.

Biden lost big time points with me by suggesting that we need to send American troops to Darfur and, more importantly, that those who favor other options were being soft and tolerant of genocide. As Clinton, Gravel, and Richardson pointed out, there's no way American troops could perform a peace operation as well as a robust UN force could in Darfur. American forces aren't trained primarily for peace enforcement and nation-building and they're stretched thin as is, thanks to deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. Moreover, people in the region are very wary of American intervention - even the good guys who are pushing hard to end the atrocities in Darfur, Chad, and the Central African Republic. They don't want American personnel on the ground; they want American diplomacy and logistical support to pave the way for African and Muslim personnel to successfully intervene through a UN mission. Biden knows better.

On the YouTube Democratic Debate