Youtube and Google are working with local politicians to have a presidential debate in September in New Orleans, Louisiana. Here's the announcement video:

Unfortunately, based on their past history, the "debate" will be like the CNN/Youtube "debates", featuring puffball after puffball which the candidates will simply answer with their stock speeches. And, whoever the moderators are won't call them on their lies or press for a followup.

Youtube is already telegraphing what they're going to do by featuring the superlightweight James Kotecki (now of The Politico), someone who wouldn't know a tough question if it fell on his head.

Not only that, but their example of a user-generated question is someone asking "do you think your personal qualities will allow you to be an effective president"?

What does anyone expect the answer to be, "no"?

If I were Youtube, I'd watch out: the questions they're going to allow to be asked might give Sergey Brin flashbacks to the Soviet Union.