Hardball and some oddballs as people run presidential debate

CHARLESTON, S.C. — Democratic candidates for president took some of the most direct, unvarnished and at times rude questions of the race at their Monday night debate, thanks to a new format that put the questioning in the hands of voters who sent in home videos through the Internet.

Is Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., authentically black? Is Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., sufficiently feminine by American standards, or so feminine that Arab leaders could never take her seriously?

Is former Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., emulating historic racists by using his Baptist upbringing as an explanation for his position on gay marriage? Would he support reparations for slavery or just be "dipping and dodging" the question?

In the style of practiced debaters, the Democrats received the questions graciously — thanking the questioners for even the most cutting of inquiries — then generally tried to reframe them to fit their talking points.

But something else happened at the so-called "YouTube Debate" on CNN, the first ever that had questions from people who sent them via the Google-owned site in the form of home videos.

Candidates gave a few answers previously unheard in this long summer of debates and forums, on an array of topics that Americans evidently think about but which panelists rarely broach in the button-down format of the traditional debate.

Highlights included Obama asserting that he never has to explain how black he is when trying to catch a cab. Clinton said she wouldn't use the word "liberal" to describe her politics but rather prefers the term "progressive."

Edwards said he feels "enormous conflict" as he wrestles with his religious faith and his feelings about gay marriage, which he does not support.

The question came from a black minister who noted religion was used to justify slavery and segregation and to deny women the right to vote, then said, "Why is it still acceptable to use religion to deny gay Americans their full and equal rights?"

All of the eight candidates except Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, said they do not support reparations for the descendants of slaves, and everyone on the stage said they think it's a good idea for young women to register for the draft at age 18, just as young men must.

None supports the institution of a draft.

The debate was the first sanctioned by the Democratic National Committee.

The candidates have met several times this year, and while there had been a few unscripted moments, the meetings were mostly staid and traditional.

But the citizen-panelists asked questions that haven't come up in public much before, and candidates ended up answering many of them fairly directly.

A questioner from Michigan, shot in shadow, asked whether the candidates intended to take away his baby. When he pulled the "baby" into the frame, it appeared to be an assault rifle.

"If that's his baby, he needs help," said Delaware Sen. Joseph Biden.

Clinton listed some of the many nations she visited as first lady when she was asked by a U.S. soldier serving in Japan whether leaders in Islamic nations, where women are often relegated to subservient roles, would take her seriously.

"I believe that there isn't much doubt in anyone's mind that I can be taken seriously," she said.

"Other countries have had women presidents and prime ministers. ... It would be quite appropriate to have a woman president deal with the Arab and Muslim countries on behalf of the United States of America."

Serious to offbeat

The questions ran the gamut from serious to offbeat, all in the more familiar voices of real people who put their faces on issues of the day. They included a father of a dead soldier asking if the candidates had family members serving in uniform, and two people who asked pointed questions on Iraq from very different viewpoints.

In another video, two women identified as Mary and Jen from New York asked, "Would you allow us to be married to each other?"

For the record, Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut and Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico said no; Kucinich said yes.

The parents on the stage were asked about whether they have sent their children to public or private schools.

Edwards said his children have all attended public schools. Clinton said her daughter, Chelsea, went to public school through eighth grade, when the family's move to Washington required sending her to a private school because it offered more protection from the media.

"My kids have gone to the University of Chicago Lab School, a private school, because I taught there," Obama responded. "It was five minutes from our house. So it was the best option for our kids."

There were lighthearted approaches to the videos as well, such as one question posed by a snowman about global warming and another asking whether any of the candidates would serve as president for the minimum wage.

The latter queried whether the candidates would serve four years at $5.85 an hour rather than the president's annual $400,000 salary.

"Sure," replied Clinton.

Obama said the group could afford to do so. When Dodd started to protest, Obama cut him off with a joke, "You're doing OK, Chris."

One questioner asked the candidates to say something they like and something they dislike about the person who was standing to their left. Edwards drew a few boos when he questioned Clinton's choice of clothing, which featured a coral-colored business jacket.

"I'm not sure about that coat," he said.

That provided an opening for Obama. "I actually like Hillary's jacket," he said. "I don't know what's wrong with it."

Candidate videos

The candidates also unveiled 30-second videos during Monday's debate, many of them offbeat.

Edwards, for example, juxtaposed pictures of war and poverty with music punctuating what he considers silly criticism of his own expensive haircuts. "What really matters?" the spot asked.

Dodd linked his white hair with valuable experience, closing with the slogan, "Dodd, the guy with white hair for the White House."

YouTube's founders and executives said Monday that they hope the video phenomenon will draw more people into politics.

"We saw what TV did for bringing politicians into people's living rooms. What YouTube is doing now is bringing the voters out of their living rooms," said Steve Grove, the head of news and politics for YouTube.

Additional information from McClatchy Newspapers