Speak Up!

Did you see the YouTube debates last night?

Wow.

Okay, I am officially done with journalists and televised debates. Let the people talk!

I went through the pages and pages of video questions people submitted. There were the weird, the strange, the funny, the well done, the painfully awkward, and the painfully real… I loved it.

There is no question that in my mind, we lost the ability to have a democracy along the line. People don’t gather around the country store and talk about issues. Candidates don’t sit down and talk to anyone real without the media around. At least not on a Presidential level.

Sure, there have been smaller debates with hand picked “real people” to ask questions, but this was completely out there.

I love the Mighty Thor in Central Florida. Looks like a redneck but asks a great question about spending on education – and still mentioned his name twice in a mere twenty six seconds. There was a guy with the American flag in the background that I thought for sure would spew rah rah war rhetoric but he did not.

He was a little weird, though.

And that’s why I love this form of debate. Americans come in every shape, color and size. We are weird. We ask stupid questions and great questions.

We hem and haw… we look ridiculous in slow motion. No one powders our noses. Only our friends edit our work.

I love it.

It’s real.

And.. It’s what being in a democracy is all about. Participation.

Without participation? We’re going to end up with the likes of George Bush, yet again.

C’mon folks, let’s keep speaking up!