YouTube Presidential Debate Was Serious, Yet Sophomoric

Embracing the Internet in all its brashness and irreverence, eight Democratic presidential hopefuls differed over Iraq, Darfur, same-sex marriage and more offbeat issues in a lively Monday-night debate driven by dozens of amateur inquisitors.

A mix of serious policy talk and sophomoric humor, the session sponsored by CNN and YouTube broke ground in style and content. The candidates responded to more than three dozen homemade videos -- including a query from a snowman asking in falsetto about global warming -- among nearly 3,000 submitted from around the world. (The candidates told the snowman they favored a more vigorous U.S. response.)

The unusual format drew the candidates out on matters rarely discussed at the presidential level, such as their children's sex education and the willingness of at least some to work in the White House for minimum wage.

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