The Democratic gathering

marks a turning point in political communications

CNN, a landmark all-news cable network

when founded 27 years ago,

is now part of a media establishment

coming to terms with upstarts

like the 2-year-old online video community

By Sunday more than 2300 videos recorded on webcameras

and mobile phones had been submitted

Among them is a 30-second clip from a cancer survivor

who removes her wig and says her chances of survival

are not as good as they would have been

if she had had health insurance

"What would you, as president, do to make low-cost

or free preventative medicine available

for everyone in this country?" she asks

Young, internet-savvy voters challenged Democratic presidential hopefuls on Iraq, the military draft and the candidates' own place in a broken political system, playing starring roles in a provocative, video-driven debate.

"Wassup?" came the first question last night, from a voter named Zach, after another, named Chris, opened the CNN-YouTube debate with a barb aimed at the entire eight-candidate field: "Can you as politicians ... actually answer questions rather than beat around the bush?"

From Iraq to Haircuts

Presidential hopefuls from the Democratic party responded to an array of questions submitted via YouTube videos in the first debate of its kind in US politics.

Issues from global warming to the cost of senator John Edwards haircut were covered during the CNN/YouTube event. Over 2,000 questions were submitted, of which 30 were featured during the programme.

A voter named Chris opened the debate with a barb aimed at the entire eight-candidate field: "Can you as politicians ... actually answer questions rather than beat around the bush?"

In the ensuing discussion, New York senator Hillary Clinton - the only woman in the presidential race - was asked whether muslim leaders in the middle east would negotiate with a female leader.

She said: "There isn't much doubt in anyone's mind that I can be taken seriously.

"I couldn't run as anything other than a woman. I'm excited that I may be able finally to break that hardest of all glass ceilings.

On Iraq, a questioner asked why the Democrats hadn't accelerated the withdrawal of troops after winning power in the senate in the 2006 mid-terms. Ohio senator Dennis Kucinich said cutting war funding was politically risky.

"Yes, it is politics. The Democrats have failed the American people."

On a lighter note senator Edwards was asked to defend a $400 haircut. Edwards used a video of his own in response.

A montage of photos from Iraq and Hurricane Katrina were shown over the soundtrack from the musical 'Hair'. The piece closed with the words: "What Really Matters? You Choose".

Obama, Clinton clash in YouTube debate

Hillary Clinton pounced on rival Barack Obama on Monday for his willingness to meet with some troublesome world leaders during a Democratic US presidential debate starring a parade of questions posed through YouTube videos.

It was highlighted by a clash between the top 2008 Democratic contenders after Obama said he would be willing to meet with leaders of Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba and North Korea. The Bush administration considers the nations regional troublemakers.

Mr Obama, who leads Democrats in fund raising and is looking to cut Ms Clinton's lead in polls, said it was important to search for areas "where we can potentially move forward" and added, "I think it's a disgrace that we have not spoken to them."

Ms Clinton, the New York senator, disagreed, saying such meetings could be used as propaganda purposes.

"Certainly, we're not going to just have our president meet with Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez and you know, the president of North Korea, Iran and Syria, until we know better what the way forward would be," she said.

The format was designed to force candidates to drop their rehearsed answers and sound bites.

It sparked lively exchanges between all eight Democratic candidates on Iraq and diplomacy, and an extended discussion of race and gender involving Mr Obama and Ms Clinton.

Asked if Muslim leaders in the Middle East would be able to negotiate and work with a woman, Ms Clinton said that after meeting various foreign leaders as first lady to President Bill Clinton in the 1990s: "There isn't much doubt in anyone's mind that I can be taken seriously."

IRAQ CHALLENGES

Ms Clinton said she was proud to be running as a woman, and Mr Obama, an Illinois senator who would be the first black president, said Americans were ready to go beyond racial divisions.

"I couldn't run as anything other than a woman," Ms Clinton said. "I'm excited that I may be able finally to break that hardest of all glass ceilings."

The meeting on the campus of the Citadel military college in Charleston, South Carolina, was the fourth for Democrats and comes six months before the first votes in the 2008 nominating campaign.

South Carolina, one of the first states to vote in the 2008 nominating contest, is scheduled to hold its Democratic primary along with Florida on January 29, 2008, shortly after Iowa, Nevada and New Hampshire.

Clinton leads the Democratic field in national polls and in recent polls in South Carolina. Mr Obama, an early opponent of the Iraq war, questioned her Senate vote to authorize the war in 2002.

"The time for us to ask how we were going to get out of Iraq was before we got in," he said.

Told by a voter that Democrats were expected to end the war after they won power in Congress in the 2006 election, anti-war Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich said party members were unwilling to take the politically risky move of cutting off war funding.

"Yes, it is politics. The Democrats have failed the American people," he said.

Democrats Face Slew of Blunt Questions

Democratic presidential hopefuls faced a slew of blunt questions posed by young, Internet-savvy voters in the CNN-YouTube debate Monday night, and in many cases, responded in kind.

To Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois: Are you black enough? ``You know, when I'm catching a cab in Manhattan ... I'm giving my credentials,'' he replied.

To Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York: Are you feminine enough? ``I couldn't run as anything other than a woman,''

Her answer drew a challenge from former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina, who said he was the best advocate for women on the debate stage. ``I have the strongest, boldest ideas,'' he said.

The debate featured questions submitted to the online video community and screened by the all-news cable TV network. It was held at the military college of The Citadel in South Carolina, site of one of the earliest primaries - Jan. 29.

``Wassup?'' came the first question, from a voter named Zach, after another, named Chris, opened the CNN-YouTube debate with a challenge to the entire eight-candidate field: ``Can you as politicians ... actually answer questions rather than beat around the bush?''

The answer was a qualified yes.

Posing a question that few, if any, of the candidates had fielded before, one voter asked whether young women should register for the draft as do young men. Clinton, Obama and Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut said yes.

The Democrats skirmished over Iraq. Asked if Democrats are playing politics with the war, Rep. Dennis Kucinich said yes. ``The Democrats have failed the people,'' he said.

Former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel said U.S. soldiers are dying in vain. No other candidate would go that far.

Obama took the opportunity to take a slap at his rivals who voted to give Bush authority to invade Iraq, including Clinton and Edwards. ``The time to ask how we're going to get out of Iraq was before we got in,'' he said, without naming Clinton, Edwards and other foes.

Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico said he's the only candidate pledging to remove troops within six months. ``Our troops have become targets,'' he said. Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware said Richardson's goal was unrealistic.

Sensing her position was under attack, Clinton bristled as she argued that U.S. troops must be removed from Iraq ``safely, orderly and carefully.''

On an other foreign policy topic, Biden said he would send 2,500 U.S. troops to Darfur to try to end the civil war there.

It took three tries to get Clinton to answer the same questions. She finally said American ground troops don't belong in the fight because they are overextended in Iraq.

She also refused to call herself a liberal. ``I prefer the word progressive, which has a very American meaning,'' she said.

Clinton, Obama and Edwards lead in most polls of the Democratic field.

The opening question challenged Democrats to do better than the failed leadership in Congress and the White House. ``How are you going to be any different?'' the voter asked.

Obama, a freshmen lawmaker trying to appeal to the public's thirst for change, replied, ``One of the things I bring is a perspective ... that says Washington has to change.''

Clinton claimed she has a 35-year-record as an agent of change. ``The issue is which one of us will be ready from Day One.''

The Democratic gathering marked a turning point in political communications. CNN, a landmark all-news cable network when founded 27 years ago, is now part of a media establishment coming to terms with upstarts like the 2-year-old online video community.