Has the Web changed politics? It’s debatable

Tonight, after may delays, we’ll finally be able to see the Republican candidates answer questions from snowmen, animated dollar bills, and talking skulls. The CNN YouTube debate in Florida is scheduled for 8 eastern. And yes, the two apparent front runners in this contest have agreed to participate, having recovered from those nagging scheduling problems that delayed the show for two months. (Getting roundly tagged as cowards — even by their own faithful — may have also had something to do with it.) 

The key question is…. who cares? OK, let me rephrase that. The question is, does this make people care more than they otherwise would? Does it ultimately change anything about how we vote these clowns esteemed officials into or out of office? I’m not so sure.

On the positive: People tend to ask better questions than the journos who usually work that gig and tend to be a little too cozy with the people they’re supposed to be covering. But in the YouTube format, the debate ends up being more about the question than the answer. How clever/weird/funny it is, and what kind of costume the questioner was wearing.

In a typical democracy, that’s not how it’s supposed to work. But in this country we don’t have a normal democracy, we have political theater — and the most expensive, boffo, pull-out-all-the-stops productions are the ones that usually win. The Web has become simply another venue, though with slightly different rules.

For example, former Ark Gov Mike Huckabee would probably never run a tongue-in-cheek TV commercial like the one now featured on his site starring Chuck Norris (“My plan to secure the border? Two words: Chuck Norris.”). Yet on his campaign site, it’s not merely appropriate, it’s almost expected. (And lest you think I’m being partisan, the same goes for Hillary’s “Sopranos spoof” that appeared a couple months back.) On the Web, the candidates believe they can show a side of themselves that says “I’m not just another stiff in a suit — I’m witty, warm, and oh-so-nice to be around.”

(Then again, this can also backfire. I’m still trying to figure out what was going through Mike Gravel’s head when he posted his “Stare meaningfully into the camera from 3 inches away and then drop a big rock into a pond” video. Maybe he thought America really needed to look deep into his pores to see his soul.)

These videos come off as unscripted, and that’s the idea. But they’re not. They’re just as heavily scripted as the TV commercials and the debate responses, they’re just targeted at a different audience — one where irreverence is a family value. They might as well be waving flags and kissing babies; the Web is just a different way to do the same thing — with or without talking skulls.

Am I wrong? Has the Web changed anything about our political process? Post your votes below or email them to me here. Unlike in the actual elections, I offer bribes — cool Cringe swag to the top poll cats.