Biden Campaign Press Release - Biden Launches YouTube Initiative For Upcoming CNN Debate
Asks Supporters, YouTube Users to Question Candidates on Iraq
Wilmington, DE (July 16th, 2007) - The Biden for President Campaign today launched a new online initiative encouraging all Americans to participate in the political dialogue shaping next week's presidential debate in South Carolina, sponsored by CNN and YouTube. The website challenges the other Democratic Presidential Candidates to answer the central question underlying how we end the war in Iraq: 'Then What?'
Spurred by the debate's groundbreaking format, which will feature 30-second video questions from individuals on the issues that matter to them, the Biden Campaign unveiled a new website, www.joebiden.com/youtube, asking supporters and other YouTube users to upload videos questioning the candidates on their political solution for how to end the war in Iraq without leaving chaos behind.
"I have been touring the country for two years - going everywhere from primary states, to red states, and everything in between. The issue that weighs on everyone's mind - no matter where I am - is how we are going to end this war" said Sen. Biden. "President Bush will leave the next president with no margin for error in dealing with some of the most critical foreign policy challenges our country has faced in the last fifty years - and ending this war properly is the critical starting point."
Poll after poll shows that Iraq is the most important issue for most Americans (http://www.galluppoll.com/content/?ci'949), yet most of the Democratic presidential candidates ducked an Iraq-only debate in June that was sponsored by the Johns Hopkins University School for Advanced International Studies in Washington, DC.
Sen. Biden's new website features a scripted question for YouTube users to record, in addition to a tutorial video explaining the rationale for the question and the steps behind recording and submitting a video question for the debate.
The Question: Every Democrat wants to get our troops out of Iraq as soon as possible. But other than Joe Biden, none of you seem to have a plan for what we leave behind so we don't trade a dictator for chaos and wind up having to send another generation of Americans back to fight in the Middle East. Every Democrat talks about the need for a political settlement in Iraq, but only Joe Biden has a plan for a political settlement. So my question is: then what? Beyond getting our troops out of Iraq, what's your plan to ensure we don't leave a mess behind?
How-To Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1x85nJ_Zbg
The website also features videos already submitted by YouTube users asking the "Then What" question:
J.B. White, Iraq War Veteran: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kp-eFaBMvdw
Trinity Hall: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_4pNWso4m0
Shelby Highsmith: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eMQMzo5pI8
Joseph R. Biden, Jr., Biden Campaign Press Release - Biden Launches YouTube Initiative For Upcoming CNN Debate Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/316285