GOP's YouTube Debate Back On

For awhile there it looked like the GOP was going to get cold feet about appearing in a YouTube debate of the type that featured the famous snowman question. Some tried to insist the GOP should be above all that nonsense, while others like myself said the damage of blowing off the debate would be greater than any damage to one's dignity that might occur during the event. My argument has prevailed:

DES MOINES (CNN) – The Republican Party of Florida, CNN and YouTube will announce Monday that the organizations' Republican presidential debate will be held on Nov. 28, two months before Sunshine State voters hold their gateway primary into "Super Tuesday."

Originally, the three partners targeted Sept. 17 as the date for the debate that will feature video questions submitted by voters through YouTube. But some campaigns expressed concerns about the timing of the event and the debate partners worked to find an alternative date.

CNN's Anderson Cooper will moderate this debate that will be held at the Mahaffey Theater at the Progress Energy Center for the Arts in St. Petersburg. In July, CNN and YouTube partnered with the South Carolina Democratic Party to hold a similar debate in Charleston. Cooper also moderated that event, which was sanctioned by the Democratic National Committee as the party's first official presidential primary debate of the 2008 race for the White House.

Candidates such as New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Arizona Sen. John McCain have told the partners they will participate.

It would have seemed cowardly for the GOP to pass on this event just because they might get some stupid questions from the YouTubers. Agreeing to the debate will put that discussion aside.