Watch this compilation of CNN/YouTube debate question highlights.

(CNN) - In this clip, Anderson Cooper shows you some CNN/YouTube debate questions that can only be described by asking the question "What were they thinking?"

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The Republican presidential candidates face off in their CNN/YouTube debate on Wednesday, Nov. 28.

What will you ask?

Watch CNN's Jeanne Moos report on the upset YouTube snowman.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - CNN's Jeanne Moos spotlights the TV snowman who's taking aim at GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

(CNN) - Democratic presidential contender Sen. Barack Obama rallied a room full of supporters as he stopped by a debate watching part in Charleston, South Carolina, late Monday night.

“When your name is Barack Obama, you’re already the underdog. So we’re going to have to work extra hard," the Illinois senator told the cheering crowd. They "might not pronounce my name right. They might call me 'Alabama.' They might call me 'Yo, Momma.' But here’s what I know. If everyone here is as energetic and enthusiastic about the prospects for a better America, then we’re not just going to win an election, we’re going to transform the country.”

–CNN Political Desk Editor Steve Brusk

(CNN) – New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson played off a previous campaign ad during the CNN/YouTube debate Monday, drawing comparisons to a job interview in his YouTube candidate clip.

The clip showed Richardson's resume being discussed by a group of managers sitting around a table. They list his qualifications as Richardson walks by their office.

"Ended up creating 80,000 jobs in his state. Says that's what he'll do as president," one of the managers says.

In a previous campaign advertisement, Richardson is seen sitting for an interview with a potential employer who lists his qualifications with a punchline of, "So, what makes you think you can be president?"

What do you think about Richardson's YouTube video?

– CNN Political Researcher Xuan Thai

(CNN) - Who kept talking about the future? Who kept talking about the past? Who had the most harsh words for their fellow candidates? And who wins for politeness?

CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider has the numbers:

Bill Richardson uttered the phrase "What I will do" a total of 16 times, followed by Barack Obama (15 times) and Chris Dodd (11 times).

Hillary Clinton led the field in saying "What I have done" 11 times, followed by Joe Biden (9 times) and Dodd (7 times).

Clinton also wins the Miss Congeniality award - she led in complimenting the other candidates (6 times), followed by Obama (5 times) and Edwards (4 times).

"What do they have in common? They are all the front-runners," Schneider said. "They are all doing well. They can afford to be generous. There's no reason to attack their fellow candidates."

So, which candidates did attack each other?

"Actually, not many did," Schneider said. Mike Gravel led in putting down or attacking the other Democrats a total of four times. Biden and Dennis Kucinich tied for second place, with two times each.

"It wasn't that kind of a debate, because citizens were asking the questions," says Schneider. "They didn't invite attacks."

– CNN Associate Producer Stephen Bach

(CNN) - Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards criticized the Iraqi government for taking a month-long recess during August and said it's time to make President Bush change course in Iraq.

"While the Iraqi parliament is on vacation, is George Bush going to be on vacation in Crawford, Texas?" Edwards asked. "What we need to do is turn up the heat on George Bush and hold him responsible, and make this president change course."

Iraq's parliament plans to take a month-long vacation in the month of August, though Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki is urging them to cut short or cancel those plans amid criticism from American observers. Former congressman Lee Hamilton, the co-chairman of the Iraq Study Group, called those plans "outrageous" while U.S. troops are fighting to buy Iraqi leaders time to reach a political settlement of the conflict.

Bush usually vacations at his Texas home in August, and is expected to spend at least part of August there this year.

– CNN Associate Producer Lauren Kornreich

John McAlpin from the military

(CNN) - John McAlpin from the military asks: "Sen. Clinton, the Arab states believe in women as being second class citizens. If you're President of the United States, how do you feel you would even be taken seriously by these states in any kind of talks, negotiations or any other diplomatic relations?"

What did you think about the candidates' response to the question? What would you have asked? Add your comment below, or better yet, turn on your camera to record your commentary and reaction video and send in your I-Report. Your comments below or your I-Report video could be part of CNN's post-debate coverage.

(CNN) - Republican presidential candidates didn't stay home Monday night to pick up tips for their CNN/YouTube debate in September.

As Democratic candidates took the stage in Charleston, South Carolina, four GOP candidates (or expected candidates) were on the trail at events of their own.

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani delivered a speech at San Francisco's Fairmont Hotel, Senator John McCain made an economic address in Benton Harbor, Michigan, former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson attended a private fund-raiser in Birmingham, Alabama, and former Arkansas Governor Mke Huckabee was wrapping up an appearance in Davenport, Iowa.

Maybe they have TiVos?

– CNN Political Desk Manager Steve Brusk

The stage is set for tomorrow’s Democratic presidential debate.

CHARLESTON, South Carolina (CNN) - The CNN/YouTube Democratic presidential debate is only one day away, but the vetting process to determine which questions will be directed to the candidates is ongoing.

CNN's Anderson Cooper is right in the thick of the discussion along with a team of CNN producers and political researchers as he prepares to moderate this historic event.

"This really is a bottom-up process," Cooper said in an interview on CNN's Reliable Sources. "We've spent a week looking at these more than 2,000 videos and the best ones are bubbling up to the surface. That's the way it really is working."

For the first time in presidential debate history, YouTube's on-line video technology will allow people to directly ask the eight Democratic candidates the pressing questions of the day. Through Sunday afternoon, more than 2,500 questions have been submitted.

Cooper emphasized that what makes the format so compelling is that many of these questioners are dealing with these problems personally.

"I think people who have made these videos, what makes them so interesting, is clearly they're very personal," he said. "Many of them are very intimate. And these are people who are living the topic, who are not just asking a theoretical question.

He added, "You're actually getting a kind of window into people's lives. It's often the questions in their bedroom or their living room. There is an intimacy that you don't normally get and I think it adds another dimension to the debate."

Cooper said it will be part of his mission Monday to ensure that the candidates don't try to avoid answering the questions. "I want to make sure that the candidates honor these people by directly answering their questions," he said.

And where are these submissions coming from. CNN Senior Vice President and Washington Bureau Chief David Bohrman said that "for this debate, realistically, anyone in the country, in fact, the world, can get a question into this debate. And it’s amazing to take a look at the 2,000 questions that there are. They feel very different than any town hall set of questions or any other debate questions I’ve ever heard."

– CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser

CHARLESTON, South Carolina (CNN) - South Carolina Republican Party Chairman Katon Dawson is challenging the eight Democratic presidential candidates on the issue of taxes, in back-to-back questions submitted for Monday's presidential debate.

The GOP chairman posted the questions Friday on YouTube, which is co-hosting this debate with CNN and the South Carolina Democratic Party.

"Most of you have voted to repeal the Bush tax cuts, and on the campaign trail you've promised to raise taxes," Dawson said in his first question. "Please put a dollar amount on how much you intend to raise our taxes."

In his second question, the state GOP chairman asked the candidates to state their definition of wealthy and middle class.

"There is a legitimate debate in our country about whether to cut taxes or raise taxes," Dawson said. "Democrats define Republican tax cuts as tax cuts for the wealthy. Republicans say tax cuts are for people who actually pay taxes. At the core of this debate, the disagreement seems to be about how the two parties define wealthy and middle class. I'd like to hear your definition of the terms wealthy and middle class."

Dawson's questions are just two of the more than 2,400 submitted so far by people eager to hear the candidates address their concerns. The debate will be moderated by CNN's Anderson Copper and airs live from 7 p.m.-9 p.m. ET with a replay at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT.

– CNN Political Editor Mark Preston

Watch Republican Party of Florida Chairman Jim Greer, right, and Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, left, announce the upcoming CNN/YouTube GOP presidential debate.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Florida Gov. Charlie Crist announced Friday that the Republican Party of Florida will team up with CNN and YouTube to host a groundbreaking GOP presidential debate in September at the Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg.

For the first time in Republican presidential debate history, voters will utilize state-of-the-art video technology to directly question the presidential candidates on the pressing issues of the day.

“We are pleased that our Republican presidential candidates will have another opportunity to discuss the issues that are important to Florida’s voters,” Crist said. “This is a testament to the leadership of the Florida Legislature, which wisely made Florida a more important player in the presidential nominating process by moving Florida’s primary date forward.”

Crist is referring to Sunshine State lawmakers’ decision to move its primary up to Jan. 29, 2008 – much to the chagrin of the Republican National Committee and Democratic National Committee. It will now be the largest early state to vote in the presidential primaries and serve as the gateway into Feb. 5, 2008 when as many as 20-plus states hold nominating contests.

Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, immediately committed to participating in the debate.

“This debate is an unprecedented opportunity for people across the nation to ask the Republican presidential candidates where they stand on the issues that are important to them, using mediums that are integral to the 2008 presidential election cycle - CNN and YouTube,” said Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer. “The debate is further evidence of Florida’s growing and prominent role in the 2008 Presidential election cycle, and we are excited to partner with CNN and YouTube to bring the Republican Presidential candidates to viewers across America.”

CNN/U.S. President Jon Klein noted that his network and YouTube has “created a one-of-a-kind format to enable American voters to pose their own questions directly to the Republican candidates themselves.

“We are grateful to the Republican Party of Florida and to Governor Crist for their partnership and for bringing the CNN-YouTube debate to this critical early primary state,” Klein said.

CNN and YouTube are conducting a similar presidential debate using YouTube’s video technology Monday night live from Charleston, South Carolina.

Clinton holds a strong lead over her Democratic rivals in South Carolina, a new poll indicates.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Clinton holds a 14 point lead over her closest rival, Sen. Barack Obama, in the crucial primary state of South Carolina, according to a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll out Friday.

The New York Democrat registers 39 percent in the latest poll out of the Palmetto State, followed by Obama, a senator from Illinois, at 25 percent. John Edwards, a former senator from neighboring North Carolina who is a native of the Palmetto State, comes in third with 15 percent. (Read full poll results [PDF])

Former Vice President Al Gore, who has repeatedly said he has no plans to run for president, draws 10 percent in the poll. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and Delaware Sen. Joe Biden were the only other two candidates to register support in the poll, drawing 2 percent, and 1 percent respectively.

The poll, conducted on July 16-18, interviewed 1,052 adults in South Carolina, including 380 who say they will vote in the 2008 Democratic primary. It carries a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points.

The poll also indicates race plays a large roll in how South Carolina Democrats plan to vote. Among whites, Clinton has a thin 3 point lead over Edwards, 30 percent to 27 percent, with Obama coming in third at 18 percent. Meanwhile, among blacks, Clinton holds a 16 point lead over Obama, 47 percent to 31 percent, with Edwards drawing a paltry 4 percent. This breakdown carries a margin of error of plus or minus 8 percentage points.

Why does Clinton appear to have an edge over Obama among blacks? According to CNN Polling Director Keating Holland, one reason may be the "brand loyalty" many blacks feel toward the name Clinton - most black primary voters in South Carolina say that Clinton understands their problems better than Obama does.

But another may be the “electability” factor, Holland said. Black primary voters by a wide margin think that Clinton has a better chance than Obama of beating the GOP nominee in November. If blacks want a Democrat in the White House and don't think Obama is electable, they may see Clinton as the better choice for blacks regardless of the racial background of the candidates.

All eight Democratic presidential contenders are set to square off in the CNN/You Tube Debate in Charleston South Carolina on Monday.

Watch CNN’s Candy Crowley preview Monday’s debate.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – CNN’s Candy Crowley gives a preview of the upcoming CNN/You Tube Democratic Debate this Monday, in the latest CNN.com’s Politics 411.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – While members of the Republican National Committee will not be present at next week's Democratic presidential debate in South Carolina, the GOP is looking for a "virtual" seat in the arena.

In an appeal posted on its Web site, the RNC has called on its members to submit video questions via YouTube for the debate being sponsored by CNN, YouTube and the South Carolina Democratic Party. A cartoon posted on the RNC Web site depicts a young man sporting an elephant shirt trying to ask a question of the three Democratic frontrunners: New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama.

The caption underneath the cartoon reads: "Tired of Democrats Dodging the Questions That Really Matter? Click Here To Find Out How To Have Your Questions Answered Live During the Democrat Debate on July 23."

The debate will break new ground because all of the main questions will be posed to the candidates by voters who recorded the queries and posted them on http://www.YouTube.com. A CNN editorial team has been sorting through the questions for weeks and the public will not know what questions will be asked of the candidates until the videos air on CNN that night. CNN’s Anderson Cooper will moderate the 7 p.m.-9 p.m. ET debate which will be held in Charleston.

CNN and YouTube will host a similar debate for Republicans on Sept. 17 in Florida. Further details including the host city will be announced on Friday.

– CNN Political Editor Mark Preston