Kathleen Parker writing in the IndyStar says no:

YouTube invites silliness, which is part of its appeal, but inviting so-called “ordinary Americans” to film themselves posing questions to presidential candidates does not advance democracy, no matter how much hoopla we manufacture.

What anybody can do, anybody can do. Anyone can make a goofy video and ask a goofy question, but the man or woman intending to lead the free world should resist dignifying the charade.

Joe Biden came close to showing his disdain for this insult to American intelligence, such as it is, when a Michigan fellow asked whether he and his Second Amendment buddies could be sure their “babies” would be safe. He then cradled his own baby, a military-grade automatic weapon.

Biden said he wasn’t sure the fellow was “mentally qualified to own that gun.”
Even if the candidates were irritated by this faux show of democratic connectivity, they had no choice but to participate. If you refuse to play with the YouTubies, you risk being viewed as elitist and out of touch with Tha Peepul.

I haven’t been a big supporter of the YouTube style debate and after seeing it I believe most of my concerns were justified and on target. At the end of the day I would much rather see them ask questions to the public on YouTube etc. for every debate and then toss a few in.

At the end of the day the debates themselves are flawed this early on (and later too) because the entire format is flawed. Too many people, too little time for answers, too long as a whole and little if anything in substance with the questions, the answers etc.

The user submitted questions with people dressing up in characters, singing songs, wasting time doesn’t help it only adds to those flaws.