Declare Yourself:
Ballistics
Hello and Welcome to
The Walden University
Presidential Youth Debate!
Senators Obama and McCain have provided their 2-minutes-max answers to the 14 previously unanswered questions young Americans themselves chose as most important, including, for the first time in history, two questions submitted and chosen by 13-17 year-old "Future Voters" as their two greatest concerns. The Walden Presidential Youth Debate gives young Americans the answers they need to vote for the future they want, and Americans of all ages their last look at where the candidates stand on the same issues before Election Day.
Click the individual videos below to watch the candidates' responses to particular questions. All candidates who met participation criteria set forth by The Appleseed Citizens' Task Force On Fair Debates were welcomed to participate. The full-length debate video [Duration 43:30] and its transcript will be available here for a full year, thanks to the debate host, Walden University.
Enjoy the videos and let us know what you think - and don't forget to click "share" below each video answer to help us inspire informed voting nationwide. Thanks...
Question 1 of 14: Economy
Young people across the country are very worried about the financial crisis. They need to get student loans for school and find jobs after graduation. This Wall Street crisis and bailout happened largely because of a breakdown in oversight, so will you support an independent, government-created agency led by consumers that will protect the public and shareholders to prevent something like this from ever happening again? What additional protections would you propose?
Answers from Senators McCain and Obama
Why I Vote
The Walden University Presidential Youth Debate's "Why I Vote" offers a little extra inspiration to get you to the polls on Election Day, as well as a chance to have your own best reason to vote published in a book with other inspired Americans, including:
Billy Collins...
...former US Poet Laureate and Author of the new book Ballistics (Random House). You can click here to read why Billy Collins says he votes, or you can click here to have him read to you - from his new book featured in the latest video episode of Open-Door Poetry from Borders, our partner.
Ethan Zohn, winner of Survivor Africa and co-founder of Grassroot Soccer.
Debate Schedule
- 9/29 — extended to 4pm (ET). We stop accepting questions and allow our moderators and moderating panel organizations to choose the top 20 questions from 18-35 year olds and the top 5 from 13-17 year-old "Future Voters."
- 9/30 — Top 20 questions are posted here for 18-35 year olds to choose the 10 they most want answered, and the top 5 from 13-17 year olds are posted so "Future Voters" can choose the 2 they most want answered. Question voting ends at 10 PM
- 10/1 — 8 AM (ET). Along with one question each from our two moderators, we send the candidates the 14 questions young Americans themselves have chosen as most important to them.
- 10/17 — By 5 PM (ET). we receive all the video responses – each candidate's 14 well-thought-out, accurate answers, limiting candidates to 2 minute responses to each question. Walden University begins editing the debate together, leaving the answers themselves untouched. Each video question and answer will also be put into individual segments so people will have the option to view them individually or as one complete show.
- 10/22 — The 90-minute, Walden University Presidential Youth Debate airs at 1 PM (ET), giving young Americans the answers they need to vote for the future they want, and giving all Americans their last pre-Election look at where the candidates stand on the same exact issues.
