Since I was such a critic of CNN’s plan to select the video questions for its YouTube debate without any input from users, I’m obliged to admit the producers did an admirable job despite cutting the people out of the process.

Like many of you, I recorded the debate on my DVR and just got around to watching. It’s officially one of the most entertaining debates in a long time. That’s a big statement considering we’re talking about a pretty inconsequential Democratic primary debate.

CNN used the YouTube videos as a gimmick, and the gimmick really made for good TV. Being able to see people asking questions in a relaxed atmosphere, often from their homes, made a big difference in the authenticity of the moment.

Still, I wish CNN would have allowed a couple questions to be not only submitted but also chosen by users. That way, an abnormal topic could make the agenda.

Anderson Cooper claimed that letting the people pick would entice candidates to cheat. He predicted campaigns would vote for the questions they want. Well, it appears Sen. Joseph Biden tried anyway, convincing several people to repeatedly submit a form letter question on Iraq. My reaction: so what? If Biden can persuade thousands of people to vote for a question, then that’s a good indicator it’s not only worth asking, but also effective publicity for the debate.

Since we’re talking about Anderson, I should give him credit. I insinuated CNN, and perhaps the Coop himself, might be afraid that crowd-sourcing debates makes them obsolete. Although that might be their fear, I think Anderson proved his worth as the moderator, keeping the pace quick and the answers as on-point as can be expected of career politicians.

Turns out a paid monkey couldn’t have done the job justice, not even a handsome paid monkey.