Where’s Jim Lehrer when you need him? Well, maybe you don’t need him when the public now has a way to easily get their inquiries to candidates. Last night’s alliance between CNN and YouTube gave people the unprecedented ability to put their questions directly to the field of Democratic presidential contenders; Republicans are on deck for September 17.

Some were understandably unpolished, but it was a refreshing departure from having a monotone moderator reciting a carefully parsed quiz like a Gregorian cantor.

CNN took care (unbiased, we hope) to thin the field from hundreds of contributions to the broadcast-worthy few.

How did they miss this guy?