Democratic presidential candidates faced questions directly from voters on Monday in the first CNN/YouTube debate.

YouTube questions were sometimes personal, heartfelt and comical.

Questions included one from a father who lost a son in Iraq and wondered if he would lose another, a gay couple asking why they shouldn't be allowed to marry and a woman stricken with breast cancer who asked if her chance of survival would be better if she had health insurance.

In all, 39 questions were asked from the 3,000 submissions YouTube said it received.

Most observers agreed that none of the candidates debating at The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina, particularly outshined their rivals, doing nothing to challenge Sen. Hillary Clinton's position as the Democratic race's front-runner.

The video questions came in all forms -- people facing the camera straight-on, people in makeup, people with flash cards. And a talking snowman asked about global warming.

source