Phoenix pubTV debate clip gets nearly 2 million hits on YouTube

The opening of a KAET gubernatorial debate earlier this month — in which current Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer repeatedly stumbles over her words and then simply stops speaking — is approaching 2 million hits on YouTube. KAET g.m. Kelly McCullough told Current that someone saw the debate, posted the minute-long portion on YouTube, local TV stations took note, then CNN, MSNBC and Fox followed. By that time the clip was the fourth most-watched on YouTube, and McCullough was hearing from folks as far away as London. “It’s a good example of the multimedia nature of the world,” as McCullough noted. The Sept. 1 debate is just one in this year’s Vote 2010 series. The Phoenix station produces the “Clean Elections Debates” for its election web page and longtime pubaffairs show Horizon.