American Idol Meets Elections 2012: Welcome to the New Era of YouTube Presidential Runs

Culture

While skimming through YouTube I found a channel that appears to have been created for the sole purpose of being a political casting call. What exactly does that mean? Well, according to the channel information: "We are looking for video submissions from Average Americans who want to run for President in 2016. You can send a short video introducing yourself to America to grassrootspresident@gmail.com."

I have to admit, I am intrigued by the idea of the average John/Jane Doe getting a chance to build up real name recognition in preparation for a serious presidential run. Is it a viable idea? I don't know, but I would definitely watch to see what it is about. I mean, what's the worst that could happen - a win for the American people? 

It makes me wonder, what would this be like? Would the cast be subject to debates? Do they have to go through fundraisers? Would they be compensated for participating? 

Personally, I would hope for all of the above, and then some, except for compensation. The cast should be 100% volunteer, in my opinion. Can you imagine a show that combines the transparency of MTV's The Real World with the fan votes and interaction of American Idol? Would you even watch a show like this? And, further,  what sort of "challenges" would you think the contestants should go through in order to prove themselves -- and the audience -- as America's Next President?