U.S. Democratic presidential hopefuls had to handle some blunt and sometimes goofy questions delivered to their debate by Internet video.

Illinois Sen. Barack Obama was asked if he was black enough. "You know, when I'm catching a cab in Manhattan ... in the past, I think I've given my credentials," he said Monday night at The Citadel in Charleston, S.C.

On a more serious question of slavery reparations, Obama said, "I think the reparations we need right here in South Carolina is investment, for example, in our schools."

New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton got asked if she was feminine enough? "I couldn't run as anything other than a woman," she said.

The questions were first submitted to YouTube, the online video community. More than 2,300 videos had been submitted hours before Sunday night's deadline. CNN, the cable TV news network, screened the questions.

While there were oddball questions asked by oddball characters, some got to the heart of major issues. "If you were elected president of the United States, would you allow us to be married ... to each other?" asked one lesbian couple.

"It's a very difficult issue for me," said John Edwards, the Democrats' vice-presidential candidate in 2004.

Clinton, Obama and Edwards are the current leaders in the Democratic field in most polls. Clinton is considered the frontrunner. She wouldn't define herself as a liberal. "I prefer the word progressive, which has a real American meaning ...," she said.

There were tough questions from people like Barry, who lost a son to the Iraq war.

While Clinton empathized with him, she and Edwards, a former North Carolina senator, came under subtle attack from Obama. Those two voted to give U.S. President George Bush the authority to invade Iraq in 2003.

"The time to ask how we were going to get out of Iraq was before we went in," he said. Obama didn't name the two.

Clinton said any withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq had to be done "safely and orderly and carefully."

The Internet's impact

The debate format is the latest in the candidates' battle to keep up with the fast-paced changes the Internet has brought to politics.

"We're making history with this debate," Citadel President Lt. Gen. John Rosa says in his own video posted on the military school's website.

"For the first time you'll be able to submit questions through YouTube directly to the candidates. Technology is changing the way we do business in our lives every day and it's certainly going to change the way we elect public officials."

YouTube has already made its mark. Former Virginia Republican senator George Allen was fatally wounded last year when he was shown referring to a South Asian man as "macaca."

There have been attack ads aimed at Obama -- and a very attractive young woman proclaiming her crush on him. Hillary and her ex-husband Bill can also be found spoofing the Sopranos' finale.

Edwards tried to deflect snarky remarks about his well-coiffed hair. One message ends with "What really matters? You Choose."

Kathleen Hall Jamieson, a communications professor, said, "Whether it's in the form of a traditional broadcast ad or on YouTube, that potentially can shape perceptions, and perceptions can shape votes."

CNN and YouTube will join forces again on Sept. 17 for a Republican debate.

With a report from CTV's Joy Malbon and files from The Associated Press