Two quick observations:

1) More control by networks: Open Source politics is about more control for average people, and less control for traditional "gatekeepers." I wonder, however, if this format actually gives gatekeepers more control because producers get to pre-select questions among a library of 3000 questions. Granted, producers don't write the questions. But this debate, arguably, allows for more gatekeeper control than a townhall debate in which questions are asked by audience members.

2) Unease of candidates: A debate, I would imagine, is never easy for a candidate, because the candidate doesn't know what will happen, and what comments other candidates will make that require a response. That unease is good because it probably leads to some honesty. The new YouTube debate format probably prevented the candidates from knowing exactly what to to expect, which may have allowed for a little more unease. The question is whether more truth came out, or if the unease caused candidates to lean on talking points even more.