This is a fine example of why Atlasia is dying. Even a shred of basic change that could rejuvenate activity and provide fun, while giving people a reason to join the game, is turned down for frivolous excuses. I'm no Tweedist, but at least he's taken the initiative to post videos and push for changing the conversation. If we stick to the same format that's been around for so many years, this whole thing will be a distant memory.
Campaigns are free to incorporate whichever methods they find effective. However, declining a video debate or whatever, is not killing the game. Duke is closer to seeing the problem: people are more concerned with who has the biggest grin on the face than the fact that we can't even get people to follow through after we elect them. President Polnut has actually done a good job sticking to doing what he said he would do if elected President, but his legacy almost hinges as much on what follows him than what he accomplishes. This election gives us many choices, but I don't think having more videos than the next guy or popping up in the IRC chat a lot means much from a game perspective.