Presidential hopefuls will participate in two online debates — one for each party — later this year. Moderated by longtime PBS host Charlie Rose, the events will let viewers ask questions of the candidates through text or video submissions, and will let them blog comments on the answers and vote on their performances.
AP reports that the candidates will be able to interact in the debates from remote locations, responding to viewers and each other from separate video feeds, with Yahoo providing the technology to blend it all together. Blogosphere doyenne Arianna Huffington is quoted as saying that the idea for the debates came up at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
“It was clear to me, the 2008 campaign was going to be dominated by what’s happening on line — new technologies, new media like never before,” Huffington said. She then contacted Rose and Slate editor Jacob Weisberg to form a partnership to produce the forums. …
Scott Moore, director of Yahoo’s news and information service, compared the debates to the first televised forums between Democrat John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon in 1960.
Historians believe voters who watched the debate believed Kennedy was the winner, while voters who listened on the radio thought Nixon had won.
It’s a really significant, historic opportunity for the candidates to test their debate skills in a brand new format,” Moore said.
