Search Engine Journal

Yahoo, Slate and the political blog Huffington Post have teamed to host a series of online presidential debates which will be divided between Democratic and Republican party candidates.

The online debates will be hosted by Charlie Rose of PBS and will offer viewers the chance to ask real time filtered questions and also vote on the responses by candidates.

Political candidates have been using social media as a campaigning tool within Yahoo Answers, YouTube and MySpace, but this online debate session with user interaction is the most interactive form of social media participation thus far by high profile politicians.

The debates are expected to take place around Labor Day.

Host Charlie Rose said, “We intend for these debates to be a groundbreaking mix of old and new traditions in politics,” adding that, “2008 will be a momentous year for the electoral process in America, thanks in large part to technology and politics connecting like never before. I am proud to host the first ever online only debate, which will reach and engage the voting audience in a whole new way.”