GOP Facebook Debate With NBC Offered New Way for Voters to Ask Questions

FROM: http://politics.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474981002817

by Kate James

Member since: January 28, 2010

The GOP Facebook debate co-hosted by NBC offered a new format for potential voters to submit questions they want answered by the candidates. This debate came just two days before the important New Hampshire primary. Do you think that a clear frontrunner emerged among the field of Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, Ron Paul, Newt Gingrich, Jon Huntsman and Rick Perry?

Meet the Press host David Gregory moderated the Facebook debate, and aired live on NBC at 9 a.m. EST. Additionally, the entire event was streamed live on the popular social networking site as well as MSNBC's website.

The unique feature of this GOP debate is that viewers submitted their questions via a Facebook widget, and the candidates answered many of the questions. A rushed transcript of the unique debate is here if you were unable to tune in on Sunday morning.

Elliot Schrage, Vice President of Global Communications, Marketing and Public Policy at Facebook said, "By allowing people to connect in an authentic and meaningful way with presidential candidates, we hope more voters than ever will get involved with issues that matter most to them."

Do you think this new style Facebook debate was successful? Did you participate in it in any way? Did anything you heard in today's questions change your mind at all about who you will vote for to be the 2012 Republican candidate? Do you think this type of format for political debates will continue into the future?