This article was published on September 15, 2016

Facebook is helping gather debate questions, what could go wrong?


Facebook is helping gather debate questions, what could go wrong?

The US election is, as of today, still happening to us. Even better: debates are coming up, and apparently Facebook is going to be involved. At this point, why not?

“For the town hall debate, Facebook will be working with the moderators to help source questions for the candidates,” said an announcement from the Commission on Presidential Debates, the nonpartisan organization responsible for organizing these televised discussions.

I’m sure the vast majority of submissions from Facebook users will be coherent, with very clear internal logic. Just kidding, this is going to be terrible, but we’re sure some underpaid staffer will have fun sorting through questions about racist frogs and small hands. Maybe they’ll find a couple of questions about actual policies. (“Policies” are positions politicians take on “issues,” discussion of which took up a great deal of time in pre-Trump elections.)

Facebook is also the “exclusive social media sponsor for the first and third presidential debate,” whatever that means. No word on whether there are official antidepressant or hard liquor sponsors, but if not that’s a huge potential moneymaker. Get yourself paid, TV networks.

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