I guess we couldn't avoid it for much longer. As 2011 wears on, presidential campaigning will be intensifying in advance of next year's election. While candidates on the GOP side are still busy declaring themselves as contenders, some of the early candidates are almost ready to begin debating.

Yesterday, social networking giant Facebook (News - Alert) and NBC announced that they will co-host a debate for Republican presidential candidates just before next year's New Hampshire primary, reported Business Insider.

In a video posted online describing the joint venture, David Gregory, host of NBC's “Meet the Press,” said the event would be “a unique kind of debate that you and your friends won’t just watch, but you’ll really feel part of.” The Republican debate “will take place not just on air, but within your social network,” added Gregory.

Gregory referred viewers to a Facebook page set up to take users' suggestions on the debate, and to provide a forum for debating the issues.

Social networking venues like Twitter (News - Alert) and Facebook have added another dimension political debates and discussions in recent year. While once debates were static events that the audience merely watched, debates on online networks allow viewers to submit questions, vote on issues and contribute their own presentations, turning the process far more interactive.

Although this is the first time Facebook will host a presidential debate, many American politicians have taken to social media as a tool. A few weeks ago, President Barack Obama hosted a kind of “town hall” meeting on Twitter, where he responded to users’ tweets, reported the Wall Street Journal.

The specific date of the event has not yet been set and will depend on the date set for the New Hampshire primary.

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