Having a debate party? Post it on the Net

BOSTON, Oct. 2 (UPI) -- The U.S. presidential candidates use their Web sites not only to promote their views but also to encourage supporters to host events such as debate parties.

Both Democratic candidate Barack Obama and his Republican challenger John McCain are using their campaign sites to urge backers to open their homes to other supporters in their area -- strangers who live within a certain radius who may be interested in stopping by to yell at the television and engage in political discourse, The Boston Globe reported Tuesday.

For example, for Thursday's debate between vice presidential candidates Sarah Palin and Joe Biden, McCain's site listed eight parties within 100 miles of Boston and Obama's named 15 parties in a 50-mile radius. the Globe said.

"This is an opportunity for people to listen together and kibitz about things and raise questions, a good old neighborhood parliament," Avi Fogel, who posted his Boston-area debate party on McCain's Web site, told the Globe.