Another September presidential debate has been announced, you guys! Now we have ones scheduled for September 7, 12, and 22, so don't forget to stock up on whiskey and hydrocodone. Especially for the last one: The Google/Fox News debate, which will feature an array of cutesy social media tricks they're calling "context."

It's odd that Google and Fox News are joining forces like this, since the folks who love Fox News also tend to be the ones who think Google is a corrupt liberal crony corporation of the Democratic party. But oh well! That's unimportant when there are stacks of cash to be made. You can watch Google's announcement video up top, in which simple sentences flash all over the place with an irritating swagger.

Since this debate involves a tech company, it has to be awash in gimmicky web-based product advertisements and social media schemes and god knows what other flashy neon youth nonsense. And since this tech company is Google, specifically, all of this will be an excuse to suck up and spread around everyone's personal information. From the Google Blog:

If you've been watching the 2012 Republican presidential race from the sidelines, now is your chance to get involved: Google and FOX News will present a GOP primary debate in Orlando, Florida on September 22, and you can drive the conversation by submitting and voting on questions for the candidates. The Fox News/Google Debate will combine the questions you submit on YouTube with maps, facts and information to enrich and guide the discussion. You can vote thumbs up or down on the questions using Google Moderator, and many of the top-voted will be put straight to the candidates to answer. The result-an informative dialogue about the future of our country centered on the issues you care most about.

...Throughout the evening, we'll use Google's public data and search trends on air to give greater context to the questions, and help you make a more informed decision at the polls come November 2012. We hope you'll join us-submit your question now and let your voice be heard.

Jesus. What ever happened to the good old days when Jim Lehrer would just ask Al Gore and George Bush the names of some international leaders? Now we have all of these flying secret computer surveillance bots dancing onstage or whatever it is Google's babbling about.