How to Set Up a Debate-Watch Party for the 2008 Election Season

With presidential elections gaining all the more hype, and voter turnout almost doubling since the 2004 presidential election, there is no better event for political junkies than a debate-watch party. No matter what political affiliation you are, you can host a debate-watch party with minimal expenses to pay.

Planning: The first thing you will need to do is plan the event in advance. Check cnn.com or msnbc.com or even Fox News for when the upcoming political debates are. Choose a debate and time and then have the debate watch party at your house. All you need is a television. Don't worry about not having that 60-inch television screen or the fact that you don't have the latest high-definition or Blu-ray picture screen. A normal television is just fine. Invite your friends over far in advance so give them notice of the event so they can plan around the event accordingly.

Snacks: Since you are hosting the event, you can ask your friends to each bring over one item for everyone to share such as soda, cups, chips, plates, popcorn, etc. If everyone brings one thing, there will be plenty of food and drinks and no one will have to spend more than $5.

Seating: You want to have enough seats for everyone so take out all the chairs you have from around your house. If you don't have enough chairs, ask your neighbors for extras which they will happily lend you. In fact, invite your neighbors over as well for the debate watch party. Most debates are about two hours.

The people you invite over don't have to be obsessed about politics. Anyone who has been following the presidential election or future election races will be fine to invite over to your house. This is a social gathering and the important thing is for everyone to have fun. Talk about politics while the debate is on but also talk about your careers, sports, etc. If people are having a good time and enjoying themselves, they will come back to your place for future debate watch parties. You can also set up a rotation among your friends, taking turns at different houses to watch the debates. You can also have watch parties for other political events like the State of the Union Address, etc.

If you have great success doing this, you can turn the watch party into a regular occurrence and make it less about politics. For example, you can all hang out to watch a common television series or movie or a big sports event on television.