Al Gore’s TV network, Current, has joined forces with Twitter to Hack the Debates.

Twitter users watching the debates can send a tweet with the additional extension “#current” which will be scraped for inclusion. According to an AP article by Jake Coyle:

During the debates, the network bent on viewer-created content will broadcast Twitter messages — or “tweets” — from viewers. In close to real time, Current will display comments on the screen while Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama face off.

It’s an all the more interesting new kind of interactivity in political discourse given that Current was co-founded by former Vice President Al Gore. Joel Hyatt, CEO of Current, said the technique — dubbed “Hack the Debate” — was not Gore’s idea, but he and Gore both share a dim view of post-debate punditry.

“He certainly shares the belief that the punditry aspect of the process has not been enriching to American democracy,” said Hyatt. “We’re trying to empower young adults to participate in the process, to have their voice heard, to join the conversation.

Current has been fielding questions from Twitterers all day. I’m excited to see how this works.