http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/02/01/obama-to-answer-youtube-questions-live/?fbid=_uZnLbrB2TV

Quote :

"Obama to answer YouTube questions live Posted: February 1st, 2010 01:58 PM ET Washington (CNN) - For the past five days, 55,340 people asked 11,695 questions to President Barack Obama on YouTube. Voters then cast 643,507 votes to determine the top questions YouTube will ask Obama Monday at the White House in an unprecedented live interview streamed on YouTube.com/CitizenTube. "Neither the President nor his staff will know which questions will [be] asked ahead of time," blogged Steve Grove, who heads News and Politics on YouTube. "But what's clear from looking at the submissions is that they represent a broad cross-section of topics and concerns." The event, which will air at 1:45 p.m. ET, will be the first interview with the president since he delivered his State of the Union. YouTube opened up its platform Wednesday as Obama was delivering his nationally televised speech to Congress. Grove will ask some of the most popular questions that were voted upon by YouTube users. "When people are asked to weigh in on what matters most to them in an open forum, the result is a fascinating and informative look at the pulse of the country," Grove wrote on the YouTube blog. "It's this kind of transparency and direct access to information that we believe represents the promise of platforms like YouTube to improve our politics.""

Quote :

"Obama follows State of the Union with YouTube White House calls online outreach another way to reach voters WASHINGTON - There was a fireplace, but no roaring fire, as President Barack Obama sat down Monday for his version of the venerable fireside chat via 21st century technology: a YouTube interview. The White House says it's part of an effort to make government more interactive with the public. It's also another way for Obama to communicate directly with voters, using an emerging technology much as Franklin D. Roosevelt became the first president to use radio. The interview allowed Obama to reinforce themes from his State of the Union address last week. Such post-speech presidential outreach is traditional, and Obama has been to Tampa, Fla., and Baltimore to discuss parts of the address in greater detail. He heads to Nashua, N.H., on Tuesday for another such event. On Monday, Obama spent about 40 minutes in the White House Library answering about a dozen of the more than 11,000 questions submitted by YouTube users during and after last Wednesday's nationally televised speech. Users voted for the top questions, submitted either on video or in writing, and YouTube news and political director Steve Grove put some of them to the president. The questions covered familiar territory for Obama, ranging from health care and tax breaks for small businesses to help for people losing their homes to foreclosure. He also was asked about policy toward Sudan and closing the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Grove said the White House had not selected the questions, nor had Obama seen them before being asked to respond. The interview was streamed live both on YouTube and the White House Web site. "I hope we get a chance to do this on a more regular basis because it gives me great access to all the people out there with wonderful ideas," Obama said as the interview ended."

I hope these accessibility trends, both to GOP and to citizens at large with methods like this youtube thing, keep up.

2/2/2010 12:27:16 AM

Here is the Q&A session:

2/2/2010 1:30:19 AM

while a neat idea, it's a little dumb without followups

(note: i only got through three or four questions before tiring of the format)

2/2/2010 1:43:57 AM

Forgot to include the source on that second article:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35188571/

2/2/2010 3:32:42 PM

buy my shirt!

3/12/2010 1:48:54 PM

That shirt sucks so hard.

One of the dumbest ways to be hating on Obama.

3/12/2010 2:38:26 PM

3/12/2010 2:45:00 PM

You know who else used modern media technology to rally supporters? Hitler.

I'm just saying.

3/12/2010 2:45:54 PM

GODWIN'S LAW

3/12/2010 5:28:48 PM

^^ I'm pretty sure Hitler was a non-smoker

3/14/2010 10:21:00 AM

Quote :

"buy my shirt!"

Way to represent the school

^ lol

3/14/2010 10:26:31 AM