by Mark Silva and Christi Parsons
The president is answering a lot of questions about the economy these days.
Today, he will answer them online - opening an Internet "town hall'' session from the White House - where President Barack Obama will respond to the most "popular'' of thousands of questions that people have posed to the president at his Website.
More than 90,000 people had submitted questions by the deadline this morning, for a conversation with the president that begins at 11:30 am EDT today at the White House Website.
The president will answer the ones which most people who already have gone online have voted as the most pressing questions - with more than 3 million votes cast on the 100,000-plus questions offered.
For a president who has attempted to work around the press - appearing lately on ESPN and Jay Leno's Tonight Show, and bypassing the biggest newspapers in his latest prime-time news conference in the East Room this week - the Internet offers a direct line of communication with the public.
And the president today faces some tough questions about his plans to save the banking industry and on financial stability in general, according to Macon Phillips, director of new media for the White House. He calls it "the wisdom of the crowd.''
"Community input can be extremely valuable," says Phillips, an Alabama native who launched the White House Website on Inauguration Day a couple of months ago.
"This isn't us putting our finger in the wind and asking, 'Which way should we go?' It's us getting a snapshot from people about what's on their mind,'' Phillips says. "It's a way of tapping into the collective wisdom."
The "town hall'' meeting will take place before a live audience of local participants in the East Room who alsow ill ask qestions. In addition, other questions will be posed by video, reminiscent of the groundbreaking YouTube debate that took place during the Democratic primaries.
Jared Bernstein, of Vice President Joe Biden's staff, will moderate for the president.
It's not clear how far down the list of selected questions the president will get, or if all the most popular ones will be addressed. But Phillips says they're definitely not trying to screen out tough questions.
"The president is at his best when he's answering difficult and challenging questions," he says.
Comments
"The president is at his best when he's answering difficult and challenging questions," he says.
Do these people live on this planet? This President is unable to handle any questions even remotely contradictory to his views. But it is a good way to stay on the good side of the incredibly naive youth vote!
Posted by: G.G. Liddy | March 26, 2009 9:13 AM
Another form of the teleprompter. Just pick and choose the questions that support your ageanda. Too easy Mr. President
Posted by: Red Blooded American | March 26, 2009 9:17 AM
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Posted by: Hope N. Change | March 26, 2009 9:24 AM
So -- will the president get to pick the questions in advance? I'm a little unclear on that aspect.
But if the questions are picked in advance, then so are the answers -- and this is merely window dressing and grandstanding.
Posted by: Beth | March 26, 2009 10:21 AM
Way to go, Mr. President. You can tell from the comments you're driving them crazy... or maybe crazier.
Posted by: Kenneth Janowski | March 26, 2009 11:15 AM
Why is Bank of America buying new private jet with tax payers money.
Posted by: Austin Idachaba | March 26, 2009 11:27 AM
Even Ben Smith is now admitting that this is little more than a sham, in which activist groups with large mailing lists can push their favorite questions to the top. Ben Smith even notes that Obama sent out a notification about this effort to his 14 million supporters, none of whom are going to ask him anything difficult.
Of course, I've been saying something like that about all the past efforts going back over a year and a half:
http://24ahead.com/s/popular-voting-systems
Posted by: 24AheadDotCom | March 26, 2009 12:14 PM
How hard can a bunch of questions from ACRON members be?
Posted by: vla | March 26, 2009 2:19 PM
Since most people are tightneing their spending habits I wonder how the government reconciles the difference between the "collective wisdom" of their constituents as opposed to the actions that they propose?
I doubt that they care much at all about what you and I think.
Posted by: Rob | March 26, 2009 2:56 PM
My son is 32 born with CP a mild case but because he can live and work he does not fit into any assist. He is unemployed and tried going to school but without work he canot live to go to school part time. We are paying for his student loan and he cannot use it for school because he needs to work also and there is none....Why do immigrents get help and an american cannot get what he needs. He is in FL and Hernando CO will not assist him with food stamps or medicare and he is destitute I do not live near him 3700 miles away. I own small cafe and I am trying to stay afloat. But Pakastians come in and start business tax free for 10 years and get 25,000as start up. How about me. I started with my own hard earned money and I get nothing...I am a citizen. Help!
Posted by: Eve Wright | June 5, 2009 2:53 PM