MASHABLE
President Obama's First Google+ Hangout: How'd He Do?
President Obama held the first all-digital interview from the White House on Monday night. Like a modern day reincarnation of FDR’s fireside chats, the video chat brought the president directly into the homes of thousands of Americans via a Google+ hangout.
Over 227,000 people submitted questions, while the president spoke with five Americans from across the country. Google and YouTube selected questions for Obama from the videos that got the most votes from YouTube users.
Queries about the legalization of marijuana dominated the top-voted questions, but none were asked. President Obama previously addressed his drug policy in a 2011 YouTube interview.
At the beginning of the hangout, when the President delivered seemingly prepared remarks about unemployment and a living wage, some watchers took to Twitter to express disappointment that the President had received the questions ahead of time, though this wasn’t the case. (The hangout had no official Twitter hashtag, though #obamahangout gained some traction.)
As the hangout progressed, the questions got tougher and the dialogue more democratic. This wasn’t an “ask and mute” hangout where the rest of the room was barred from speaking while Obama responded to questions. The conversation was two-way: follow-up questions were generally welcomed, there was some crosstalk, and participants vied for the chance to speak.
A query from Jennifer Wedel, the wife of an unemployed semiconductor engineer, seemingly caught the president off-guard. She asked the President a specific question about the White House’s expanded issuance of H-1B visas, which allow skilled workers to come to the U.S. for employment. Obama’s respond ended with a request for Wedel to send her husband’s resume to the president’s desk.
“I meant what I said, if you send me your husband’s resume, I’d be interested in finding out exactly what’s happening right there,” said Obama.
Wedel later told Politico that she didn’t find the president’s initial answer satisfactory.
When the President took a question on his administration’s use of unmanned drones, he responded by downplaying a report in The New York Times that suggested the U.S. is flying a large number of drones over Iraq.
His defense of the global drone program also happened to be his first official acknowledgement that the program existed, a fact which made headlines Tuesday morning.
When Obama gave a response about college education to California high school student Adam Clark, Wedel, a Texas mother of three, jumped in with her not-quite-contented opinion of the president’s answer. Ramon Ray, a small business owner from New Jersey, also joined in with his own views on saving for his children’s education.
Towards the end of the event, Obama was asked a YouTube question about the Stop Online Piracy Act, or SOPA. President Obama pointed to the recent indictment against Megaupload CEO Kim Dotcom as an example of how his administration was tackling intellectual property theft. It was the first time the President himself directly addressed the issue.
“I think that it’s going to be possible for us to make sure that we’re protecting intellectual property that creates a lot of jobs in this country,” said Obama. “It’s one of the United States’ biggest exports, but also do it in a way that it doesn’t affect the fundamental integrity of the internet as an open, transparent system.”
The Obama administration made their anti-SOPA stance known in a blog post responding to a We The People petition about the bill.
The hangout, despite the lack of muting, avoided the torrential crosstalk which has plagued other Google+ hangouts. How? Two ways:
Obama has previously held virtual town halls over Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Two of his possible rivals, Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich, have also hosted Google+ hangouts.
President Obama's First Google+ Hangout: How'd He Do?
President Obama held the first all-digital interview from the White House on Monday night. Like a modern day reincarnation of FDR’s fireside chats, the video chat brought the president directly into the homes of thousands of Americans via a Google+ hangout.
Over 227,000 people submitted questions, while the president spoke with five Americans from across the country. Google and YouTube selected questions for Obama from the videos that got the most votes from YouTube users.
Queries about the legalization of marijuana dominated the top-voted questions, but none were asked. President Obama previously addressed his drug policy in a 2011 YouTube interview.
At the beginning of the hangout, when the President delivered seemingly prepared remarks about unemployment and a living wage, some watchers took to Twitter to express disappointment that the President had received the questions ahead of time, though this wasn’t the case. (The hangout had no official Twitter hashtag, though #obamahangout gained some traction.)
A query from Jennifer Wedel, the wife of an unemployed semiconductor engineer, seemingly caught the president off-guard. She asked the President a specific question about the White House’s expanded issuance of H-1B visas, which allow skilled workers to come to the U.S. for employment. Obama’s respond ended with a request for Wedel to send her husband’s resume to the president’s desk.
“I meant what I said, if you send me your husband’s resume, I’d be interested in finding out exactly what’s happening right there,” said Obama.
Wedel later told Politico that she didn’t find the president’s initial answer satisfactory.
When the President took a question on his administration’s use of unmanned drones, he responded by downplaying a report in The New York Times that suggested the U.S. is flying a large number of drones over Iraq.
His defense of the global drone program also happened to be his first official acknowledgement that the program existed, a fact which made headlines Tuesday morning.
When Obama gave a response about college education to California high school student Adam Clark, Wedel, a Texas mother of three, jumped in with her not-quite-contented opinion of the president’s answer. Ramon Ray, a small business owner from New Jersey, also joined in with his own views on saving for his children’s education.
Towards the end of the event, Obama was asked a YouTube question about the Stop Online Piracy Act, or SOPA. President Obama pointed to the recent indictment against Megaupload CEO Kim Dotcom as an example of how his administration was tackling intellectual property theft. It was the first time the President himself directly addressed the issue.
“I think that it’s going to be possible for us to make sure that we’re protecting intellectual property that creates a lot of jobs in this country,” said Obama. “It’s one of the United States’ biggest exports, but also do it in a way that it doesn’t affect the fundamental integrity of the internet as an open, transparent system.”
The Obama administration made their anti-SOPA stance known in a blog post responding to a We The People petition about the bill.
The hangout, despite the lack of muting, avoided the torrential crosstalk which has plagued other Google+ hangouts. How? Two ways:
1. The hangout was moderated by Steve Grove of Google, a former broadcaster. Grove allowed intelligent follow-ups while managing crosstalk and providing an even mixture of live and YouTube questions.Overall, the hangout was a successful way to use new technology to connect the president with a diverse group of Americans in an intimate, personal setting. The conversation wasn’t just for the benefit of the attendees, it was also a way for President Obama to better understand the worries and daily struggles of a wide swath of everyday Americans.
2. There’s an level of respect commanded by the office of the President. To quote The West Wing, “when the president stands, nobody sits.”
Obama has previously held virtual town halls over Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Two of his possible rivals, Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich, have also hosted Google+ hangouts.
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