Obama Gingerly Interacts with the Common Twitter User
Today was Obama's big Twitter debut. He sent his first tweet during a "Twitter Townhall" at the White House, and through the power of social media, he connected with everyday Americans like John Boehner and Times Columnist Nick Kristoff.
OK, those were only two of the questions he answered at the event hosted by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey. He also fielded a bunch of questions from random Twitter users with handles like @schnaps and @_Renegadenerd_, sometimes making fun of their twitter avatars and usernames. (You laugh, Obama, but if you didn't have such a unique name you'd be forced to register something like SuperCoolPrez44.)
They really were typical Twitter users, with all the rough edges. @_renegadenerd_ asked about raising the debt ceiling today. But on Tuesday he greeted the new day with this tweet "Good morning, faggots." And now he's a trending topic in D.C.! (Note: Purge your account of any slurs before attempting to ask the president a question, because you will be turned into an instant micro-celebrity.)
Questions addressed by Obama ranged from the space program to alternative energy, jobs and taxes. Obama didn't address the one question that comes up whenever a politician talks to the internet: legalizing marijuana. According to one research firm, that was the most-popular question in the lead-up to the town hall. What's the point of opening up the White House to the internet's unwashed masses if you're not even going to talk about the issues that matter to them? Obama should do an hour-long town hall on 4chan dedicated just to marijuana issues next week, moderated by @_renegadenerd_.
[Image via AP]