Campaign Desk

Campaign Desk — March 26, 2009 11:35 AM

Live-Blogging Obama’s Online Town Hall

Starting 11:30 AM EST

By The Editors

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MSNBC is airing something of a splitscreen, with its own feed of the town hall sharing space with a screenshot of a Web browser that's streaming a different feed of the same event. The MSNBC feed lags about three seconds behind the Web feed. It's incredibly cluttered and distracting.

#1 Posted by Justin Peters, CJR on Thu 26 Mar 2009 at 11:46 AM

This is fantastic. I'm noting that the cheerleading tone from the event's moderator, Dr. Jared Bernstein (Vice President Biden's chief economist)--unlike, say, Gov. Jindal's cheerleading tone in his "presidential address to Congress" response speech--actually works in this context. "The goal," Bernstein says, "is to open up the White House to the American people--to give YOU a direct line to the Administration."

I'm actually getting chills right now, and I'm pretty sure they're more about the history currently being made than the big swig I just took of iced coffee.

#2 Posted by Megan Garber, CJR on Thu 26 Mar 2009 at 11:47 AM

I remember when one of the chief criticisms of Obama's repartee was that he didn't always relate his policy goals to a touching personal story--preferably his personal story.

No longer. After an education question, he spoke of his humble beginnings, of scholarships, and of his family's sacrifice to help him through school. That's just crushing it.

#3 Posted by Clint Hendler, CJR on Thu 26 Mar 2009 at 11:53 AM

Typo or a new era? The CNN lower third currently says, "Pres. Obama Online with you. Holds internet town hall meeting." Internet lower-case!? This is historic!

#4 Posted by Katia Bachko, CJR on Thu 26 Mar 2009 at 11:53 AM

I'm watching the event via Whitehouse.gov's live-stream, with headphones (and with the MSNBC feed Justin mentioned audible in the background). And the direct, Whitehouse.gov feed is about three seconds BEHIND the MSNBC feed.

#5 Posted by Megan Garber, CJR on Thu 26 Mar 2009 at 11:56 AM

Video question! It's like Jeopardy up in here.

(I guess it would technically have to be a video answer...)

#6 Posted by Clint Hendler, CJR on Thu 26 Mar 2009 at 11:56 AM

The first question is about ed reform: "How do you plan to restore education as a right and core cultural value?"

Obama answers: pay our teachers more money, give them more support, give them more training, ensure that the schools of education that are teaching teachers are up to date. And "let's work with teachers so that we're providing them with measures about whether they're effective or not."

We need, Obama continues, "high standards and expectations" in terms of teacher performance.

Interestingly, Obama doesn't mention charter schools and performance pay--the most controversial aspects of his education agenda--until the very end of his answer. "We need openness to innovation on charter schools and performance pay," Obama says.

#7 Posted by Megan Garber, CJR on Thu 26 Mar 2009 at 11:58 AM

Though I am also digging this, I can't shake the feeling that given the informal nature of the thing, it would make more sense for the live audience to be sitting, not uncomfortably in straight-backed chairs, but cross-legged on the floor. Especially since he's going on (and on) per question.

#8 Posted by Jane Kim, CJR on Thu 26 Mar 2009 at 11:59 AM

One limitation of this format is the lack of follow-up questions...

#9 Posted by Katia Bachko, CJR on Thu 26 Mar 2009 at 11:59 AM

This exercise would be a lot more effective if Obama was given a time limit for his responses, and if questioners were allowed to ask follow-up questions.

#10 Posted by Justin Peters, CJR on Thu 26 Mar 2009 at 12:00 PM

Context: currently, according to Whitehouse.gov, 92,925 people have submitted 104,132 questions and cast 3,606,841 votes. A strong indicator of citizens' hunger for civic participation, I'd say, considering that Open for Questions wasn't terribly well publicized...

#11 Posted by Megan Garber, CJR on Thu 26 Mar 2009 at 12:03 PM

While Obama could technically be answering these questions into a camera while seated behind his desk, instead he's doing it before a somewhat sizable audience.

Even though no one in the Washington audience is asking questions, they are still a vital part of the show. Obama needs a crowd to play to--eye contact, gesturing, drawing the occasional chuckle. Otherwise it would probably look pretty creepy.

#12 Posted by Clint Hendler, CJR on Thu 26 Mar 2009 at 12:03 PM

Jared Bernstein just chimed in from behind a music stand to flesh out Obama's point with some employment statistics.

He's the Paul Shaffer of executive branch economists.

#13 Posted by Clint Hendler, CJR on Thu 26 Mar 2009 at 12:05 PM

A tangential foray into design forensics: I think Obama's in the East Room. Golden curtains. Teardrop chandeliers. Am I right?

#14 Posted by Katia Bachko, CJR on Thu 26 Mar 2009 at 12:08 PM

If the people in the audience aren't going to ask any questions, then why are they there? Decoration?

#15 Posted by Justin Peters, CJR on Thu 26 Mar 2009 at 12:08 PM

Also on Whitehouse.gov, you can see which questions were most popular, by issue. I kind of would have liked to see how the questions lined up in popularity across the board--not split out by issue.

#16 Posted by Jane Kim, CJR on Thu 26 Mar 2009 at 12:08 PM

Obama jokily responds to a question about legalizing marijuana. It's the second most popular question in the health care reform section. Why not just answer it seriously?

#17 Posted by Jane Kim, CJR on Thu 26 Mar 2009 at 12:12 PM

Does anyone know who the members of the live audience are, how they were selected to participate, etc.? I can't find that info in any of the write-ups...

Also, FYI: after a long hiatus (last tweet: January 19), President Obama's Twitter account is back in business.

#18 Posted by Megan Garber, CJR on Thu 26 Mar 2009 at 12:12 PM

CNN's film-the-back-of-Obama's-head-as-he-watches-the-video-questions framing is a little too "The Son of Man" for my taste...

(The live-stream on Whitehouse.gov just shows the video, no Obama-head in sight.)

#19 Posted by Megan Garber, CJR on Thu 26 Mar 2009 at 12:16 PM

Via video, a chorus of young female voices, from Kent State, asks about national service. "Thaaank you President Obama!" Obama lauds them on a video well sent. Cute. The people in the audience just seem impatient to ask their own questions.

#20 Posted by Jane Kim, CJR on Thu 26 Mar 2009 at 12:19 PM

I think this is the first hint that we've had that an auto industry plan is imminent, no?

News!

#21 Posted by Clint Hendler, CJR on Thu 26 Mar 2009 at 12:26 PM

This is definitely a folksier Obama than the media saw earlier this week. Not so professorial.

#22 Posted by Katia Bachko, CJR on Thu 26 Mar 2009 at 12:26 PM

Carlos the Contractor!

#23 Posted by Clint Hendler, CJR on Thu 26 Mar 2009 at 12:31 PM

From the audience, a Carlos asks about unbundling contracts. Obama explains it pretty well, I think, to those less familiar with the issue, though it's a bit long-winded. Cross between professorial and folksy?

#24 Posted by Jane Kim, CJR on Thu 26 Mar 2009 at 12:32 PM

Questions from the live audience, we're noting, are getting pretty specific and therefore more interesting. It's good for Obama too -- he gets to respond to a personal story, and then extrapolate to address the larger issue that the question addresses.

#25 Posted by Jane Kim, CJR on Thu 26 Mar 2009 at 12:37 PM

"I'm biased toward nurses. I love nurses," Obama, in answering a question about nurses' involvement in healthcare policy, etc., declares. To which: laughter.

He goes on to use the pronunciation "Oh-bie Guy-nies"...for OB-GYNS. Twice. I have never heard that before, but will now look for excuses to use it in everyday conversation. Thank you, Mr. President.

#26 Posted by Megan Garber, CJR on Thu 26 Mar 2009 at 12:37 PM

If I caught what he was saying, this northern Virginia small business owner basically brought us back to Joe the Plumber's original policy complaint, but in a way that is unlikely to birth a new media star.

And thank goodness for that.

#27 Posted by Clint Hendler, CJR on Thu 26 Mar 2009 at 12:38 PM

In response to a question about the definitions of charters schools and accountability, Obama defines charter schools as "laboratories of new and creative learning." A broad and ideal-world definition--and a telling one--to be sure.

"They're non-selective," he says of said laboratories. "They've got to admit anybody." And, he continues, "Some of them are doing great work--huge progress and great innovation. And there are some charters that haven't worked out so well--and just like bad regular schools, they need to be shut down if they're not doing well." Charters' core values, he continues, are experimentation and the *duplication* of success.

Obama's critique of standardized tests, as employed by NCLB, garners applause from the live audience.

"Some people just aren't meant to be teachers," he says; "there's got to be some accountability measures built into the process."

Amen.

#28 Posted by Megan Garber, CJR on Thu 26 Mar 2009 at 12:48 PM

Sergio's health care ramble was an example of how not to ask a question.

The Philadelphia high school teacher who preceded him, though, asked a great question, pressing the president to give two specific definitions: how do you define a charter school, and how do you define teacher merit.

#29 Posted by Clint Hendler, CJR on Thu 26 Mar 2009 at 12:48 PM

I couldnotfind the site,on time, then remembered it was going to be on CNN and only from these blogs have I found out that he already answered about marijuana,and I am so disappointed to hear that he jokingly respondedto a question about marijuana reform,which according to the same comment was the second most popular question in health care section....I am very sad that he crumpledand will not answer serioiusly.I have friends being turned into felons because they grew a few plants and an angry ex-boyfriend turned her in, and I have to take heavy narcotics for pain due to serious back injuries and surgeries and should be able to take medical marijuana instead to eliminate the stress on my liver and other serious side effects of the narcotic, but am unable to quit taking it. I have for several days, no withdrawal, but pain so bad I could not function at all, not even sit at the computer. It is wrong what the drug industry, ie drug czar, laws, prisons et cetera is doing to citizens who should have the right to use marijuana for recreation or medical reasons.

#30 Posted by Victoria Hammond, CJR on Thu 26 Mar 2009 at 12:50 PM

'enry 'iggins interlude: The more comfortable Obama seems to get--and, man, he is hitting his stride right now--the more Southern-spiced and generally twangy his elocution becomes.

#31 Posted by Megan Garber, CJR on Thu 26 Mar 2009 at 12:51 PM

"We need you guys to keep paying attention in the months and years to come" Obama says, closing the town hall down after nearly 90 minutes. First thing the CNN anchor hones in on? Obama's joking response to the marijuana question. Riiiight.

#32 Posted by Jane Kim, CJR on Thu 26 Mar 2009 at 12:54 PM

That's a wrap. "Thanks for paying attention," Obama says. "And we need you guys to keep paying attention in the months and years to come. Thanks, everybody."

As he's leaving, Obama gets waylaid by audience members. He chats for, like, twenty seconds, and then interrupts the scrum building around him: "Guys, one thing: I would love to spend a lot more time with you...but my schedule is really tight," he says, to audience laughter. "So I love ya"--and I'd love to stay and take pictures, etc., he says, but can't--"so I hope you'll forgive me this time."

And: exit Obama. Aaaaaaand: scene. (The White House's live-feed is cut.)

#33 Posted by Megan Garber, CJR on Thu 26 Mar 2009 at 12:56 PM

One final note: CJR ally Julia Ioffe chimes in over at The New Republic with a revolution-shattering historical note. It turns out Putin did one of these televised internet town halls a few years back, which had a, uh, less deliberate tone:

"When he went on the air, Putin fielded questions on Iran, terrorism, bird flu, and some public gaffes (kissing a little boy's tummy). And then he had to answer another, more personal question because 5,640 people wanted him to: "When did you first have sex?"

Read Julia's post for his answer.

#34 Posted by Clint Hendler, CJR on Thu 26 Mar 2009 at 01:10 PM

What is wrong with the down-load. It won't load.

#35 Posted by john smith, CJR on Thu 26 Mar 2009 at 01:37 PM

I respect Obama he is a talented politician, President Obama seems to posse’s insightful, reasonable judgment on many issues, although in the case of marijuana prohibition laws I find Obama’s choice to answer with mocking humor to be lacking. Smoking marijuana is an easy thing to laugh about, it seems there is something about being stoned that brings a smile to people’s faces, however marijuana prohibition is not a joke. We should not be making jokes as millions of Americans are arrested for being caught on the wrong side of moral politicking, we should not laugh as we spend over 30 billion dollars a year going after Americans for smoking weed, we should not giggle and poke fun as we watch billions of dollars in tax revenue slip through our fingers each year, and should we not be jolly as thousands of people are murdered by cartels profiting from America’s moral hypocrisy. I believe there are profound latent consequences in prohibition that are not even factored in to our assessments of the effects of illegality, such as how we view the rule of law and the role of law enforcement in the community, the divisiveness between users and non users, the stigma of mental shock of incarceration. I say pot prohibition is no joke it has real costs paid for in real lives. Freedom is achieved in a country by placing responsibility in the hands of the citizen and not by the state legally enforcing morality.

http://SunflowerPipes.com

#36 Posted by SunflowerPipes, CJR on Mon 30 Mar 2009 at 04:15 PM

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