Obama participates in surprise Reddit chat

Obama Takes on Reddit

President Obama made a surprise appearance online on Wednesday, participating in a live chat on Reddit.com.

"Hi, I'm Barack Obama, President of the United States," Obama wrote in a message on the site. "Ask me anything."

The post prompted immediate skepticism about its authenticity, so the commander in tweet offered some proof, posting a message on Twitter linking to the Reddit chat and providing a "verification photo" (above) featuring the president typing on his MacBook Air One.

Ok...for real...how awesome is that??? Obama just dropping by Reddit for an AMA. I'm not sure if there are any redditors here or if people are familiar with reddit...but of course when you post an AMA...you usually are asked to provide proof. So Obama posted on his twitter account with a link to the reddit post...and he posted a picture...of him on his Mac Book.



Obama opened up with this.

Hey everybody - this is barack. Just finished a great rally in Charlottesville, and am looking forward to your questions. At the top, I do want to say that our thoughts and prayers are with folks who are dealing with Hurricane Isaac in the Gulf, and to let them know that we are going to be coordinating with state and local officials to make sure that we give families everything they need to recover.

There were over 10,000 questions and over 145,000 upvotes...just insane...which is probably why it kind of brought down reddit for a bit.

Obama only got to answer 10 of the questions...because he was only on there for a half hour. I'll put the questions and answers in the next post.


And of course...the reddit users had a bit of fun with Obama

The chat lasted just a half-hour, which irked at least one Reddit user: "Half an hour my ass, you can't just leave Reddit, even [if] you are quite possibly the coolest person alive. You'll be on here forever, just looking at pictures of cats."

I wish Obama and Romney would do more of this unscheduled chats. If nothing else it makes them seem more real.

Here are some of the questions/answers...go to the CNN link to see all 10.

www.cnn.com...

Q: hmlee

I am recent law school graduate. Despite graduating from a top school, I find myself unemployed with a large student loan debt burden. While I'm sure my immediate prospects will improve in time, it's difficult to be optimistic about the future knowing that my ability to live a productive life -- to have a fulfilling career, to buy a house, to someday raise a family -- is hampered by my debt and the bleak economic outlook for young people. I know that I'm not alone in feeling this way. Many of us are demoralized. Your 2008 campaign was successful in large part due to the efforts of younger demographics. We worked for you, we campaigned for you, and we turned out in record numbers to vote for you. What can I say to encourage those in similar situations as I am to show up again in November? What hope can you offer us for your second term?

A: PresidentObama

I understand how tough it is out there for recent grads. You're right - your long term prospects are great, but that doesn't help in the short term. Obviously some of the steps we have taken already help young people at the start of their careers. Because of the health care bill, you can stay on your parent's plan until you're twenty six. Because of our student loan bill, we are lowering the debt burdens that young people have to carry. But the key for your future, and all our futures, is an economy that is growing and creating solid middle class jobs - and that's why the choice in this election is so important. The other party has two ideas for growth - more taxs cuts for the wealthy (paid for by raising tax burdens on the middle class and gutting investments like education) and getting rid of regulations we've put in place to control the excesses on wall street and help consumers. These ideas have been tried, they didnt work, and will make the economy worse. I want to keep promoting advanced manufacturing that will bring jobs back to America, promote all-American energy sources (including wind and solar), keep investing in education and make college more affordable, rebuild our infrastructure, invest in science, and reduce our deficit in a balanced way with prudent spending cuts and higher taxes on folks making more than $250,000/year. I don't promise that this will solve all our immediate economic challenges, but my plans will lay the foundation for long term growth for your generation, and for generations to follow. So don't be discouraged - we didn't get into this fix overnight, and we won't get out overnight, but we are making progress and with your help will make more.

Q: FifthSurprise

What was the most difficult decision that you had to make during this term?

A: PresidentObama

The decision to surge our forces in afghanistan. Any time you send our brave men and women into battle, you know that not everyone will come home safely, and that necessarily weighs heavily on you. The decision did help us blunt the taliban's momentum, and is allowing us to transition to afghan lead - so we will have recovered that surge at the end of this month, and will end the war at the end of 2014. But knowing of the heroes that have fallen is something you never forget.

Q: PartyInYourMouth

How are you going help small businesses in 2013 and 2014? and what if any bills are you going to implement for small businesses, in 2013, and 2014?

A: PresidentObama

We've really focused on this since I came into office - 18 tax cuts for small business, easier funding from the SBA. Going forward, I want to keep taxes low for the 98 percent of small businesses that have $250,000 or less in income, make it easier for small business to access financing, and expand their opportunities to export. And we will be implementing the Jobs Act bill that I signed that will make it easier for startups to access crowd-funding and reduce their tax burden at the start-up stage.

And this is the last one he answered before he left.

www.cnn.com...

Q: gobearss

How do you balance family life and hobbies with, well, being the POTUS?

A: PresidentObama

It's hard - truthfully the main thing other than work is just making sure that I'm spending enough time with michelle and the girls. The big advantage I have is that I live above the store - so I have no commute! So we make sure that when I'm in DC I never miss dinner with them at 6:30 pm - even if I have to go back down to the Oval for work later in the evening. I do work out every morning as well, and try to get a basketball or golf game in on the weekends just to get out of the bubble. Speaking of balance, though, I need to get going so I'm back in DC in time for dinner. But I want to thank everybody at reddit for participating - this is an example of how technology and the internet can empower the sorts of conversations that strengthen our democracy over the long run. AND REMEMBER TO VOTE IN NOVEMBER - if you need to know how to register, go to Gottaregister.com. By the way, if you want to know what I think about this whole reddit experience - NOT BAD!

My god, nothing but sycophantic bullsheet.

Did anyone ask him when the jobs are coming? How about when he's going to stop dividing the country with his divisive tactics and start uniting people. Yeah he's cool. He posts on a social media chat forum, but does he do any work?

reply to post by OutKast Searcher


I wish this were a weekly thing. Like "Barack Online" every Sunday. Would be nice if it were one hour/week and the questions that got through were randomly chosen by the host's servers.

You're so cool Obama! I love the way you "necessarily" work to help gas prices rise further! We hated it under Bush, but it's cool when you do it! How about the high unemployment? That's pretty awesome too. The way our mass media slavishly divides the country along racial and religious lines to deflect from your failings is rad too. Also, thanks again for working to help create the housing bubble, then blaming on someone else. So cool.....

reply to post by PvtHudson


Do you have anything constructive to add? You seem to miss the damned significance of this event. It's like the fire side chats except thousands of times more personal and genuine. This is the POTUS interacting with individuals on a one on one level through the social and intellectual subconsciousness of the human race [the internet].

Originally posted by TheOneElectric
reply to post by PvtHudson

 

Do you have anything constructive to add? You seem to miss the damned significance of this event. It's like the fire side chats except thousands of times more personal and genuine. This is the POTUS interacting with individuals on a one on one level through the social and intellectual subconsciousness of the human race [the internet].

You sound pretty devoted too. Sorry if the truth makes your butt hurt. Some of you are WAY too sycophantic and cult member like about Obama. It makes no sense considering all those things you raged about during the Bush years are still going on and worse.

reply to post by OutKast Searcher


Ooh! Here's the actual transcript: link removed

15d.) Cross-Posting: You will not cross-post content from other discussion boards (unless you receive advance written permission from TAN or their agents). You will not post-by-proxy the material of banned members or other individuals who are not members, but have written a response to content within a thread on these forums.

Terms and Conditions of Use--Please Review

reply to post by PvtHudson


Yeah... the housing bubble crashed in 2007, but thanks for playing.

Funny thing about Kool Aid... once you get used to drinking it it's hard to tell one flavor from the other...

~Heff

reply to post by PvtHudson


Reading is good for you.

The more you know


I was raging during the Bush years? Would you like to find a post of me pre-2007 doing such a thing?Oh, you're generalizing?

reply to post by PvtHudson


You're clearly mad because you're not as cool as Obama.

LOL

You have a lot of hate for anything you call "left wing", calm down, relax, and breathe.

Originally posted by Hefficide
reply to post by PvtHudson

 

Yeah... the housing bubble crashed in 2007, but thanks for playing.

Thanks in large part to policies Bill Clinton and Barack Obama devoted themselves to for many years. Bush just happened to be president when the bubble burst. He (along with other Republicans) warned about it on many occasions. Of course he has a devoted media to also held bury this fact.

Funny thing about Kool Aid... once you get used to the flavor it's hard to tell one flavor from the other...

~Heff

Educate yourself on some recent history concerning Obama did with ACORN and banks to get low in come people in their own homes, then respond. You clearly don't know what you're talking about.

Originally posted by TheOneElectric
reply to post by PvtHudson

 

Do you have anything constructive to add? You seem to miss the damned significance of this event. It's like the fire side chats except thousands of times more personal and genuine. This is the POTUS interacting with individuals on a one on one level through the social and intellectual subconsciousness of the human race [the internet].

You can't be serious, but sadly you probably are. It's nothing more than a cheap stunt. And I feel sad for you if you believe that the internet is the social and intellectual consciousness of humanity. It's a tool at best and a waste of time for many.

Originally posted by TheOneElectric
reply to post by PvtHudson

 

This is the POTUS interacting with individuals on a one on one level through the social and intellectual subconsciousness of the human race [the internet].

this is the potus pandering for votes.
do you think he give a rats ______ about any of you.
he just wants to be the prez and will do any thing he can to try and get a vote.
strange he been prez almost four years and never done anything like this before, why start now? i wonder?

reply to post by PvtHudson

He (along with other Republicans) warned about it on many occasions. Of course he has a devoted media to also held bury this fact.

Republicans WROTE the bill to repeal the glass-stegal act, that was the main cause of the crash........Only 5 out of 200 republicans voted to NOT repeal it.

Republicans were warned about it? They directly CAUSED it.

So did Clinton, as he signed it....have you not realized both parties work for the banks yet?

When Clinton signed the Republican repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act, he planted the seed that grew into the housing bubble crash and the need to bail out Wall Street - and the Democrats have been left to reap that crop.

One doesn't have to be pro-Democrat to be anti-Republican. There is a lot of good - and bad, in both parties, so the more accurate finger-wagger should address the nuts-and-bolts instead of the whole engine. Obama and the Democrats are getting the blame for not fixing the current economic crisis - and it's true, they aren't, but it's also true the current crisis wasn't entirely of their making. They helped in many ways, but it was the removal of the safety barriers in the Banking Act of 1933, (Glass-Steagall), that allowed our financial markets to careen off course.

gaanderson.hubpages.com...

reply to post by Bilk22

Did anyone ask him when the jobs are coming?

Republicans really need to get their story straight...does Government not create jobs...or do you expect Obama to create jobs???

How about when he's going to stop dividing the country with his divisive tactics and start uniting people.

And Republicans are just all hugs and kisses huh??? Kind of hard to bring people together when half the country has made it their goal to make you a one term president.

Yeah he's cool. He posts on a social media chat forum, but does he do any work?

You know, people constantly complain that these Candidates are not accessible...and he actually reaches out to the internet community...and now he is ridiculed for doing that.

Seriously...he can't win.

Originally posted by Cuervo
reply to post by OutKast Searcher

 

Ooh! Here's the actual transcript: Here

Yeah...I didn't know the rules about linking to another forum.

So thanks for linking it....but I think it is being overloaded right now.

Originally posted by PvtHudson

Originally posted by TheOneElectric
reply to post by PvtHudson

 

Do you have anything constructive to add? You seem to miss the damned significance of this event. It's like the fire side chats except thousands of times more personal and genuine. This is the POTUS interacting with individuals on a one on one level through the social and intellectual subconsciousness of the human race [the internet].

You sound pretty devoted too. Sorry if the truth makes your butt hurt. Some of you are WAY too sycophantic and cult member like about Obama. It makes no sense considering all those things you raged about during the Bush years are still going on and worse.

edit on 29-8-2012 by PvtHudson because: (no reason given)

I agree. What is to get excited about? Obama is a man. He is no more special than the next person. Why would people want to jump up and down about the guy answering 10 questions on the internet? Big freaking deal I say. Obama is just so humble isnt he? We are so lucky that an important man like Obama would take half an hour out of his life to interact with the unworthy peons.

When people worship the likes of Obama it is very telling. It says a great deal about the low opinion they must have of themselves.