Monday, February 1, 2010

Your Interview With the President: Live at 1:45 pm ET

Today at 1:45 pm EST, President Obama will participate in a unique interview at the White House in which you get to ask the questions - and have a say in which questions will be asked. For the past five days, since the President's State of the Union speech, people across the country have been submitting and voting on video and text questions in our Moderator platform on CitizenTube. Looking at your votes, we've scoured through the top tier of the over 11,000 questions - and we'll bring as many as we can to the President today. The event will be live-streamed on CitizenTube (youtube.com/citizentube)

Neither the President nor his staff will know which questions will asked ahead of time. But what's clear from looking at the submissions is that they represent a broad cross-section of topics and concerns. When people are asked to weigh in on what matters most to them in an open forum, the result is a fascinating and informative look at the pulse of the country. It's this kind of transparency and direct access to information that we believe represents the promise of platforms like YouTube to improve our politics.

The President hasn't taken an interview since his State of the Union address last week, so you will be the first to ask him follow-up questions after his speech. Don't miss this opportunity to participate in your democracy - tune in today at 1:45 pm EST on youtube.com/citizentube.

Steve Grove, Head of News & Politics, recently watched "The 2010 State of the Union Address"

64 comments:

Clifford Bryan said...

Ill check it out. Sounds good. I also wrote article about President Obama appearing on you tube http://www.examiner.com/x-19673-Michelle-Obama-Examiner~y2010m2d1-Barack-Obama-answers-YouTube-questions-todaybudget

Anonymous said...

Was this even advertised anywhere before the question submission deadline? It makes me wonder if this is legit, and if anything of “real substance” will be asked.

Unknown said...

He ignored the only two important/original/toxic questions: 1) Drug Policy Reform 2) Immigration Reform

This was a fucking PR piece and had absolutly nothing to offer anyone who actually wanted something of substance from our President. I used to be and Obama deciple, but after this theatrical production I feel like blowing my brains out.

Anonymous said...

It was advertised last time, now they expect people to remember. You're still right to wonder, though. The far and above most asked question last time was laughed off, and it made a lot of people lose faith in Obama.

Anonymous said...

What happened? 14 mins in the feed dropped to a trickle.....then stopped.

Anonymous said...

Is this bogus or what? I don't see anything and I'm STILL waiting for the feed - or at least the video - New York

SERIF said...

THE MESSAGE BE PATIENT ABOUT IMMIGRATION REFORM AND DREAM ACT,KIDS GOING IN DEPRESSION THEY FINISHING TO SCHOOL HERE FROM THE PRE K TO COLLEGE.STUPID PAPERS PROBLEM THEY ARE NOT STARTING LIFE HOLE YEARS EDUCATION AND FAIL.

Anonymous said...

Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy can't I see it?

Anonymous said...

This is for Steve Grove, what a waste of mine and most peoples time. You wanted people to send in questions for Obama and then YOU DECIDE what is worth asking. What are we doing about Dalfaur? You got to be kidding. Those people have been fighting and killing each other since the beginning of time, that is their problem not ours. Health Care really, education really the same questions he gets asked by the MEDIA everyday. I noticed on questions submited there were those considering medical marijauna. My brother, brother-in-law, and acouple of my best friends died from cancer recently they could have benified form the use. But no let's choose a question ahhhhh....say on Dalfaur! How about the questions on UFO seceracy that were submitted. They exist read the government's own files will prove this. With the need for more oil & coal use to help damage the planet, we could definitely benefit from the use of the energy powering these craft. . But no less just ask the same questions as always to be on the good side of the Pres.

Anonymous said...

THANKS FOR IGNORING THE MOST POPULAR AND IMPORTANT QUESTION YOUBOOB... DRUG AND MARIJUANA POLICY.

I ALSO NOTICED THAT THERE IS NO WAY TO CONTACT YOU DIRECTLY. NICE. THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING TO CENSOR AND OPPRESS THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.

YOUBOOB ARE A COLLECTION OF CORPORATE A$$ HOLES. BLOW ME YOUBOOB.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for compeltely ignoring the most frequently asked question, you guys should be ashamed of yourselves. How could you guys not ask a single question about marijuana?

Unknown said...

I'm sure CitizenTube is aware, as well as it's clear as day still sitting there on the question board.

CitizenTube gave the people of the US the opportunity to ask their questions, with the promise that the most popular questions would be answered.

Yet somehow the question with the MOST votes, out of ALL the questions is still being ignored.

America spoke up and yet the citizens are still getting ignored, CitizenTube has shamed their name by calling themself "citizentube."

Why not do the citizens all a favor and change the name to "government agenda" tube.

Also why don't CitizenTube realize that we are after this cannabis reform not just so everyone can legally smoke cannabis, rather to end this stupid war on drugs. It is quite obvious that the war on drugs isn't working and people are going to consume it regardless.

Cannabis does not make people move to harder drugs as everyone believes, it is the way the drug market works that causes people to move to harder drugs, it's simply marketing from a drug dealers prospective, get them to use what is essentially harmless and maybe we can get them to move to the more addictive substances to bleed them dry. That is the true justification of the Gateway Theory, not "Consuming cannabis will make you move to harder drugs." As the US citizen is so led to believe.

If you would like the honest truth, what it all boils down to, is Cannabis is illegal due to racism, greed, and propaganda. The laws that are supposed to be here for "prevention" has done nothing but ruin millions of US Citizens lives (and one Canadian + family that I can think of.)

As a humble request I would like to know if CitizenTube directly associated with YouTube, or just one utilizing their system? Who's decision was it to omit the questions directly related to cannabis legislature, Obama? YouTube? CitizenTube?

Anonymous said...

This was thoroughly dissapointing, especially since he didnt even ASK the most voted upon question, much less let Obama blow it off again. Total bs.

Anonymous said...

@Producers-
You guys should be absolutely ashamed of yourself, 6 of the top 10 rated questions in one of the cats. were regarding cannabis/drug policy reform and you pick the questions on Dalfaur! Are you serious? YOUBOOB OBAMA+DALFAUR there's PLENTY of people that have already asked him regarding that.

You really blew any faith I had in uncensored journalism
Thanks for ruining my day.

Anonymous said...

more like PropagandaTube
your decide

Anonymous said...

What a joke, YouTube completely skipped the most popular and most voted on question, which was marijuana legalization. YouTube is a joke, nothing but money and interests. Boycott YouTube.

Raprak said...

Are you going to post the video with the President on youtube? At the end of the stream, it said it would be up shortly. It's been hours, can't find it anywhere.

BTW - I watched it live on whitehouse.gov as the live stream never streamed on youtube or citizenstube.

Anonymous said...

It was great how they ignored the most wanted question at all, legalization. That is a wonderful message they are sending to the american people.


Remember boys and girls, you too can be jailed for a victimless crime!

Kevin Penny said...

To Citizentube and all it's constituents,

You people should be ashamed of yourselves; This is not journalism; this is propaganda. It is not up to you to decide what questions to ask the president, it is up to We the People. And the number 1 question was ignored, as well as the number 2 question, and the number 3 question.

Which questions were those? Why hasn't Obama legalized marijuana.

This was essentially Obama repeating his State of the Union address. If you think this represented the majority of the people, you are sadly mistaken. It is outrageous to see you deface the good name of journalism by asking these pre-packaged questions.

We the People demand that you apologize for taking up our time with this garbage you call an interview, and ask the questions that We the People voted the most on.

Sincerely,
Penny Media Productions

Unknown said...

I would have further respected YouTube if they found he wouldn't answer the number 1 question and just canceled the interview and told everybody why.

Robert said...

I am outraged by this, what is the point of doing this if the most voted for and most asked questions were ignored(legalization of marijuana)?

i cannot believe they did this.

Unknown said...

WOW THIS IS ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS. I THOUGHT THE POINT OF VOTING WAS TO HAVE THE MOST POPULAR QUESTIONS ASKED AND ANSWERED. YOU SUCCEEDED IN NEITHER. CITIZENTUBE? YEAH RIGHT MORE LIKE PROPAGANDA TUBE.

Amber said...

This does seem like a misrepresentation of the original stated intent of allowing people to post questions.

Question: Since the most asked questions in this format are ignored a)why would the participants agree to participate again in the future and b)why continue to put these forums together if you are going to ignore the majority of your constituents? Obama? Youtube? Anyone?

Anonymous said...

Steve Grove, You should be ashamed. How do you ignore the number one question? Many, Many people are passionate about this. Ashamed.

Anonymous said...

wow trolling at its finest boycott YOUBOOB,

Anonymous said...

Wow thanks for listening to the people Obama.


Don't we live in a Democratic Republic or something?

Anonymous said...

everyone who put this together should be ashamed. how can you ignore the most asked question?

Anonymous said...

What the hell??? How can you people just disregard the most frequently asked question? Are we in the fuckin USSR or something? I was under the impression that the most popular questions were going to be asked. Guess I was wrong and wasted my time getting votes for the marijuana reform questions (which is NOT a laughing matter).

Disgusted.

Anonymous said...

shame on you for ignoring the marijuana legalization question. it was the most popular question in the field! dicatortube

Anonymous said...

Shame on citizentube. You promised to answer the most popularly voted questions... and than number one most popular question you ignored, completely.

I am, as well as everyone else is, ashamed to think that you would actually hold to what you said you would do.

Watch as your popularity slowly dwindles. I will not be coming here or visiting citizentubes website anymore.

You've failed to represent the truth. You've failed to represent the citizens.

Unknown said...

What a goddamn joke. I'm severely dissappointed.

seriesoftubes said...

Did you guys not even bother to read the questions that were posted and voted on? Cuz you sure as fuck failed to ask them. Do you even care enough to explain your actions?

natefrogg said...

The war on drugs is a charade, it always has been, it is about padding the pockets of a very small number of folks, special interests at it's finest.

Please do take the advice and change your name, this is far from "citizen tube" when you blatantly ignore the most requested questions to ask our president.

You are not representing the citizens. You have lied to us with your citizentube.com personal agenda. You should be ashamed of yourself!

~ a concerned CITIZEN

Anonymous said...

citizentube censored all the questions about legalization of marijuana, which would save billions on the cost of incarceration of the nonviolent. Cigarettes kill millions, as does alcohol, but they're legal. marijauna doesn't but it's illegal, even for people with cancer. It's nuts. The government just doesn't want people getting an "attitude," which they do if they use it.

This tube sux. They just want to hear what the government wants us to say. Go go China - at least they admit they censor stuff.

But they'll probably censor this, too ;')

Anonymous said...

They'll have to slink off and rename citizen tube. Word gets around on the Internet and the net savvy will realize this is a propaganda fraud that only responds to what the govt. wants you to know. The Thought Police have arrived on the Internet. Fake. Fraud. Take this tube down.

Anonymous said...

If you're as mad about this as I am, please contact Steve Grove at http://www.facebook.com/stevegrove or the citizentube twitter at twitter.com/citizentube.

Anonymous said...

What happened to the MOST VOTED ON question? Questions on drug policy reform were the most asked and the most voted on but youtube chooses to censor the American people. I will no longer be using youtube.

Anonymous said...

"Don't miss this opportunity to participate in your democracy". Give me a break youtube. No point in participating when youtube will ignore what most of the people want answered. ---BOYCOTT YOUTUBE---

Anonymous said...

Boycott YouTube and CitezenTube, tell everybody that you know to boycott those that are against us. We have the power to make it happen.

Anonymous said...

Why does the government feel the need to censor, and perpetuate lies. Why do they fear cannabis and feel justified in allowing an outdated racist law to persist. It is hypocritical to allow things such as alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine products to be sold, these products kill thousands of people every year and the government doesn't seem to have a problem with this. They also don't seem to have a problem with all of legal pharmaceuticals that kill or injure numerous people every year. We the people rule this country and it is we the people that will take this country back.
We have a voice and thanks to the internet it is louder than ever before, we must seize every opportunity that we can to get our message out there. RE-LEGALIZE CANNABIS

Anonymous said...

You have no right to claim to represent the people in an apparent vote-driven Q and A, clearly it was an agenda driven cause. Ignoring the most popular questions and depriving thousands of people a chance at information about a topic they voted to hear about.

Anonymous said...

Who cares about Marijuana??? Grow up.

This interview was a severe waste of time and completely irrelevant to the real world. I did not hear Obama say a single thing of substance, but repeated canned answers. I highly doubt that dude asked any questions that were not entirely vetted with Obama's guys. This was pretty lame.

Also, Steve Grove, you are pathetic! Dude, you are interviewing the president of the United States, and you act and talk like a stoner. It says you went to Harvard? I just lost major respect for Harvard. You are wearing brown socks with a gray suit????? You are wearing rubber soled worn out shoes????? Dude, you are interviewing the PRESIDENT of the USA!!!! How completely embarrassing.

Anonymous said...

The Grammy's are a waste of time. Better music can be found other places. But there's only one U.S. president at a time.

Of course, no president can not work on every issue, or even address every question with all political audiences that are listening. One of the limits to having an elected official instead of a ruling king or queen. That's where the importance of the grassroots' efforts come in, going door to door, or through posted comments.

However, it would be interesting to hear follow up on the challenges that YouTube faces as a newer player in world news. (YouTube's editorial process should be worthy of some reflection by the Post or the WSJ; maybe foreign papers will pick it up.)

As mentioned in many many comments, Obama didn't get a single question related to legalizing marijuana (a top question as chosen by YouTube viewers). Where as elsewhere today, the PBS NewsHour covered Colorado's steps toward medical marijuana legalization.

So, What would the headlines be tomorrow if Obama had been seriously pressed about legalizing marijuana, or the recent civilian casualties from our missile strikes? How many opposing campaigns would exploit his words or gestures out of context? And, what then would be the future of YouTube news if it became a political liability for politicians to grant interviews with YouTube?

How exactly does YouTube balance in-depth coverage with holding its ground as a business? What were YouTube's reasons for not exploring marijuana or similar contentious questions with the President?

What's it say about the current limits of President Obama's style of communication that he chose to meet with YouTube and in a format with no follow-up questioning? After all, the President spoke with YouTube and not to Rush Limbaugh, Tavis Smiley, or Democracy Now!'s Amy Goodman.

In the televised forums, this country is still trying to figure out how to comfortably mesh authentic, honest conversations with the traditionally flat nature of public/government dialogue. We need to experience something like Harry Reid, Tracy Morgan, Henry Louis Gates Jr., and Steven Colbert all having a few beers or creating a neighborhood park through combined efforts and conversation.

Anonymous said...

What you got here is a failure to connect with the citizenship of this country.

It is quite easy to see whos agenda is being served here. The new Corporate Citizens: Big Pharma, Oil, Banks and Insurance....

Anonymous said...

follow the money the president he doesnt really want to end the war on drugs,its big money for him and his thugs in DC.
But we the ppl can make a big difference and be a thorn in their side from now until election.
Keep asking the hard questions folks,when will they legalize?When will they stop arresting the sick for using MM? when will they show compassion. and when will they stop wasting our tax money

Anonymous said...

Hi, though I am on YouTube, I was denied submission due to accepted friends not going through for the mailing on YouTube's user page, not sure what is the problem, but here's what I wanted to ask...

Though I was passed onto a Google sign in page, as I tried to submit a question, I never got a password email update in time, while I was online.
I had hoped some of the millions on Unemployment Extensions would have asked about those being renewed based on the percent still unemployed and job growth re-evaluation.
As I look at temp agencies, and others, I am scrutinized over how effective a job search I do, many are shunned for collecting unemployment, however, it only pays my bills in reality, I can't go out and do things at all on that "dime", but without it, there's no doubt I would be giving up most of what I own and wind up homeless as a result. I've been waiting for new job growth the past year, so I don't have to go to school, I'd rather get placed into a new longterm job with good pay, as those changing jobs are forced to get a pay cut as a result. Mine was nearly $15 an hour, now down to $9/hr. I lost my last job due to more problems with that company and am still out there looking for a new career. -BILL

Anonymous said...

I have to respond to the people advocating "weed", illegal drugs so they can get high. The small legal movement in California is for terminally ill people, not a bunch of druggies. The President is fine for leaving that out, an EDUCATED person would ask only about hemp use expored, not the right to get high...on their own supply

Anonymous said...

PATHETIC!! You Ignored the #1 VOTED QUESTION for the president simply because you don't agree with marijuana law reform. Stifle the people - is that the new motto of YouTube? What a joke.

Anonymous said...

You people are *ssclowns.How are you going to ask us to vote on something only to do whatever want.For some reason Im reminded of the Bush elections.I guess we cant really blame youtube they are just taking the lead from our government to not listen to the voters.

Anonymous said...

CitizenPoll, my hinney! YouTube filtered the questions for the President, over the vote talleys. Cannabis questions far exceeded all voting yet no questions on the topic were transmitted to Obama. YouTube has lost any respect I ever had for them. No more online polls! Now, it's the ballot box, where people like YouTube can't interfere with the will of the People.

Unknown said...

f%$k google! Im going back to yahoo!They would have asked #1 question.

Anonymous said...

Follow the Campaign Money Trail and you will understand why the Big M Question didn't come up.

It's all about the $$$$ and not about Peoples Rights to consume a Safer drug/Meds of Choice.

Follow the $$$$ Trail

Anonymous said...

To the mentally impared person who said "Who cares about Marijuana???" - Apparently the MAJORITY of the people. And LOL @ him going on about Steve Grove's choice of FASHION. A perfect example of an ignorant, uninformed American.

Anonymous said...

I think the amount of people arguing that marijuana legalization is silly... because people "just want to get high..." I bet those same people would be PISSED if booze was made illegal again.. and they'd all fight for their right to get belligerently wasted.... idiots.

samg said...

Steve,

Although I disagree with the above (I don't think that drug policy is the most important issue facing our country) I DO agree that this event could have been SO SO MUCH MORE.

You had the perfect chance to data mine, and as far as I know, you blew it.

The most popular questions aren't the most important and only a small, small fraction of the questions could have been possibly selected, but you had a duty to at least sift through every question submitted and condense the incoming questions into a brief of ideas coming from us citizens that the president could at least become aware of.

As far as I can tell, over 99.9% of our time was wasted in this exercise. Even if you just printed out the questions verbatim it came out to just 700 pages - it would have been quite easy to make this into about a 50 page report of the most interesting ideas.

As for popularity? Yes it's important (and the drug policy question SHOULD have been asked) but just as important is the niches of ideas that you could have gotten from ordinary americans. As it stands WE WASTED OUR TIME. The best ideas could have made it to someone who mattered, and the people would have been heard.

Anyways, there is still time to make that difference. I for one would LOVE to do that analysis if I knew that there was a good chance that the president would read it, and I'm sure I'm not alone. Perhaps it could be done collaboratively, and perhaps you could get signoff from the office of the president in order to make that happen.. You can reach me at sbbgriffith@gmail.com if you are interested.

But as it stands, I'm disappointed. Obama got off easy, nothing was really communicated, and people felt ripped off. Who can blame them? AFAICT, You didn't really deliver on what you promised.

Sam

Anonymous said...

we all know the drug war is not working

Anonymous said...

What a joke. Great use of a voting system, ignoring the votes.

Anonymous said...

Tired of being ignored about the marijuana legalization question? Contact press@youtube.com with your complaints.

Anonymous said...

For all you people bashing President Obama here is the answer to your questions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Cz4vcQKWfA

Anonymous said...

citizentube = soylent green

watch twilight zone "to serve man"

Anonymous said...

Despicable. Journalism at it's worst.

Anonymous said...

I want to know why marijuana was not legalized the first year of President Obama's term? Legalize it now or I have no hope for america the country that can not tell the difference between a drug and a useful substance.

Anonymous said...

545 vs 300,000,000
By Charlie Reese


Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.

Have you ever wondered, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, WHY do we have deficits?

Have you ever wondered, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, WHY do we have inflation and high taxes?

You and I don't propose a federal budget. The president does.

You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of representatives does.

You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does.

You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does.

You and I don't control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.

One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one president, and nine Supreme Court justices 545 human beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.

I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central bank.

I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a president to do one cotton-picking thing. I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes.

Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.

What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits. The president can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it.

The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes. Who is the speaker of the House? Nancy Pelosi. She is the leader of the majority party. She and fellow House members, not the president, can approve any budget they want. If the president vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.

It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million can not replace 545 people who stand convicted -- by present facts -- of incompetence and irresponsibility. I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people. When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.

Anonymous said...

If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair.

If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red .

If the Army & Marines are in IRAQ , it's because they want them in IRAQ

If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it's because they want it that way.

There are no insoluble government problems.

Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power. Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like "the economy," "inflation," or "politics" that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.

Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible.

They, and they alone, have the power.

They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses.

Provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees.

We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!

Charlie Reese is a former columnist of the Orlando Sentinel Newspaper.

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