Calvin Coolidge was the first president to broadcast the
State of the Union address on the radio.
Harry S Truman was the first president to broadcast his State of the
Union address on television. Tonight President
Obama makes history when his State of the Union address streams live on YouTube,
to be followed by a pre-voted on question and answer session next week.
During a congressional address, support for and criticism of
the president is traditionally expressed through applause, or lack there of (barring
another “you lie!” outburst). However, tonight
Obama is inviting the American people to respond to his State of the Union via questions posted on CitizenTube’s YouTube
website (http://www.youtube.com/CitizenTube). CitizenTube will open a Google Moderator
series at the start of the address, and it will remain open for the days immediately
following the speech. During this time,
anyone may submit and vote on questions to be answered by President Obama. (And his teleprompter?)
2009 was a taxing year for many Americans, and Obama is
giving the general public the opportunity to respond directly to his State of
the Union address. So whether you’re a
democrat, republican, independent, or simply indifferent, this is the chance to
make your voice heard, on a night otherwise reserved for responses from pundits
and politicians
The president is scheduled to answer the top voted questions
next week. An exact date and time has
yet to be announced, but check back at OhMyGov for updates.
