Speaking to the netizens
You Asked. Obama Answered.
In a relatively candid interview on Monday, President Obama
answered a myriad of questions on healthcare reform, jobs and the economy,
financial reform, education, national security and foreign policy, and energy
and the environment. Some questions were
expected, while others highlighted the frustration felt by many Americans in
the wake of what is arguably the worst recession since the Great Depression. While Obama defended his actions at times, he
admitted his administration’s shortcomings at others.
Obama reviewed his health care priorities, and the speed in
which he hopes to implement them. He refuted
accusations that the White House has reneged on its promise to maintain
transparency, but still made assurances that from this point forward,
“everybody understands exactly what's going on in the health care bill, that
there are no surprised, no secrets.”
Many questions expressed concern over the state of the
economy, and the president stressed the importance of small businesses in
reinvigorating the economy. He outlined
major efforts to improve small business growth, including SBA loan expansion
and tax breaks. Obama reflected on the
continuing housing crisis, and the benefits of the loan modification program. He also defended the economic benefits of net
neutrality, and reaffirmed his commitment to keeping an open Internet.
Obama tackled the question of rising college education
costs, summarizing a new initiative to minimize student loan payments to no
more than 10% of income, forgiving all debt after 20 years, 10 years for
individuals who go into public service. He emphasized the importance of education and rewarding excellence, discussing
his plans to encourage student achievement and innovative teaching at the
primary and secondary levels.
In response to national security and foreign policy concerns,
Obama explained the rationale for sending more troops into Afghanistan,
and the basic strategy for combating extremist organizations, specifically al
Qaeda. He addressed the conflict in Darfur, reviewing coordination efforts with regional
powers, the UN, and other nations to broker agreements between rebels and the
government to help stabilize the region. The president also responded to discontent over the length of time it is
taking to close Guantanamo, defending the
lengthy and complicated process and his commitment to Guantanamo’s eventual closure.
Finally, Obama defended his investment in developing clean
coal technologies, postulating that such technology will be the driver of the U.S. economy over the long-term, especially if
we can export technologies to countries like China
and India,
to minimize the damage of their coal dependence on the environment.
Noticeably absent from the interview with President Obama were
questions addressing the potential legalization of marijuana. Despite the outpouring of questions submitted
for the president, the YouTube moderator neglected to bring up the topic of
legalization during the 35-minute interview. Perhaps the Obama Administration prohibited the moderator from asking
such questions, or maybe they simply ran out of time during the interview. Feel free to speculate.
