Obama's Transparent Presidency: Weekly YouTube Addresses

President-elect Obama's office gave the media a new way to present him as Franklin Roosevelt 2.0 by announcing Friday that it will be posting weekly addresses - fireside chats for the web generation - on YouTube.

The first address will appear on Change.gov this Saturday, after it airs in audio. An Obama spokesperson says that this innovation is just the beginning of the digital, transparent presidency. The plan appears to be in the mold of what the campaign did with videos like "Four Days in Denver" and Campaign Manager David Plouffe's conversations on the state of the race. These videos allowed supporters to feel like they had a direct connection to the campaign, a connection that bypassed the media. Already, the Obama team has made good on the post-election plan. It posted a video from Valerie Jarrett, one of Obama's transition chairs, discussing plans for the new administration. Watch it here:

Can the Obama team use the tools they built during the campaign to drum up support for complicated government initiatives? With a campaign, there were clear goals: raise money, organize, get out the vote. With a presidency, you have over 305 million Americans to motivate. We will be watching, texting, commenting, twittering, and of course, blogging the results.

Comments

[kotexbarbie]

How does adding yet another media channel to seed with WH-produced propaganda create transparency? Why not just say you'll be producing campaign ads to play on TV every week?

FDR's Fireside Chats weren't transparent either, they just allowed him to propagandize directly to the people without a media filter. Actually, it's the best way to shape your message without interference. Definitely nothing to do with transparency at all.

If Obama wants something that mirror's FDR's innovation of Fireside Chats and ALSO create transparency, why doesn't he create real weekly chats? Weekly IM chats with the president (or his web surrogates) -- then let people ask questions and get answers. By-pass the media again.

It's still not transparency, (which would be making WH processes and documents publicly accessible) but does put WH-sanctioned answers to ostensibly public questions into the digital database so they can be held accountable later on.

[DarthVector]

Your own post disproves your proposition.

[kotexbarbie]

Huh?

[MargaretO]

Do you bother to listen to Bush's weekly radio address? Probably not, I don't either. However, I will probably watch a youtube of Obama's weekly address.

Pick your "propaganda" - I have a feeling yours is Rush or Hannity.

[kotexbarbie]

Your post makes no sense. If my propaganda of choice was Limbaugh or Hannity, then I would certainly also love Bush's weekly radio addresses.

How is watching a video of Obama's weekly addresses any different than listening to Bush's weekly radio addresses -- except a new technology for an attention-deficit demographic. Neither one gives any transparency to government.

By the way, I'm from the "Democratic Wing of the Democratic Party."

Also, was your post so good you had to post it twice?

[MargaretO]

Do you bother to listen to Bush's weekly radio address? Probably not, I don't either. However, I will probably watch a video of Obama's weekly address. Pick your "prop.agan­da" - I have a feeling your choice is Limbaugh or Hannity.

[boatsfra]

Palin said she would have a nightly webcam chatroom in her bedroom...­wonderful.­..

[RumiSouth]

But that would make her a blogger...

[rdiaz921]

LOL!

complete with french maid outfit and fishnets.

[Grabit]

No, bathtowels. Or so they say.

[thaphenomenalone]

why didnt i hear this? i would be glad to cover that for the site

[rollingdivision]

How about a weekly open question and answer session, televised news conference? Versus the standard weekly propaganda presentation.

[alieninvader]

I'm sure he will have far more press conferences than the current occupant of the white house. That being said, there's nothing wrong with him communicating his ideas to us.

[BethinIllinois]

Well, you're naive then. Guess what? Your hero barely spoke to the press be/c -- guess what? They actually asked him questions for hwich they expected answers. Not the Messiah! No -- he just made pronouncements all all his slathering followers dutifully accepted whatever slop he gave them.

nothing's changed...

[MasterfullyInept]

Yeah we can't get enough Bill Ayers questions, or how about from each according to his abilities to each according to his needs.

[LAfromFL]

Awesome!!!! What a smart idea. Welcome to the future.
I think I am in love with Obama!!!!
The new politics..­Let the Repubs hang to their same old ideas :)

[NoCheapShotsPlease]

Very much looking forward to this. I love his idea of a transparent government and presidency. It's our money at work, we should be able to see how it's being spent.

[deancostanza]

wow just like germany???? ww2

[2012isnear]

wow, just like Hannity!!!!

[Nan2008]

EXCELLENT IDEA. This way he can stay in touch in a visual way with his base. I think he'll miss the crowds that come to see him. I would imagine that is was quite a trip for him and the crowds of supporters that love. The end of a campaign trail EVEN if you win can be a downer.

[joebaggadonuts]

If this works, I will have to change my name.

[forty8r]

Welcome to the computer era in which hopfully we can get an involved electorate rather than a passive compalining Joe 6 pack for a change.

[delphillips]

What an awesome idea!!! Of course, it's not as good as it could be but it's something better than what we have now. What would really be great would be Obama in front of journalists and/or other elected legislative members, answering really tough questions on legislatio­n...a bit like the Prime Minister of England with their weekly meeting with Parliament. Now those are some tough questions to answer and a way to really be accountable to those who voted for you.

[Liberoservative]

As we input... it will improve...­.

Obama is one that listens and he will ensure that we are answered when we question..­.

But..

If we all just sit out there... decide that we are not part of our own democracy.­.....
Then how can he improve?

He depends on us... US! to let him know what is going on.......

That is the true measure of a leader....

He is one who listens to his troops.... and, in this case...... the entire American people are his troops....­.

He loves all of us and he wants to do the best for all of us.....

[carrieanna]

This is awesome!!

The British Monarchy already had their own Youtube channel. I'm glad to see Obama make this move, too. Best of all, it's a good way to get around the sad state of infotainment on the nightly news.

OMG I'm so excited!!!!

[Bush 08]

i'm excited about this... it has great potential to keep people involved in the process... i only hope that he takes questions and answers them, not just using the vids to gain support for what he already wants to do...

[Seven7s]

Um...what other reason would have have?

Im an Obama supporter but he is still a politician in the end. Dont get your hopes up.

[nwfurn]

Smart! Talk directly to the people and bypass all those idiot, talking head, media types who want to spin and frame it in their own way. Now there's leadership. Directly frame it for the people you lead and on YouTube.

[hopeless277]

Yak, yak, yak. He can talk all day but will he take questions? A one sided conversation is a speech. I've heard enough speeches to last several lifetimes. I want ANSWERS! The first question I would ask would be:

Mr. President, how can you say America is a great country when you did not persue war crimes indictments against George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Condi Rice, etc., etc., etc? If the president is above the law, this is no democracy it is a dictatorship.

My feeling is that he would respond with a resounding 'Next question'.

[whitestripes]

The man isn't in office yet!

I am amazed at how many people are already saying things about how Obama hasn't done this, hasn't done that. He is not in power yet!

[UncommonSenz]

My guess is he would comment on how trying to do that would further divide the country, make it impossible to govern or move forward, undo the massive amount of goodwill he has earned based on the promise of letting go of partisan bickering, and basically ensure that we continue down a road of spiraling chaos. He would then point out that trying to pursue war crimes would end in futility, so his entire presidency would be sacrificed on the alter of revenge with absolutely nothing to show for it.

He has to govern. He can't do that if he declares war on the Bush regime. Regardless of if they are war criminals or not (and I am in NO WAY defending them), trying to punish them now would be seen as vindictive and petty when we face such great challenges right now.

For your "one question" to ask, you picked a really lame one.

[UnknownSoldier]

If you want the current occupants charged with War Crimes you will have to be part of a grassroots bipartisan movement to force Obama and the House and Senate to do it. So save your question for when the movement has a head of steam

[danielsadicario]

Chill. He's already working on undoing all the Bush stuff and he's not even in office yet.

[boatsfra]

You are allowed to carry a concealed weapon in Texas...an­d ole dicky's ticker has a timer on it...so it's warranty is about to expire...a­nd condi? She is a 49er...lea­ve her alone...sh­e was doing what she was told...

[MadDog]

Not only did President-elect Obama re-write the textbook on how to run a great campaign, he may become the new "Great Communicat­or." Good for him, and for us!!

[lentinelia]

God help us if Obama becomes another "great communicator" à la Reagan.

Communicator means "salesman".

This is a one way exercise.

Bush does this every week on radio.

We need access.
The public needs to be able to challenge and question those in power.
Otherwise, we are just being, once again, played for chumps.

[ladyv]

Exactly how would you have Obama be questioned by the public? Roll a 300-million-sided die?

YouTube inherently makes many-to-one and many-to-many communication possible. It's all in how they choose to use it.

How would you construct this public access? I just can't think of a better way to start than YouTube, and I haven't heard any better ideas.

[rdiaz921]

http://change.gov/


there, send them an email and quit your whining. I would like for you to send me a link to a email where I can contact Bush - or any other past President for that matter.

[retrocozayshin]

Pretty pessimistic. He's not even in office yet, and he's already following through on his promises. Do you actually think he's not going to give us access? And sorry, communicator doesn't mean "salesman". "Communicator" (in quotes), may mean salesman, but what is wrong with being an actual communicator?

[UncommonSenz]

Communicator does not mean salesman. It means someone who can articulate an idea.

Bush does not do that each week on the radio. He speaks, but he rarely communicates.

The reason there has been such visceral reaction to Obama's speeches (and nearly universal frustration with Bush's) is exactly because he can effectively communicate.

I for one relish the prospect of a President who can actually spell out his ideas in a way that we can all understand. That, in and of itself is a huge step forward.