Obama's Facebook Town Hall: What You Need To Know

If Barack Obama's recent Facebook town hall meeting proved one thing, it's that only the president could get Mark Zuckerberg to break out the formal attire.

Obama and the 26-year-old billionaire sat down at Facebook headquarters in Palo Alto, Calif. on Wednesday to discuss politics and social media and to field questions from the audience. The event streamed live over Facebook.

If you missed this historic Q&A, here's what you need to know:

The meeting was a sign of times to come.
Some commentators are looking at Obama's Facebook visit in the context of his re-election campaign. Social media had an unmistakable hand in the president's 2008 victory, and there's reason to believe that Facebook and its competitors will again play an integral role in the 2012 election.

Facebook needs Obama, too.
While the president will seek support from Facebook in 2012, the social network will need Obama's support in Washington, according to The Daily Beast's Dan Lyons

"When it comes to dealing with the government, Facebook needs to get as cozy as it can," Lyons wrote. "This company is gathering more personal information about more people than any other company ever, even more than Google. Suddenly it is dawning on everyone, including members of Congress, just how much power Facebook is amassing."

Things are "chummy" on both sides.
Miguel Helft of the New York Times "Tech Bits" blog described the event as a "warm embrace," re-capping the exchange of compliments between Obama and Zuckerberg.

From the article:

At one point, Mr. Zuckerberg praised Mr. Obama for his work on education. "I think the Race to the Top stuff that you guys have done is one of the most under-appreciated and most important things that your administration has done," Mr. Zuckerberg said. Mr. Obama returned the favor a few minutes later, praising Mr. Zuckerberg for his $100 million philanthropic gift to public schools in Newark, New Jersey.

Despite the goodwill, some questions were left unanswered.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the president answered just eight questions during the hour-long interview, leaving many Facebook employees -- particularly those who weren't lucky enough to score event tickets -- wanting answers.

Comments

[americanalien]

08:35 PM on 04/22/2011

President Obama and Mark Zuckerberg are the two greatest role models for young people all over the world today. I am proud of these two men.

[jonnis]

01:16 PM on 04/23/2011

I think you need more education.

[maxom]

10:19 PM on 04/23/2011

I think he/she needs medication. I personally am glad I don't have any young ones. I would not want them to even think of having CLOWNS as roll models.

[jonnis]

12:59 PM on 04/22/2011

Mark,...what a role model! Drop out of school, hack into the the network to spread hate among uppercrust college students...get financial backing by evil billionaires and ruthlessly debunk and compete with your acquaintances who help feed you due to an intrinsic inability to relate to other human beings. Oh I almost forgot...bottle and suppress anger in order to use it to bash people online. Great role model! Now worth 20+ billion, he is a martyr for giving 100 million to Newark Schools?! I hope Obama censors and restricts the online realm in the future...to the point of debilitation. It is leading to the degradation of basic humanity in so many ways...

[BobJacobson]

07:37 PM on 04/21/2011

The comments shared with me on my own Facebook page are more interesting by far than what transpired between these media-made rock stars. It's abundantly clear that our political discourse in America, as officially touted, has cratered, and not just on Facebook.

[r32faisal]

06:11 PM on 04/21/2011

Is america an abomination?