Obama Transition Answers First Web Press Conference

In another Internet milestone, Barack Obama's transition team responded to some of the most pressing questions on Americans' minds on Monday evening, at least according to the twenty thousand citizens who participated in the first user-generated press conference of the new administration.

Transition staff posted answers to the top five most popular questions, based on a transparent process that enabled visitors to vote for or against questions submitted by fellow visitors to Change.gov. The 10,300 submitted questions drew about 978,000 votes, with the leading queries focused on marijuana legalization, restoring Constitutional protections, avoiding waste in the financial bailout, Stem Cell research and education.

Some more controversial questions, however, did not make the cut. As Politico's Ben Smith first reported last week, visitors to the site abused the option of flagging "inappropriate" questions to hide perfectly appropriate inquiries about the corruption complaint against Gov. Blagojevich. Transition staff also avoided a popular but more pointed question on restoring the Constitution. With over 4,000 votes, the sixth most popular question was posed by netroots activist Bob Fertik, pressing specifically on whether Obama will appoint a Special Prosecutor "to independently investigate" torture and warrantless spying conducted during the Bush administration.

Presidents and candidates have previously taken questions from the web, of course. The State Department currently responds to citizen questions on YouTube, and this year President Bush answered Yahoo! readers in the first online video interview in White House history. This transition effort is far more transparent and interactive, however, because it lets people write and rank questions. Instead of having gatekeepers -- in the media or government -- handpick the questions without any public scrutiny, citizens are engaged in the agenda-setting process. Even if Obama's staff chooses to duck some of the top questions, (they didn't this time), the public will know instantly and the press will have an even stronger basis for pressing those issues.

The "Open for Questions" feature is a great start. The next step for participatory governance, naturally, will be applying this model to a press conference with the actual President. Citizens pick the questions, reporters do informed follow up, and ducking is only allowed for flying shoes.

Comments (14)

1. "Mr. Obama, how do you intend to both finance the bailout and stimulus packages for the next two years, and finance the operations of the continuity governent you are signaling? Washington finances it's deficits by selling Treasury IOUs to foreign sovereign wealth funds, and the usual foreign creditors have their own problems now. Something has to give, what sacrifices will America make?"

   Posted by syfriendly at 12/15/2008 @ 9:57pm

2. I noticed Sen. Ken Salazar was appointed Interior Secretary. Another right-leaning corporate Democrat. Oh well...I guess there was no progressive who knows anything about the public resources. Obama refuses to appoint ANY progressives ANYWGERE. I am sure glad I didn't vote for him. I voted my principles...Nader.

   Posted by philbq at 12/15/2008 @ 11:03pm

3. This has to be a skit from SNL...no govt would take this seriously.

   Posted by YourJomamma at 12/16/2008 @ 06:06am

4. Posted by philbq at 12/15/2008 @ 11:03pm

   Does your hand ever get tired?

   With all the patting yourself on the back?

   Posted by Mask at 12/16/2008 @ 07:18am

5. If this is an indicator of how the future will be played out over the next 4 years, we are in danger of becoming a joke to the world.

   Posted by lvliberty1 at 12/15/2008 @ 10:49pm

   You already were a joke to the world - but a very sick joke.

   Posted by Amsterdam69 at 12/16/2008 @ 07:21am

6. Posted by lvliberty1 at 12/16/2008 @ 12:06pm

   Going easy on the junkies, LL?

   Or do you know who I'm talking about???

   Posted by Mask at 12/16/2008 @ 12:46pm

7. Obama had me, then he (almost) lost me. I donated a lot of $$/time to his campaign, thinking he'd bring real change/debates about ALL issues, but his answer to Marijuana Legalization was ONLY "he does not support it." THAT'S IT?!?! No discussion?!?! I don't use pot,(tried it many times in the past...) but, Marijuana/HEMP has TONS of GREAT uses!!! Medicinal AND industrial AND ecological AND psychological!!! If you people (including Obama..) can't get past the childish "demonization" of a PLANT, then there is no REAL evolution, or REAL change... VERY disappointing.

   Posted by Mattplastik at 12/16/2008 @ 1:01pm

8. BTW, for our Drug Warriors of the Right....

   if somebody did cocaine should they go to jail?

   if somebody "doctor shopped" for a lot of prescription drugs, should they go to jail?

   Posted by Mask at 12/16/2008 @ 07:20am

   Only if they kill someone while under the influence. We need for the law to state in "black and white", that if you kill under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol, then you forfeit your own life, whether by spending the rest of it behind bars without parole, or the death penalty.

   I know it seems harsh and draconian, but current laws do little to nothing to abusers, especially when innocent lives are taken.

   Posted by ACook at 12/16/2008 @ 1:10pm

9. "can't get past the childish "demonization" of a PLANT, then there is no REAL evolution..." (Mattplastik) Medicinal use of marijuana is valid and important, but your comment about a "plant" needs to be qualified: the poppy, for instance, is a plant but opium is harmful,at the very least because of its addictive properties.

   Posted by mystic at 12/16/2008 @ 5:05pm

10. <a href="fduy">dh</a>

    Posted by aviraj at 12/17/2008 @ 06:43am

11. if somebody did cocaine should they go to jail?

    Posted by Mask at 12/16/2008 @ 07:20am

    As in who? Obama?

    Posted by fram at 12/17/2008 @ 10:11am

12. "The 'Open for Questions' feature is a great start."

    Another technology toy that will end up sounding just like all these Nation posts. Even with flagging. Does anyone really believe those questions will influence policy? What a waste of time and money.

    Posted by jackwells at 12/17/2008 @ 11:15am

13. Posted by lvliberty1 at 12/15/2008 @ 10:49pm

    Did you read anything after the "leading queries focused on marijuana legalization"? Why would any of those other four make us a joke?

    Posted by !immutable at 12/17/2008 @ 11:21am

14. As in who? Obama?

    Posted by fram at 12/17/2008 @ 10:11am

    Or Bush.

    Posted by k330k at 12/17/2008 @ 11:46am