The president is using the opportunity to discuss the challenges and sacrifices confronting Americans as the government seeks a “more responsible fiscal path” while still investing in the “innovation economy,” according to a White House blog post.
During the event, President Obama will answer a series of pre-selected questions from the public submitted by Facebook users on the town hall event page. Non-Facebook types can also submit questions for the president on the White House Website here. At the time of this writing more than 7000 Facebook users had RSVP’d they would be attending the online event.
The Republicans have yet to select their presidential candidate for 2012, but the GOP is unlikely to be caught flat-footed with its online efforts as it was in 2008. Many well known Republicans said to be thinking about a presidential run already have significant online presences such as Michelle Bachmann, Haley Barbour, Newt Gingrich, Tim Pawlenty, and Mitt Romney.
President Obama may be the first sitting president to participate in a live Facebook event, but he is not the first person who has worked in the oval office to sit down for a chat with Zuckerberg. In November, former President George W. Bush visited Facebook HQ to promote his recent book Decision Points.
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