What Would YOU Ask Barack Obama?


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Googlehangout_presidentPresident Barack Obama will use a Google+ Hangout on Fri. Jan. 31 to answer questions about his State of the Union Address submitted by the public.
Image: Mashable composite. Pablo Martinez Monsivais/Associated Press, iStock, CostinT .


It's a big week for President Barack Obama, and he plans to punctuate it hanging out.


Obama is set to answer questions submitted by Americans in response to his fifth State of the Union Address in a Google+ Hangout on Friday. The president's staff dubbed the event a "virtual road trip" and said it's a chance for citizens to get involved in the conversation about policy.



"We’re always looking for ways to engage with citizens online," Kori Schulman, the White House director of online engagement, wrote in a White Houseblog post.


You can submit questions for Obama by uploading short videos to YouTube or Google+ with the hashtag #AskObama2014.


A quick search reveals that people are already submitting questions ahead of Obama's speech, which is scheduled for Tuesday night. Dana Barringer, a 17-year-old from Georgia, asked Obama about his plans for the education budget.


Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian also submitted a question for Obama about the net neutrality debate, referencing a Reddit AMA that Obama held in August 2012 during which the president expressed support for Internet freedom.


This is not the first time Obama has used Hangouts to interact with the public. He participated in similar events following previous State of the Union speeches.


This year, Obama's staff is getting in on the action, too. Administration officials will also use social media to answer questions about the State of the Union Address on Wednesday for the first virtual Big Block of Cheese Day. People can post questions on various social networks using the hashtag #AsktheWH.


The White House has not yet responded to our inquiry about the timing of Obama's Hangout on Friday. We will update this post when we learn more.


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BONUS: 10 Behind-the-Scenes Obama Photos



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Topics: Barack Obama, Social Media, state of the union address, US & World, YouTube




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