In another social-media first, President Barack Obama took to Reddit today to become the first sitting head of state to moderate the site’s “AMA,” or, ask me anything, series.
The chat lasted an hour, and got so much attention that it shut the site down during his post.
Redditers pitched softballs and hard alike, but the fact that the leader of the Free World participated in the site’s chat confirms mainstream success and reach for Reddit. It also showed the President’s understanding of of social media’s importance in reaching young voters.
President Obama touched on the economy, the military in Afghanistan and how hard it is for young people to find jobs. He kept it light, too, saying that his favorite basketball player is Michael Jordan, and that he’s “a Bulls guy.”
President Obama previously received praise for joining Twitter and hosting the first Twitter Town Hall, on July 6.
With this move, the obvious (nonpartisan) question remains: Will Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romeny be next to take to Reddit? Political battle lines run across social media. Can it be much of a stretch to start seeing regular Reddit threads, Twitter chats and Facebook posts from politicians?
