by Macon Phillips
WASHINGTON, DC – With Tuesday’s State of the Union address only 39 hours away (9:00 p.m. ET), we’re putting the final touches on a week that’s jam-packed with opportunities to respond to the speech, get answers to your questions and join an online video-chat with the President.
In addition to some things that have been really popular for past “SOTU” Addresses, we’ve got some exciting new features to introduce. Here’s the rundown:
When the President addresses the nation, the White House will provide something you can’t find anywhere else: an enhanced version of the speech that offers charts, facts and other info as the President speaks (check out last year’s here). You can watch live on WhiteHouse.gov/SOTU, through the White House mobile apps for iPhone, Android and iPad, and also on the official White House presences on YouTube, Google+, Hulu, Facebook, and Ustream. And if you’d like, you can embed the stream on your own site.
The President’s speech is just the beginning; the White House is thrilled to introduce a new tool called Citizen Response that lets you highlight a passage from the State of the Union Address, tell the President how you’re connected to that issue and then share that specific part with your friends.
Citizen’s Response isn’t the only thing that will launch when the President finishes speaking. As soon as the speech ends, we’ll kick off a discussion about what President Obama said and answer your questions. More than 2,000 people from around the country applied for their chance to join this special #WHSocial in person, and 100 White House followers on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+ representing more than 20 states and from as far as California and Texas have been invited to watch the speech live from the White House and participate in a panel discussion. The panel will be broadcast immediately after the speech on WhiteHouse.gov/SOTU, and you can ask your questions using #WHChat or posting to our Google+ page.
There’s a lot happening on Tuesday, but it’s only the beginning.
On Thursday, President Obama will join the latest in a series of “Fireside Hangouts” – a 21st century take on FDR’s famous radio addresses – to talk about his State of the Union Address. During a completely virtual conversation hosted by Google, the President will answer questions from Americans across the country about the issues and policies laid out in the speech. Anyone can submit a question for the President and vote on your favorites on the White House YouTube channel. Then, be sure to watch the hangout live on Thursday, February 14th at 4:50 p.m. ET on WhiteHouse.gov, the White House Google+ page, and YouTube.com/whitehouse.
And throughout the week, Administration officials will take questions on key issue areas addressed in the President’s speech during an “Open for Questions” marathon. Check out the full schedule:
Tuesday, February 12th:
9:00 p.m. ET: President Obama addresses the nation
10:30 p.m. ET: “Open for Questions” panel
Immediately following the President’s speech, join us for a special “Open for Questions” panel with senior staff, live from the White House. If you have a question about the speech, ask it on Twitter with the hashtag #WHChat or on the White House facebook or Google+ pages.
Wednesday, February 13th:
12:30 p.m. ET: Education with Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education
2:30 p.m. ET: Jobs and the economy with Jason Furman, Deputy Director of the National Economic Council
4:00 p.m. ET: Energy and the environment with Heather Zichal, Deputy Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change
Thursday, February 14th:
4:30 p.m. ET: “Fireside Hangout” with President Obama
Friday, February 15th:
3:00 p.m. ET: Reducing gun violence with Bruce Reed, Chief of Staff to Vice President Biden
4:00 p.m. ET: Immigration reform with Cecilia Munoz, Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council
