Where Did The WhiteHouse.gov Online Chats Go?
For an administration that prides itself on its superior use of technology, the Obama White House Web site notably lacks one important feature that the Bush White House Web site had: regularly scheduled online chats with administration officials, also known as “Ask the White House.”
Started in April 2003, the online chats featured everyone from “Turkey Guy” JD Estes to the former president himself. They were held multiple times a month, and sometimes even three or more times in a single week.
While President Obama clearly took the idea to the next level when he held his online town hall at the end of March (and Vice President Biden’s economic adviser Jared Bernstein answered follow-up questions on the White House blog, including one of our very own Nick Troiano), this online town hall idea is too ambitious to be offered on a regular basis.
What was cool about the chats from the Bush White House was that rank and file employees were frequent contributors, giving the public a better understanding of how the White House works.
For a new White House which supposedly embraces technology, it baffles me that the online chats have not returned. The concept is basic, the execution is simple and the transparency potential is unlimited.
