Obama Opens Up in YouTube Chat: The Super Bowl, Valentine's Day, and the Presidential Bubble
Before he addressed issues like the political uprising in Egypt, the war in Afghanistan, energy policy or the war on drugs, President Obama took the time during his YouTube Q&A today to share some personal details.
More than 140,000 questions were submitted to the president for the virtual question-and-answer session, and as the president's interviewer, YouTube's head of news and politics Steve Grove, said, "On the Internet, people love to have a more personal relationship with their elected leaders."
Thus, the president took questions on what he gives First Lady Michelle Obama for Valentine's Day, his favorite college class, his "favorite" and "least favorite" parts of being president, and what team he'll root for during the Super Bowl.
The answers:
"Each Valentine's Day seems to get more expensive," Mr. Obama joked, because "I've got more to make up for."
"The thing she wants most of all is time," he said. So the president tries to carve out some time from his busy schedule to enjoy a "date night" with Michelle.
As for his favorite part of being president?: "Every once in a while you do something that you know has a direct impact on somebody," Mr. Obama said, while the worst part is living in "the bubble" of the presidency.
The president attributes his general interest in politics to a "wonderful political science class" at Occidental College in Southern California -- where perhaps Mr. Obama learned not to anger passionate sports fans or potential swing voters in critical electoral states. When it comes to divulging which team he'll root for on Super Bowl Sunday, Mr. Obama -- an avid sports fan -- is keeping mum.
"Now that the Bears have lost, I've got to stay neutral," he said, refusing to cheer on either the Green Bay Packers or the Pittsburgh Steelers. "Absolutely neutral on this one."
Watch CBS News' Chip Reid Interviews YouTube Moderator Steve Grove After the Interview Below:
