Dear Mr. President: Obama Reads And Replies To Letters Mailed To White House
WASHINGTON (CBSNewYork) -- During the past eight years, President Barack Obama has read many of the letters mailed to the White House, even responding to some of the authors.
"You know, I get a lot of letters from constituents," Obama said in a 2010 speech. "I get about 40,000 everyday, and I don't read all 40,000, but somebody does."
One of those "somebodies" is Fiona Reeves.
"I read one a few months ago where it said on the envelope 'alert: cutest baby photo ever inside,'" Reeves said.
As Director of Presidential Correspondence, she runs the team that looks at every single letter, email and Facebook message sent to the White House, which is about 10 million a year.
"All those people who self-identify as 'little ole me,' this is sort of their entry point," she said.
In his first week, Obama asked for something other presidents have not -- to read some of the letters every night.
"The ask was for 10 that were representative, and he was really clear about the point that it should not be 10 fan letters," Reeves said.
She herself reads 200 to 400 finalists a day before selecting 10 for the president's nightly briefing book.
"That's not an easy thing to do when the content of the letters is often searing and personal," CBS News' Tony Dokoupl said.
"Yeah, it can be emotionally draining. People are often reaching out to the president as a last resort," Reeves said.
Over the years, some of the letters have been sweet.
"She set up a vegetable garden and she sent me picture," Obama once shared.
Others have been funny.
"One was, 'I'm retired and I've got some advice for you: Ride your bike a lot, some time with your wife, draw,' and then it said, 'don't be afraid to day drink.' And I just thought that was pretty good," Reeves said.
But many are critical.
"Sometimes the letters say, 'you are an idiot and the worst president ever,'" Obama said in that 2010 speech.
Obama not only reads his letters, he often responds.
"Dear Stefan, thank you so much for your letter. We are so proud of you, so keep up the great work," Stefan Johnson read.
Johnson is a Philadelphia native and graduate student in public policy at Oxford University in England. In high school, he wrote the president a letter, thanking him for being an inspiration.
He said the president's reply inspired him even more.
"Even though the letter was short and only a number of words, they were probably the most profound words that have ever been addressed to me before," Johnson said.
"I hope that he and country walk away with all these people continuing to feel engaged, like their government hears them and they can shape their government," Reeves said. "I think that's what he leaves our country."
"So I hope he walks away feeling pretty good about that," she added.
