You know, I'm proud of a president who's open to taking questions from the general public

[LoZoccolo]

even possibly fake "progressive" trolls and other Palin Democrats, or Rand Paul-style agent provocateurs and Republican-financed Naderists. Remember that Watergate and the cover-up were actual conspiracies so this could be true too; think critically about the audience situation. Anyone there could have been planted to embarass the president with a shmear that rivals Einstein Brothers' Bagels. That's the price of free speech, that people could lie and you have to evaluate their words.

[sad sally]

1. Same here. As we watched today

couldn't help but recall the Chimp's fake town hall sessions and when he'd get the "questioners" out of order with his "answers." Never once did President Obama ask anyone to repeat the question nor did he simply revert to sound bites.
And his interaction with John Harwood was good too. woo woo!

[MannyGoldstein]

2. How were participants selected?

I suspect the hedge fund fellow was a plant to triangulate against, but perhaps I'm wrong.

[obxhead]

3. That's a two way street.

Anyone could have been planted to feed a question to him as well.

I'm not saying that is the case here. I'm simply stating that it can and surely has been done by many politicians.

[leftstreet]

4. UnRec for "Republican-financed Naderists"

Good grief

[LoZoccolo]

5. And he defended it!

http://articles.sfgate.com/2004-07-10/news/17433544_1_ralph-nader-howard-dean-mcauliffe

You can unrecommended this post, but not the campaign data itself.