Now that every analyst and political junkie has weighed in on which themes President Obama should strike in the State of the Union tonight (or at least stocked up on liquor for the drinking game), all that’s left to do is tune in.
Rather than have folks merely sit at home and listen, the White House has launched an interactive web page encouraging viewer participation. Along with a live feed of the president’s speech, the site will feature real-time visual aids, charts and stats to further explain its message. Viewers can also submit questions from the new webpage, Twitter and Facebook, which administration officials will answer immediately afterward in a live online panel. Panelists include Brian Deese, deputy director of the National Economic Council, and Roberto Rodriguez, special assistant to the president for education policy.
"Part of what we’re trying to do this year is make the American people participate in the process, so it’s not just the president giving a speech," says Jen Psaki, White House deputy communications director. "It becomes a tool for discussion."
Tune in at 9 pm EST—just be careful out there if you plan on taking a drink every time the camera shows the First Lady.
Cynthia Gordy is the Washington Reporter for The Root.