There are 45 million Americans under the age of 29 eligible to vote — and President Obama is using some unconventional programs to get them into the voting booth.
Friday at 5 p.m., the president will answer questions submitted by the public live on MTV, addressing only concerns relevant to young voters.
The "Ask Obama Live: An MTV Interview with the President" is not the president's first non-traditional interview. Obama has taken part in many interviews outside the realm of political reporters since September: The Late Show with David Letterman, The View, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and just last night on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
Richard Nixon was the first presidential candidate to really try to make a memorable moment on non-news television, appearing on an episode of Laugh-In where he delivered the famous line “sock it to me.” In 1992, Bill Clinton famously played “Heartbreak Hotel” on the saxophone on The Arsenio Hall Show and also appeared on MTV to answer questions from a live studio audience of twenty-somethings. Since then, nearly every candidate has appeared on a slew of talk show sofas, including George W. Bush, Al Gore, John Kerry, and John McCain, who appeared on Saturday Night Live just days before the 2008 election.