Barack Obama to Inaugurate the "YouTube Presidency"

Every president since Franklin Delano Roosevelt has held a weekly radio address. But let's face it, Barack Obama leveraged all sorts of technology during his presidential campaign, whether it be Twitter, text messages, the Internet, or YouTube. So, in these times when radio seems old school, the Obama White House will videotape the weekly address,and post it to YouTube, as well.

The videos will also be posted to change.gov, Obama's transition site that launched last week. His first video will be this week's Democratic radio address, which is typically played in response to Bush's radio address.

According to YouTube spokesman Aaron Ferstman,

"Obama told us in an interview last year that he planned to have fireside chats on video. We expect the administration to launch a channel soon after he takes office. It's a great opportunity to reach out to Americans on the issue of the day and to bring legions of online supporters with him to the White House. It will give them an inside look at how their government works and the issues his administration faces as they tackle challenges."

In a statement, Obama's transition team explained:

"No president-elect or president has ever turned the radio address into a multimedia opportunity before. This is just one of many ways that President-elect Obama will communicate directly with the American people and make the White House and the political process more transparent."

Transparency, as well as listening to Americans even when they disagree with him, was promised during Obama's campaign and during his "victory speech."

And Obama embraced technology like no other during his campaign, and beyond, looking, for example, for the country's first Chief Technology Officer (CTO). On the other hand, he's let his Twitter feed wither, with no updates since Nov. 5th, the day after Election Day.

Of course, he's been a little busy.

And now, speaking of YouTube, let's enjoy one of the YouTube videos that will be recalled by many from this campaign: Obama Girl.