You asked, he answered!
With Nov. 6 less than two weeks away, President Barack Obama is in the final, frenzied days of his re-election campaign against Republican nominee Mitt Romney. Over the last several months, the Commander-in-Chief, 51, has faced some tough questions — not just from his opponent but also from voters and debate moderators Jim Lehrer, Candy Crowley, and Bob Schieffer. Now, he’s taking on Us!
Between stops on the campaign trail, the president of the United States sat down to respond to a few inquiries from Us Weekly readers online about his plan for the future, his advice for other presidential hopefuls, and what he regrets from his first term in office.
(Us offered the same opportunity to Obama’s opponent, Governor Romney, 65, but the candidate declined.)
Among the many questions submitted online for the POTUS was one from Us Weekly reader Tyler Beltz, 16, of Detroit, Mich., who asked what advice Obama would give to someone who wants to run for president someday.
“Be careful what you post on Facebook! And most of all, take your education seriously,” the Columbia University and Harvard Law School graduate counseled. “I’m only where I am today because I had great teachers and access to great education, and because I worked hard in school.”
Obama, who has been a vocal supporter of education reform, believes everyone should have access to that kind of opportunity.
“That’s why I want to recruit 100,000 math and science teachers over the next decade, and help more young people afford college,” he continued. “Your dreams may change over time, but no matter what they are, your education will help you achieve them.”
The president also offered some assurance to Us reader Stephanie Bauer, 29, of Jonesborough, Tenn., who asked: “What will you do for the economy to ensure I can provide for my new son?”
“Stephanie, making sure that families like yours have the chance to work hard and get ahead is the most important issue of our time,” Obama responded. To that end, he added, “We’ll invest in education and manufacturing. We’ll control more of our own energy. We’ll use the savings from ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to do some nation-building at home. And we’ll bring down our deficit in a balanced way.
“That’s how you build a strong, sustainable economy that has good, middle-class jobs to offer.”
For more of President Obama’s answers to readers’ questions, check out the Nov. 5 issue of Us Weekly, on newsstands Friday, Oct. 26.
