Is Obama too friendly with Facebook?

The president palled around with Mark Zuckerberg at the social-networking giant's California headquarters on Wednesday

Obama shrugs off his jacket Wednesday at a Facebook town hall: The president's informal alliance with the social networking site may be a risky move, say commentators.
(Image credit: Getty)

President Obama held a town hall Wednesday at Facebook's Palo Alto, Calif., headquarters, in front of a live crowd of employees and a virtual audience on Facebook Live. The appearance raised Facebook's profile and allowed Obama to talk directly to younger voters, but, as Politico notes, it also carries risks for both sides. Facebook might look partisan, and Obama — whose former press secretary was in the running earlier this year for a top job at Facebook — will be even more closely associated with a sometimes-controversial company. Are Obama and Facebook too close for comfort? (Watch a clip from Obama's town hall.)

It's a risk worth taking for Obama: The president's political team is clearly hoping Obama's "trek to the hub of the social networking movement" will resonate with young voters, says Chris Cillizza in The Washington Post. Obama's smart use of social networking in 2008 helped him win the 18-to-29 vote by a stunning 35-point margin, and if this "first-of-its-kind event" helps him recreate that "political magic" next year, it's well worth it.

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