President Obama has turned to YouTube to push his message, using interviewers that "aren't going to ask difficult questions."
The number of people who watch the State of the Union speech has declined steadily. The speech's effectiveness in persuading the American people has also diminished.
"I think the bigger issue with the White House is looking, and has really for the better part of the six years the President has been in office, has been looking at ways to get around the regular media," Bloomberg's Phil Mattingly said.
Rather than sit down with the White House Press Corps, Obama hopes that fielding some softballs from three YouTube stars more known for their fart jokes than hard-hitting political questions will help with the young voters Democrats desperately need for 2016. The interview will reach the tens of millions of followers that Bethany Mota, Hank Green, and GloZell Green have.
The President is unlikely to face tough questions on foreign policy topics such as the Tuesday coup in Yemen, the Islamic State, and Putin's aggression in Ukraine. Most experts expect questions on soft domestic issues that will play well with the audience.
