Washington: With the US election going down to the wire, President Barack Obama made a final plea for votes Tuesday on the Reddit website, where he held a much publicized online chat with the public in August.
“I’m checking in because polls will start closing in this election in just a few hours, and I need you to vote,” he said on the website — just one of the Democratic incumbent’s get-out-the-vote pushes on social networks.
“Today we decide what the next four years look like — but only if we show up,” he told netizens, complimenting the many tweets and photos posted by his campaign on Twitter and other social networks to push supporters to the polls.
Reddit is a widely-used website that allows users to rank information posted on the site according to whether they like it or not. Popular items are pushed up in prime position on the front page.
Obama’s post — which included a link to a site pointing voters to their polling locations — was not among the most popular on the front page but still garnered dozens of comments.
“I voted for you. Best of luck tonight Mr. President,” one netizen named “WordSlinger81” wrote under Obama’s post.
“Me too! 2 hour wait in Northern Virginia and totally worth it,” said another.
The campaign teams of both Obama and his Republican challenger Mitt Romney have used social networks extensively over the past months to rally supporters and push them out to the polling stations.
And while Romney has a much wider presence on social networks than Republican candidate John McCain had in 2008, Obama is still seen as having the upper hand.
In August, he took to Reddit for a chat with the public, answering questions about hurricane relief efforts, the space program and Internet freedom.
Last year, he also participated in a “Twitter Town Hall” from the East Room of the White House.
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