Governor O’Malley Talks Jobs at Online Town Hall

During a difficult economy, how can political leaders better connect with constituents looking for answers?

By talking to them directly.

Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley knows that it's best to bring his case straight to the people — and the people are online. That's why Governor O'Malley took questions on job creation and a host of other topics — ranging from vocational education to alternative energy — during his campaign's first-ever live online town hall last week.

By using the UStream platform, Governor O'Malley enabled constituents to watch the town hall meeting from their homes and submit questions via Facebook and Twitter.

At a time when citizens are concerned about their economic futures, it is crucial that policymakers bring their message to the public and not wait for the public to come to their message. Used wisely, the web can facilitate that interaction.

Kudos to Governor O'Malley on his campaign's first online town hall — it was a great success!