http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2010/10/casting-call-for-audience-of-obamas-mtv-town-hall.htmlCasting Call for Audience of Obama’s MTV Town Hall?When President Obama sits down for his MTV town hall this Thursday, the audience of young people who will ask him questions will have been gathered by a casting call.
According to the casting call for the event from talent agency Backstage.com, first reported by National Review Online, the company requests applications for the event, asking what issues the person is “passionate about,” requiring a “short description of your political views,” and also asks for a recent photo.
“MTV, BET and CMT are casting the audience for town hall meeting with President Obama. Shooting Oct. 14, 4 p.m. in Washington, D.C. Seeking—Audience Members: males & females, 18+,” the casting call says, “To ensure that the audience represents diverse interests and political views, include your name, phone number, hometown, school attending, your job and what issues, if any, you are interested in or passionate about. Also, provide a recent photo and short description of your political views.”
The casting call says that there is no pay for the appearance at the town hall.
Dubbed “A Conversation with President Obama”, MTV touted that the town hall will bring the president before 250 young people that represent a “broad cross-section of backgrounds, interests and political viewpoints,” who will ask questions of the president and over Twitter.
The town hall will be hosted by MTV personality Sway Calloway, BET’s April Woodard, and CMT’s Katie Cook.
During the 2008 presidential campaign candidate Obama took pains to express that his town halls across the country were entirely authentic, given reports then of the Hillary Clinton campaign planting two questions at her town halls events.
“By the way, these questions have not been pre-screened or pre-selected. Don’t know what’s coming up,’ then-Senator Obama said in November of 2007 at a town hall in Lebanon, New Hampshire.
The White House did not immediately respond to questions about Thursday’s town hall.
--Sunlen Miller
