Yahoo! Answers

Update: Congratulations, President-elect Barack Obama!

In the next few days, a new U.S. president will be elected-an exciting prospect for both the U.S. voters and the global Answers community as a whole. And while Yahoo! Answers does not endorse any one political viewpoint, the next president will bring new leadership at a time when the U.S. and, indeed, the global economy need it most.

Luckily for Answers users, the presidential candidates have never been so accessible. We extended an invitation to the presidential candidates to share their knowledge with the Answers community. Both Barack Obama and John McCain used Answers as a platform to encourage debate and discussion over the last year, receiving over 34,000 replies collectively.

Barack Obama posed the question:

How can we engage more people in the democratic process?

The Best Answer, from more than 17,000 that “tremendously impressed” Obama, came from Rebecca W in Calif. It began:

As a parent of 2 teenage daughters, I hear the frustration they share with “rigged class elections, popularity vs. content, etc.” within their own peer elections. I worry that our youth is missing the truth and honor of “personal integrity” and need to learn democratic integrity first from their parents and then from public role models such as teachers, community leaders and elected officials.

The democratic process should begin in the home with active parenting; not passive or dictatorship styles. Active parenting provides a forum to share and to hear ideas, solutions, praise, criticism, etc. as well as an understanding that one’s ideas should always be heard, considered and respected, but not necessarily always taken. This foundation then naturally expands into school where teachers may mirror this type of democratic atmospheres. Additionally, I feel more demonstrative practice is needed within the school system in order for our youth to understand the democratic process on a personalized local level. Washington is far away; OUR community is right in front of us.

Read the rest of her answer.

Thanks to Answers, Rebecca also got to speak directly to Barack Obama about her question. Watch it on video:

John McCain posed the question:What would you do to stop wasteful government spending in Washington?

The Best Answer, one of more than 16,700 replies, came from Suthern R:

Reward federal agencies for coming in under budget and STOP punishing them for saving money. Right now, if a group in the federal government does not spend all the money allotted in the budget for that year, they lose the money and they are further punished by having their budget reduced by that amount the following year. This flawed practice only encourages them to spend any excess monies at the end of the fiscal year to avoid having that money taken away and not getting the same budget the following year.

Read the rest of his answer.

After his question, John McCain gave some insight on the Answers blog into his thoughts on what he sees as irresponsible spending.

Finally, here are five questions we asked some politicians to answer:

Based on your own family’s experience, what do you think we should do to improve health care in America?

- Hillary Clinton

• Congress is working on legislation to address global warming. What would you like to see included?

- Nancy Pelosi

• How can we change the tax code to ease the burden on our families and promote growth and innovation?

- Mitt Romney

• What do you think it will take to reverse the effects of global climate change?

- Al Gore

• How can we help prevent and someday eradicate breast cancer, which has touched the lives of so many people?

- Hillary Clinton

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