Online Poker Makes Obama's List of Citizen's Top Priorities

May 19th, 2009 | 6:10 pm

President Barack Obama asked Americans on his Change.gov transitional website to send him their policy priorities, and online poker received most votes in technology group.

President Barack Obama asked Americans on his Change.gov transitional website to send him their policy priorities in the Citizen’s Briefing Book project, a compilation of recommedations made by everyday Americans.

The response was overwhelming, as 125,000 users submitted over 44,000 ideas and cast over 1.4 million votes. Online poker emerged as the top issue in the Technology group.

Online Poker is People's Top Technology Issue

Citizen’s Briefing Book Top 15 Issues

1. Ending Marijuana Prohibition, 92970 points (Additional Issues)
2. Commit to becoming the “Greenest” country in the world, 70470 points (Energy & Environment)
3. Stop using federal resources to undermine states’ medicinal marijuana laws, 66170 points (Health Care)
4. An end to the government sponsored abstinence education to be replaced by an introduction of age appropriate sex education, 65350 points (Education)
5. Bullet Trains & Light Rail, 65100 points (Energy & Environment)
6. The permanent closure of all Torture facilities. (Facilities such as: Guantanamo, and Abu Ghraib), 61250 points (Foreign Policy)
7. Revoke the George W. Bush tax cuts for the top 1 %, 57080 points (Economy)
8. Get the Insurance Companies out the Health Care, 55080 points (Health Care)
9. Revoke the Tax Exempt Status of the Church of Scientology, 52470 points (Additional Issues)
10. Bring Back the Constitution! 50160 points (Additional Issues)
11. Boost America’s Economy with Legal Online Poker, 46890 points (Technology)
12. Bring Back the Constitution! 50160 points (Additional Issues)
13. Restore Net Neutrality Protections to the Internet, 46220 points (Technology)
14. Increase MPG requirements now! 46120 points (Energy & Environment)
15. Honesty and Transparency, 45610 points (Additional Issues)

More Public Engagement from Obama?

On the same day that the final Citizen's Briefing Book was released to the public, President Obama announced the renaming of the White House Office of Public Liaison to the Office of Public Engagement, and will also change its mission accordingly.

Obama Discusses the Citizen's Briefing Book and Office of Public Engagement

• Download Citizen's Briefing Book (Final) PDF from Whitehouse.gov