With fiscal challenges threatening the poor and partisanship driving human issues off the cliff, the President chose to visit North Carolina after the SOTU address, just before a “fireside chat” of sorts, engaging everyday citizens like you, in a “Presidential hangout”.

The President’s trip to North Carolina is significant on a number of levels to include his manufacturing innovation initiative spoken of last night at the SOTU.  If his vision for expansion happens, North Carolina is for sure, a good fit.

And then there is the northeast of the state; a place of great potential and possibility as well. Now is the time to look at the northeast. Whether it’s the innovation plant itself or a “hub” spoken of at the SOTU, it is time to rally the the northeast for development.

How do we, in the northeast become visible in an environment of fierce competitiveness?  We lack the political clout, the economic base, and notoriety on critical levels. What we do have is a committed journey. We have made a commitment to embrace the full context of life in an economically distressed community by believing in it.

Could possibly the President’s vision be intricately woven into the vision of the poor in the northeast? What is known is this. Our change is going to come. Mr. President… thank you for thinking of us… thank you for coming to North Carolina!

Interested in joining the Presidential hangout on Thursday, February 14, 2013? Here’s how.  http://www.youtube.com/user/whitehouse/askobama. If you have  a question you’d like to ask the President, you will be prompted to send a video or an email.