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Barack Obama shares phone number and asks people to text him, Internet says 'and you wonder why he's popular'

Although presumably the number is not the former president's personal contact, it does have a Chicago area code

Former President Barack Obama on Wednesday, September 23, shared his phone number with Americans and encouraged voters to text him about what is on their mind. The 44th president took to Twitter, writing: "All right, let's try something new. If you’re in the United States, send me a text at 773-365-9687 — I want to hear how you're doing, what's on your mind, and how you're planning on voting this year. I'll be in touch from time to time to share what's on my mind, too."

Obama also gave the same number to his 32 million followers on Instagram with the same suggestion. Although presumably, the number is not the former president's personal contact, it does have a Chicago area code. The Obamas, before winning the 2008 presidential elections, used to live in Chicago. 

The text message initiative is Obama's latest effort to help encourage Americans to register to vote and cast their ballot in the presidential election. The Democrat leader is pushing these initiatives to assist his former vice president, Democratic nominee Joe Biden, in an election the former president has emphasized is highly consequential, claiming democracy itself is on the ballot this time.

Obama's initiative was well-received by social media users, with some saying they had already texted the former president. One user wrote: "I texted him to tell him I admired the tan suit, but he never responded. He’s a busy guy, I get it." While another added: "I don't know if President Obama will read my heartfelt message, but it felt good to write it to him." A third drew a comparison between Trump and Obama: "Trump is caught on tape saying that Covid is a good thing because it means he doesn't have to touch people. Obama tweets out basically an 'ask me anything' And people wonder why one of them was more popular."

The former president, in his speech at the Democratic National Convention last month, had said: "I am also asking you to believe in your own ability — to embrace your own responsibility as citizens — to make sure that the basic tenets of our democracy endure. Because that’s what’s at stake right now: our democracy. This president and those in power — those who benefit from keeping things the way they are — they are counting on your cynicism."

"They know they can’t win you over with their policies. So they’re hoping to make it as hard as possible for you to vote, and to convince you that your vote doesn’t matter. That’s how they win," he added. "That’s how they get to keep making decisions that affect your life, and the lives of the people you love. That’s how the economy will keep getting skewed to the wealthy and well-connected, how our health systems will let more people fall through the cracks. That’s how a democracy withers until it’s no democracy at all... This administration has shown it will tear our democracy down if that's what it takes to win. So we have to get busy building it up — by pouring all our effort into these 76 days, and by voting like never before — for Joe and Kamala [Harris], and candidates up and down the ticket, so that we leave no doubt about what this country we love stands for — today and for all our days to come.” 

Obama and Biden made their first joint appearance in July in a socially-distanced interview, abiding with the new coronavirus protocols. The pair discussed some of the biggest challenges the country is currently facing, including the Covid-19 crisis, the economic crisis, and an approach to address systemic racism in America. The former president and the former first lady, Michelle Obama, since then, have been on a virtual campaign trail, requesting voters to either go to the polls or send in their votes via mail.