Obama visited Reddit last week for about a half-hour question-and-answer Ask Me Anything, or AMA, answering questions about the campaign, his first term, plans for his second term and even the White House’s beloved beer recipe.

Although some of the banter was playful, Obama outlined a desire to pass a constitutional amendment to overturn the landmark Supreme Court Citizens United case in an attempt to limit the role money plays in politics. He also explained to users his ambitions to keep the Internet a free space for users, and explained the most difficult decision he has made as president: the growing of the number of troops in Afghanistan.

Reddit is a very popular website among teenagers and younger adults, much like Twitter and Facebook. And Obama has had no problem channeling this demographic during this re-election campaign and his campaign four years ago. But if Obama wants to walk away victorious this November, he needs to motivate this group of voters to get to the polls this November.

Romney tried a similar campaign tactic on Yahoo! Answers in April.

Although both AMA sessions had hecklers, Obama was more successful at communicating with Internet users using Reddit than Romney did using Yahoo! Answers.

Romney’s use of this outdated and unpopular site highlights his campaign’s trouble motivating and gaining young independent voters. A majority of voters this November will most likely not fall into the younger demographic, but having the support of these voters could give Obama the edge against Romney.

Some news organizations have been critical of Obama for not holding press conferences during this campaign. Yet his time on Reddit allowed the president to communicate directly with American voters. And the American public will get a chance to see Obama in a more formal setting during the upcoming presidential debates.

Obama also has been criticized by many for being a celebrity president. Some believe he is more concerned with his image and fame than with running the United States. Much like a celebrity, the public could see Obama’s AMA on Reddit as a publicity stunt, only attempting to gain attention rather than answer serious political issues important to voters. Although he answered some trivial questions, such as which basketball team he favors, he did address significant concerns, one of them being college affordability.

This November’s election is one that most likely will be decided by who Americans think will be able to turn the economy around the next four years.

Obama’s Reddit visit is not going to win him the election. But his decision to directly talk to voters, a majority of whom were most likely teenagers or young adults, was a smart decision that could help motivate them to actually vote on Nov. 6.