Scoop! Eleven-Year-Old Kid Reporter Damon Weaver Gets His Obama Interview

by Rachel Sklar | 5:32 am, August 14th, 2009

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For most eleven-year-olds, scoring an interview with a guy running for Vice-President would be pretty good. For 11-year-old Damon Weaver, it’s way down the list of his career accomplishments. After interviewing Biden on the campaign trail, covering the Inauguration, appearing on national television and earning a full scholarship to college, Weaver just scored a sit-down with President Obama. You know, his homeboy.

Weaver has been gunning for this interview ever since landing one with Joe Biden — whom he called his homeboy, too — and in the process, he and his quest for an interview have become something of a cause célèbre amongst certain members of the media (HuffPo’s Jason Linkins has been a huge booster, earning emails of gratitude from Weaver’s teacher). Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade offered to play a one-on-one game of basketball with Obama if he granted Damon the interview, but it was no dice — until now.

Weaver finally got his face time with Obama, and used it well, asking questions about how he’s dealing with tight education budgets, curbing school violence, and how a kid like him from a poor town can get a good education (looks like “great teachers mounting innovative programs with adorable students” is the answer) and how to improve school lunches (Damon’s solution: More mangoes!). He is remarkably composed yet very serious about his mission — no mugging or showboating here — which makes it all the more hilarious when he says things like “Would you like to become my homeboy?” He also has a flair for the succinct: “Well, I got an interview with President Obama. He’s very tall and nice.”

Watch the full, adorable yet highly substantive video below:

Love this: “Dwyane Wade was here…I’m sorry to hear that he was trash-talking.” Also, Obama can’t dunk.

Related in Interviews with Significant Political Figures:
Paula Abdul is interviewed by Damon Weaver [CanalPointKECTV - YouTube]

Related:
One More Reason To Love Citizen Journalism [Eat The Press]

[Via Metafilter via The Daily What.]