Video: Live coverage and blogging of President Obama's town hall in New Hampshire

President Obama is speaking in New Hampshire.  AP Photo Ron Edmonds

Update:  The live event has concluded.  I have posted videos of the event below.

Today President Obama is speaking in New Hampshire and also answering questions in a town hall format.  The question and answer sessions with President Obama have proven very entertaining as was the case recently at the GOP retreat.

At today's town hall the President is expected to unveil his plan to create jobs through small small business growth.  His plan includes a tax credit of up to $5,000 for the creation of new jobs.  He will then take questions from the public.  Watch the video below and refresh the page for analysis and updates.

Update 2:17 EST: The contrast in the President's backgrounds and those of Republicans is striking. In the Republican response to the State of the Union Governor McDonnell had a mix of races behind him. President Obama's is all white. Clearly the Obama administration is not concerned about the perception of being the "all white" party for obvious reasons.

Update 2:24 EST:  The President says he will not quit on health care reform.  The crowd must be full of progressives because they applaud beyond the "expected applause" time.  Refreshing to seem many still want reform even if Democrats can not get their act together on it.  Crowd stands and applauds twice on the subject of health care reform when they otherwise simply applaud politely on other subjects.

Update 2:30 EST:  President Obama calls out Republican for voting against bipartisan debt commission bill after they co-sponsored the bill.  The crowd seems to connect with this point a lot.

Update 2:36 EST:  Fox News stays with coverage for the question and answer portion.  Perhaps they have learned from being called out for cutting away from GOP question and answer session.

Update 2:40 EST:  Addressing pre-existing condition regulation the President explains the complications involved.  If we force insurance companies to take pre-existing condition then insurance must be mandated otherwise people could simply wait to get sick and then purchase insurance.  The administation is starting to explain reform in simpler and more persuasive terms.  The problem is it may be too late now.

Update 2:46 EST:  And Fox News cuts away going to their network doctor to explain how the President is supposedly wrong. CNN and MSNBC are letting their viewers decide whether they want to continue watching the President by still covering the event.

Update 2:56 EST:  The President discussing the infamous lack of CSPAN coverage of health care negotiations.  Says once again that almost all negotiations and conference hearings were on CSPAN but takes responsibility for the last part being done behind closed doors.

Update 3:04 EST:  The President is asked why we have to adopt the hard measures of clean energy legislation like cap-and-trade. The President attempts to explain why clean energy has to be incentivized in order for it to succeed.  As the President puts it coal will just be cheaper for decades without some kind of legislation.  You can tell President Obama is trying to raise the level of political dialogue and go beyond talking points.  Whether he succeeds or not is another question.

Update 3:16 EST:  A teacher ask if No Child Left Behind can be reformed.  She complains about the constant emphasis on testing rather than teaching.  The President again attempts to explain both ideologies behind education reform.  He states that the left is always for more money, lower class sizes, etc. while the right is always for more accountability, getting rid of teachers unions, etc.  The President again tries to strike a bipartisan balance saying neither side has all the answers but that new reform must utilize all the good ideas.  The President says he wants to improve assessment system to more accurately judge school progress.

Update 3:27 EST:  Last question is about providing more relief to Haiti.  The President says he is proud of the American response so far.  He agrees with the young man who asked the question saying people will have a tendency to forget the country in the coming year.  The President urges people to stay diligent in helping the country but also hints that rebuilding the country should be more of a international effort by many countries rather than just the responsibility of the United States.