He's overcome similar sorts of challenges in the past. Early in his career, Zuckerberg was notoriously awkward on any kind of stage. (His 2008 appearance at SXS

He's overcome similar sorts of challenges in the past. Early in his career, Zuckerberg was notoriously awkward on any kind of stage. (His 2008 appearance at SXSW was, by almost all accounts, a debacle.) Now, he's pretty good in those kinds of forums. He hasn't yet gotten crowds cheering on a regular basis, but hasn't yet had to, really. And as a bunch of people have noted by now, the 50-state challenge seems designed in part to help him practice speaking to non-technical audiences of the type he'd have to rally in any run for office. (And if it takes hiring an acting coach, well, he's got the money. And he certainly wouldn't be the first politician to quietly take that kind of professional advice -- even setting aside the ones like Fred Thompson and Ronald Reagan who already had personal theatrical experience.)