Jun 23: Tweeting for Votes -- UPDATED
I posted recently about the presidential candidates' usage of new tech, including twitter.
I'm still following both McCain & Obama (Clinton, too, but that's just because I haven't removed her yet). The stats in that previous post have continued along the same trajectories. McCain continues to tweet 2.5 times for each Obama tweet (M:343 , O:138; Obama still has about 29 times as many followers (M: 1,482, O:42,557).
I still can't decide who is using twitter to it's fullest potential. Obviously, Obama's tweets are spreading much faster than McCain's due to his overwhelming follower count, but McCain is using it more. Also, McCain will often reply to a direct message, showing that someone is actually reading the feed of people he's following. I haven't seen any replies from Obama, which indicates that he's using it more as a soapbox and less as an interactive communications medium. So, McCain probably wins on actually embracing twitter, while Obama is probably getting the most benefit from it.
While analyzing the statistics like this is interesting, it's obviously only a side note. What's far more important is the message that each candidate is putting out. To that end, here are a few recent tweets that I think are illustrative of each canidate's use of twitter. These are all pulled from the tweets currently showing on their twitter page, which shows the most recent twenty or so tweets. In case you think that my selections are biased, I invite you to visit either candiate's twitter page and see for yourself. I've linked them to their names in the second paragraph above. I'm certain that whenever you do this, even months from now, you'll see a similar tenor on each feed.
McCain:
New book "fleeced" by Dick Morris http://twurl.nl/iiayyc What would Obama do to country as President?
Obama with more endorsments: http://twurl.nl/vlexa4 from North Korean and Libyan Dictators, next Zimbabwe?
What do you think, has the surge worked? http://tinyurl.com/5vss6a
@MrBabyMan sorry I don't. Do you happen to know any dem leaders willing to help us lower oil prices by allowing drilling? Just looking
@MargaretSchaut Naw, that's not the case, ask average Joe who works all week to gain a Saturday with family, does he want Obama, nope
More hypocrisy http://twurl.nl/8y67d6 Obama manipulating patriotic images though he says there's too much manipulation of patriotism
Why are the Democrats working so hard to increase the price of gas?
Mitt Romney on Obama's problem http://tinyurl.com/6f7xsc
Israel taking precautions to protect themselves if Obama wins http://twurl.nl/1vsi3i and tries to force them to concede
Obama:
In Chicago,holding an economic discussion with the Democratic governors. Watch it live now at http://my.barackobama.com/l...
Made an important decision today and wanted to share it with you. Visit http://my.barackobama.com/m...
Honored to be endorsed by Al Gore in Michigan tonight. Watch live streaming video at 8:30pm EST at http://my.barackobama.com/l...
Wishing everyone a Happy Father's Day. Spoke today at the Apostolic Church of God in Chicago. Read remarks at http://my.barackobama.com/dad
Pleased with today's Supreme Court decision to bring terrorists to justice while also protecting our core values. http://www.barackobama.com
Kicking-off a two week tour focusing on the current economic crisis & the need for new economic policy: http://my.barackobama.com/N...
IN St Paul, MN speaking after securing the nomination. Watch the speech live on TV tonight or streamed http://my.barackobama.com/n...
In Middletown, CT. Pinch-hitting for Senator Kennedy and delivering the commencement address for Wesleyan University.
In MI, unveiling my manufacturing agenda. It's time to recapture the spirit of innovation that has always fueled America's economic success.
So, McCain is on the attack, while Obama is spreading ideas (wow, that doesn't sound at all like I'm drinking the Obama Kool-Aid, does it? 
). Seriously, though, McCain's feed is filled with vitriol and sarcasm, while Obama is talking about his platform and campaign. You have to go back to April 3 to see a tweet that mentions McCain, and it's not the silly fear-mongering (next Zimbabwe?) coming from McCain:
Troubled by today's unemployment figures, the latest indicator of how badly America needs fundamental change from Bush-McCain policies.
While, the fact is that Obama will probably win due to Republican's current unpopularity (unless he royally screws something up, of course) this difference in attitude or strategy sure won't help McCain. It really shows him to be the same old politician that we all know and hate. It's really too bad, because for a long time, he was the only Republican a Democrat or left-leaning hater-of-all-parties like myself, could respect. But, just as Romney sold his previously-more-centrist political soul to the right-wing, so has McCain.
Update 6/23 2:00: Apparently, I'm not the only one thinking about politics & twitter: Twitter As a Campaigning Tool and How Twitter Can Change the Presidential Debate.
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your insights save me the trouble of finding any of this out myself. thanks not that i would anyway. i'm already so sick of this campaign. i don't feel like listening to any of them anymore.
while i like that obama concentrates on issues and not personal attacks, that's also what i don't like about him. he got me all excited about politics again, idealistic even, but that quickly wore off when i got disillusioned by all his idealism and lack of pragmatism. i wonder when everyone else is going to realize that yeah, all these niceties are a pleasant change, but how is that going to translate into anything remotely productive?
also, that long comment you informed me of on mormons and classic art, it didn't post, and now you've gotten me all curious. you promised more research that's already been done for me and now i can't see it. it's upsetting.
Yeah, I know the mormons & art comment didn't post. That's why I was telling you about it. After it didn't post, I was annoyed and didn't want to write it up again.
Back to Obama. I'm with you that he has me all excited about politics again. Why is idealism a bad thing? Idealism with no pragmatism is a waste of time, but we need ideals to shoot for. We need to realize that we'll likely never reach ideals (and that no ideal is ideal for everyone), but we need them to drive us forward. On the other hand, if you have only pragmatists, there's nothing to achieve.
I don't think that Obama is overly idealist, however. I think he has high ideals, but understands how to move things forward. I think you can look at the success of his campaign as an indicator (not proof, just an indicator) of how he is able to maintain his idealism while still understanding, and working within successfully, the realities of a situation.
yes, and in revision, he certainly details his actual plans more than everyone else does/did. but everything i listen to just trips this alarm bell in my head shouting "empty promises". it is a campaign after all. and once elected, you have to work through several complicated elected groups and a vast bureaucracy. in short, i'm just a young and disillusioned cynic. there's no way around that. i really should work on that.
I actually think that most politicians (well, maybe not W ) intend(ed) to keep their campaign promises, but then they get dragged down into the muck by the groups you mention. So, since everyone will be brought down, the person we put in needs to be starting from as a high a point as possible.
Again, though, we should look at how he's running his campaign. Imagine the pressure that is exerted on presidential candidates by various groups in exchange for their support. Obama has figured out how to defuse a lot of that by relying much more heavily on small donations and refusing lobbyist & PAC money. I'm cautiously optimistic that he'll continue to come up with new ideas to circumvent a lot of the bureaucratic crap that comes with the job and actually get something accomplished.
Don't stop being a cynic. The more critical we are of our politicians, the better. To quote an overrated founding father: "The price of freedom is eternal vigilance."
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I posted recently about the presidential candidates' usage of new tech, including twitter.
I'm still following both McCain & Obama (Clinton, too, but that's just because I haven't removed her yet). The stats in that previous post have continued along the same trajectories. McCain continues to tweet 2.5 times for each Obama tweet (M:343 , O:138; Obama still has about 29 times as many followers (M: 1,482, O:42,557).
I still can't decide who is using twitter to it's fullest potential. Obviously, Obama's tweets are spreading much faster than McCain's due to his overwhelming follower count, but McCain is using it more. Also, McCain will often reply to a direct message, showing that someone is actually reading the feed of people he's following. I haven't seen any replies from Obama, which indicates that he's using it more as a soapbox and less as an interactive communications medium. So, McCain probably wins on actually embracing twitter, while Obama is probably getting the most benefit from it.
While analyzing the statistics like this is interesting, it's obviously only a side note. What's far more important is the message that each candidate is putting out. To that end, here are a few recent tweets that I think are illustrative of each canidate's use of twitter. These are all pulled from the tweets currently showing on their twitter page, which shows the most recent twenty or so tweets. In case you think that my selections are biased, I invite you to visit either candiate's twitter page and see for yourself. I've linked them to their names in the second paragraph above. I'm certain that whenever you do this, even months from now, you'll see a similar tenor on each feed.
McCain:
Obama:
So, McCain is on the attack, while Obama is spreading ideas (wow, that doesn't sound at all like I'm drinking the Obama Kool-Aid, does it? ). Seriously, though, McCain's feed is filled with vitriol and sarcasm, while Obama is talking about his platform and campaign. You have to go back to April 3 to see a tweet that mentions McCain, and it's not the silly fear-mongering (next Zimbabwe?) coming from McCain:
While, the fact is that Obama will probably win due to Republican's current unpopularity (unless he royally screws something up, of course) this difference in attitude or strategy sure won't help McCain. It really shows him to be the same old politician that we all know and hate. It's really too bad, because for a long time, he was the only Republican a Democrat or left-leaning hater-of-all-parties like myself, could respect. But, just as Romney sold his previously-more-centrist political soul to the right-wing, so has McCain.
Update 6/23 2:00: Apparently, I'm not the only one thinking about politics & twitter: Twitter As a Campaigning Tool and How Twitter Can Change the Presidential Debate.
I'm still following both McCain & Obama (Clinton, too, but that's just because I haven't removed her yet). The stats in that previous post have continued along the same trajectories. McCain continues to tweet 2.5 times for each Obama tweet (M:343 , O:138; Obama still has about 29 times as many followers (M: 1,482, O:42,557).
I still can't decide who is using twitter to it's fullest potential. Obviously, Obama's tweets are spreading much faster than McCain's due to his overwhelming follower count, but McCain is using it more. Also, McCain will often reply to a direct message, showing that someone is actually reading the feed of people he's following. I haven't seen any replies from Obama, which indicates that he's using it more as a soapbox and less as an interactive communications medium. So, McCain probably wins on actually embracing twitter, while Obama is probably getting the most benefit from it.
While analyzing the statistics like this is interesting, it's obviously only a side note. What's far more important is the message that each candidate is putting out. To that end, here are a few recent tweets that I think are illustrative of each canidate's use of twitter. These are all pulled from the tweets currently showing on their twitter page, which shows the most recent twenty or so tweets. In case you think that my selections are biased, I invite you to visit either candiate's twitter page and see for yourself. I've linked them to their names in the second paragraph above. I'm certain that whenever you do this, even months from now, you'll see a similar tenor on each feed.
McCain:
New book "fleeced" by Dick Morris http://twurl.nl/iiayyc What would Obama do to country as President?
Obama with more endorsments: http://twurl.nl/vlexa4 from North Korean and Libyan Dictators, next Zimbabwe?
What do you think, has the surge worked? http://tinyurl.com/5vss6a
@MrBabyMan sorry I don't. Do you happen to know any dem leaders willing to help us lower oil prices by allowing drilling? Just looking
@MargaretSchaut Naw, that's not the case, ask average Joe who works all week to gain a Saturday with family, does he want Obama, nope
More hypocrisy http://twurl.nl/8y67d6 Obama manipulating patriotic images though he says there's too much manipulation of patriotism
Why are the Democrats working so hard to increase the price of gas?
Mitt Romney on Obama's problem http://tinyurl.com/6f7xsc
Israel taking precautions to protect themselves if Obama wins http://twurl.nl/1vsi3i and tries to force them to concede
Obama:
In Chicago,holding an economic discussion with the Democratic governors. Watch it live now at http://my.barackobama.com/l...
Made an important decision today and wanted to share it with you. Visit http://my.barackobama.com/m...
Honored to be endorsed by Al Gore in Michigan tonight. Watch live streaming video at 8:30pm EST at http://my.barackobama.com/l...
Wishing everyone a Happy Father's Day. Spoke today at the Apostolic Church of God in Chicago. Read remarks at http://my.barackobama.com/dad
Pleased with today's Supreme Court decision to bring terrorists to justice while also protecting our core values. http://www.barackobama.com
Kicking-off a two week tour focusing on the current economic crisis & the need for new economic policy: http://my.barackobama.com/N...
IN St Paul, MN speaking after securing the nomination. Watch the speech live on TV tonight or streamed http://my.barackobama.com/n...
In Middletown, CT. Pinch-hitting for Senator Kennedy and delivering the commencement address for Wesleyan University.
In MI, unveiling my manufacturing agenda. It's time to recapture the spirit of innovation that has always fueled America's economic success.
So, McCain is on the attack, while Obama is spreading ideas (wow, that doesn't sound at all like I'm drinking the Obama Kool-Aid, does it?
). Seriously, though, McCain's feed is filled with vitriol and sarcasm, while Obama is talking about his platform and campaign. You have to go back to April 3 to see a tweet that mentions McCain, and it's not the silly fear-mongering (next Zimbabwe?) coming from McCain:Troubled by today's unemployment figures, the latest indicator of how badly America needs fundamental change from Bush-McCain policies.
While, the fact is that Obama will probably win due to Republican's current unpopularity (unless he royally screws something up, of course) this difference in attitude or strategy sure won't help McCain. It really shows him to be the same old politician that we all know and hate. It's really too bad, because for a long time, he was the only Republican a Democrat or left-leaning hater-of-all-parties like myself, could respect. But, just as Romney sold his previously-more-centrist political soul to the right-wing, so has McCain.
Update 6/23 2:00: Apparently, I'm not the only one thinking about politics & twitter: Twitter As a Campaigning Tool and How Twitter Can Change the Presidential Debate.
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your insights save me the trouble of finding any of this out myself. thanks not that i would anyway. i'm already so sick of this campaign. i don't feel like listening to any of them anymore.
while i like that obama concentrates on issues and not personal attacks, that's also what i don't like about him. he got me all excited about politics again, idealistic even, but that quickly wore off when i got disillusioned by all his idealism and lack of pragmatism. i wonder when everyone else is going to realize that yeah, all these niceties are a pleasant change, but how is that going to translate into anything remotely productive?
also, that long comment you informed me of on mormons and classic art, it didn't post, and now you've gotten me all curious. you promised more research that's already been done for me and now i can't see it. it's upsetting.
not that i would anyway. i'm already so sick of this campaign. i don't feel like listening to any of them anymore. while i like that obama concentrates on issues and not personal attacks, that's also what i don't like about him. he got me all excited about politics again, idealistic even, but that quickly wore off when i got disillusioned by all his idealism and lack of pragmatism. i wonder when everyone else is going to realize that yeah, all these niceties are a pleasant change, but how is that going to translate into anything remotely productive?
also, that long comment you informed me of on mormons and classic art, it didn't post, and now you've gotten me all curious. you promised more research that's already been done for me and now i can't see it. it's upsetting.
Yeah, I know the mormons & art comment didn't post. That's why I was telling you about it. After it didn't post, I was annoyed and didn't want to write it up again.
Back to Obama. I'm with you that he has me all excited about politics again. Why is idealism a bad thing? Idealism with no pragmatism is a waste of time, but we need ideals to shoot for. We need to realize that we'll likely never reach ideals (and that no ideal is ideal for everyone), but we need them to drive us forward. On the other hand, if you have only pragmatists, there's nothing to achieve.
I don't think that Obama is overly idealist, however. I think he has high ideals, but understands how to move things forward. I think you can look at the success of his campaign as an indicator (not proof, just an indicator) of how he is able to maintain his idealism while still understanding, and working within successfully, the realities of a situation.
Back to Obama. I'm with you that he has me all excited about politics again. Why is idealism a bad thing? Idealism with no pragmatism is a waste of time, but we need ideals to shoot for. We need to realize that we'll likely never reach ideals (and that no ideal is ideal for everyone), but we need them to drive us forward. On the other hand, if you have only pragmatists, there's nothing to achieve.
I don't think that Obama is overly idealist, however. I think he has high ideals, but understands how to move things forward. I think you can look at the success of his campaign as an indicator (not proof, just an indicator) of how he is able to maintain his idealism while still understanding, and working within successfully, the realities of a situation.
yes, and in revision, he certainly details his actual plans more than everyone else does/did. but everything i listen to just trips this alarm bell in my head shouting "empty promises". it is a campaign after all. and once elected, you have to work through several complicated elected groups and a vast bureaucracy. in short, i'm just a young and disillusioned cynic. there's no way around that. i really should work on that.
I actually think that most politicians (well, maybe not W ) intend(ed) to keep their campaign promises, but then they get dragged down into the muck by the groups you mention. So, since everyone will be brought down, the person we put in needs to be starting from as a high a point as possible.
Again, though, we should look at how he's running his campaign. Imagine the pressure that is exerted on presidential candidates by various groups in exchange for their support. Obama has figured out how to defuse a lot of that by relying much more heavily on small donations and refusing lobbyist & PAC money. I'm cautiously optimistic that he'll continue to come up with new ideas to circumvent a lot of the bureaucratic crap that comes with the job and actually get something accomplished.
Don't stop being a cynic. The more critical we are of our politicians, the better. To quote an overrated founding father: "The price of freedom is eternal vigilance."
) intend(ed) to keep their campaign promises, but then they get dragged down into the muck by the groups you mention. So, since everyone will be brought down, the person we put in needs to be starting from as a high a point as possible.Again, though, we should look at how he's running his campaign. Imagine the pressure that is exerted on presidential candidates by various groups in exchange for their support. Obama has figured out how to defuse a lot of that by relying much more heavily on small donations and refusing lobbyist & PAC money. I'm cautiously optimistic that he'll continue to come up with new ideas to circumvent a lot of the bureaucratic crap that comes with the job and actually get something accomplished.
Don't stop being a cynic. The more critical we are of our politicians, the better. To quote an overrated founding father: "The price of freedom is eternal vigilance."
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