Conservatives love Twitter, 'the next revolution that’s going to take back the Congress.'

[BurtWorm]

This is a fascinating post from Think Progress about how 22nd Century Newt and his boys are using Twitter to tweet themselves back into relevancy:

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/02/25/gingrich-twitter/


Conservatives love Twitter. Many have embraced it as the future of the Republican party’s outreach to young people. Prolific Tweeter Rep. John Culberson (R-TX) has said that such technology is “the next revolution that’s going to take back the Congress.”

Last night, former House speaker Newt Gingrich — an inspiration to GOP congressional leaders like Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) — promised to use conservatives’ favorite new social media tool to “liveblog at http://newt.org on the obama/jindal speeches at 9pm, i will twitter and they will appear there as well, join us.”

For the most part, he didn’t talk about any of the bold, new ideas he’s been promising. Instead, he used many of his tweets to attack both President Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). Some examples:

– Nobody messes with joe and the smiles and nancy handshake resembled a democratic pep rally not a state of the union–sophomoric and silly

– Speaker Pelosi standing up to applaud the private jet line while she flies around in a government jet at taxpayer expense verges on bizarre

– Not wanting to burden our chilren with debt is an interesting pledge the week after passing $780 billion in unfunded spending

At one point, Gingrich engaged in brief tit-for-tat with American Prospect writer Dana Goldstein:

Goldstein: @newtgingrich determined to rain on Obama parade. Dude. Elections have consequences.

Gingrich: @DanaGoldstein last election or next election?

Gingrich’s response to Goldstein mirrored other threats by conservatives to politicize the economic recovery package for the 2010 election. Gingrich later added a few tweets that praised Obama, such as: “Energy healthcare and education are powerful zones for americans to focus on and if president obama is willing to innovate we should help,” and “President obamas call for education reform is encouraging and if he is willing to fight for it would be historic.”

However, he was noticeably silent during Lousiana Gov. Bobby Jindal’s (R) response, despite his promise of live tweets. Many of the commenters at newt.org noticed, writing, “newt lets hear from you” and “Newt what did you think of Jundal <sic>?”

As Matt Yglesias has written, “I love Twitter. I have two Twitter feeds. … It’s important for political movements to embrace new technologies, but part of embracing new technologies is understanding them and actually respecting what they’re for and Twitter is never going to be anything other than an incidental sideshow to political activism.” Earlier this week, The Next Right blogger Jon Henke wondered if perhaps the “Right has flocked to Twitter because they want a community, but have very little to say.”

[Cheap_Trick]

1. How special...Twits for Twitter.

[SpiralHawk]

34. Does Vitter the shitter Twitter?

What's up wit dat, Diaper Dave (R)?

[Cheap_Trick]

58. bwa ha ha

:rofl:

[hobbit709]

2. Mindless, moronic cretin fodder is perfect for their base.

[UnrepentantUnitarian]

8. Twitter, meet the Borg Collective...

...resistance is futile!

[lxlxlxl]

3. Have we realized that 'stupid and simple' tools of communication enable conservatives?

Look at tabloid news or Fox...there is a reason why conservatism thrives on cable tv or in fake newspapers...they have dumb quick responses where context means absolutely nothing. twitter is perfect for them. too bad we cant throw them on IRC.

[BlooInBloo]

4. NTSA...

1)Here's how much they're loving it:

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/02/virginia-gop-chairmans-blog-outreach-massive-fail.php

2) Both sides use Twitter. I follow my congresscritters, Maddow, Atrios, Yglesias, and a few others.

3)

[Lex]

6. They never disappointment me

with their ability to FAIL.

[Lex]

5. Aha, so *this* is their secret plan . . .

:rofl: Idiots!

[vanderBeth]

7. Twiiter? I still don't fucking get that!

[ThomWV]

43. Its a quick way compress your thought process to the point of extinction

Here is the way of the world: You can not have the thought if you do not have the words; thought without words is emotion. When thought is gone and all that is left is emotion you can be be excited by a meaningless phrase, or the code for a phrase. the ghost of what once was, and never have any idea what drove you to the madness in the first place. It is newspeak and hatespeak all rolled into one.

[sandnsea]

9. A thread full of tweets

from people who hate twitter.

:rofl:

[MADem]

12. I have no real idea what the fuck "Twitter" is!! It sounds like incessant one-liner instant

messenger feeds to me!

Years ago, I turned off that AOL IM shit. Drove me NUTS!

If anyone can explain what it is in English, I'd be appreciative.

[sandnsea]

24. One-liner feeds

Pretty much. It has its place, although I find 90% of it to be just stupid. It would be like a forum full of replies with absolutely nothing of substance to reply to, a title and a link, and that's it. Annoying as hell, for the most part. Do I care what Rick Sanche tweets? No. But if you create a network around a particular topic, like a hobby or a travel location or your city or state, then it can allow you to get a quick update on a variety of things.

[MADem]

46. Oooooh, these young whippersnappers and their new-fangled ideas!!!

I think I'll skip the twittering, then!!! Maybe I'll miss out, but I'll just have to cope!

[PVnRT]

14. sandnsea wins

[BurtWorm]

17. I think the Twitterers are missing the point

just as much as the Twitterphobes.

This thread is not about the medium. It's about the message.

[Posteritatis]

33. So, what, pray tell, is the message?

What is this one message that a few bazillion uncoordinated people making use of a service for innumerable overlapping and mutually contradictory reasons?

Talking about Twitter as though it's sending A Message is a step up from talking about, say, Wordpress or Blogger as sending A Message.

[BurtWorm]

39. You're trying to to be too smart by half.

The GOP message is the same bullshit rejected message it ever was. It doesn't matter if it's delivered in cuneiform or telepathic brain waves: it's the same old stupid shit.

That's the point of the original post and the Think Progress post it's based on.

[Posteritatis]

10. Starting to think there's a "one FUD/guilt-by-association thread about Twitter per day" rule here nt

[BurtWorm]

13. This thread is not meant to criticise Twitter.

I don't understand Twitter, and it's clear a lot of others here don't. Some may be reacting to it with fear and consternation. I'm trying to learn about it.

What intrigues me about this post is what it reveals about Republicans. I think it shows how clueless they are about why no one loves them anymore. Newtie boy thinks it's because they're not cool enough, so apparently he's banking on using the latest cool tool to get back some of that cachet he and his posse had in 1994, trying to master it before the Dems do and own it. But this piece shows how useless such technology is to people who have no clue themselves that it's not the medium but the same old bullshit message that's the real problem.

[BlooInBloo]

18. Yup. I don't particularly care for twitter, making shit up just because I don't care for it...

seems really weird to me.

[BurtWorm]

19. Making what shit up?

Who doesn't care for it?

[BlooInBloo]

20. Watch out! There's another republican conspiracy right behind you! Oooga Boooga!!!

[BurtWorm]

23. I'm laughing at the GOP 'conspiracy!'

The article is laughing at it.

Read it again.

(PS: Or should I say, actually read it?)

[Posteritatis]

30. My reaction..

And I apologize if it wasn't your intent - you clarified it a bit in your response to me - is to the general trend of the past few days here. I see a lot of mindless reaction.

When I said there was about one thread spreading FUD about Twitter per day here lately, I meant it - every day this week and back into the weekend I've seen at least one new thread alleging that it's a Republican conspiracy, or an Orwellian plot, or a tool to control our thoughts or some other silliness. Every one of them is just reacting to something they've never looked at, assuming that Twitter is the only method Kids These Days(tm) use to communicate, or both. All of those claims are firmly entrenched on the other side of the Makeshitupistani border, and they're all very common claims here.

It's like saying television's nothing but reality TV, or music is nothing but the nastier forms of rap, or cars are nothing more than SUVs, or whatever other silliness. But since it's a "new" (read: several years old) fad on the internet, everyone feels free to hurl thunderbolts without having the least idea what they're talking about.

Me? I don't use Twitter, nor am I particularly interested in using it. Using it would be redundant with a few other ways I use to keep in touch with people, and my cell phone is lodged firmly in the early Bronze Age anyway. The hype about it, both for and against, is ridiculous. I'm defending it, though, because I always have a low tolerance for the "I don't know anything about this, but I know it's bad" mindset no matter what the target is.

Put another way, I think people who want to learn about a new technology can generally find better ways to read about it than hyped-up blog posts about it. A few minutes with Google, or (god forbid) going to one site or another that's being complained about, can usually get rid of a lot of the more kneejerky reactions to it. Sure, they could initiate some others - Twitter's front page annoys me - but it's really not that hard to learn about something in a moderately critical and balanced way before condemning it as a partisan tool.

[BurtWorm]

36. Essentially I agree with you.

But you have to watch your own knee-jerks, too. Not every mention of Twitter and Republicans is a conspiracy theory.

I have a twitter account. I've been trying to find out from people who Twitter what it's good for. If it's any good, I want to know how to use it.

[Posteritatis]

37. I'm going by the last several OPs on it I've read

These threads started last week sometime, and several in a row said straight out that it was an evil plot to control our thoughts or whatever, as though it's the only thing people use to communicate. Yes, Republicans use it, but so what? Quite a few other people do. I'm not a fan of guilt by association, any more than I am by the general set of reactions to it by people who demonstrably don't know what they're talking about with it or several other forms of media.

[BurtWorm]

40. Fine. This post is not the boogeyman you're defended against either.

[WePurrsevere]

48. There's potential there I think.. for business and activism.. Gore & Obama both have used it.

So it can't be all bad. ;)

http://twitter.com/BarackObama
http://twitter.com/algore

[Lex]

52. Exactly right.

What's the hostility toward new internet interactive media anyway?

[WePurrsevere]

61. I'm not really sure why...

normally I try not to get overly hostile toward anything until I've checked it out thoroughly. ;)

It's only a tool. Similar to blogs it's a tool that can potentially reach a lot of people if used properly. If you're a small business, artist, activist, politician, etc it can help drive traffic to your site, blog, store, etc and more traffic is a good thing normally. :)

[GinaMaria]

11. They really don't get social media strategy, do they?

It's not find a tool and use it to force your messages. It should be, what are your messages and what is the best way to engage people in those messages. Backwards Ass.

[BurtWorm]

15. Exactly.

Thank you for getting it. :toast:

[GinaMaria]

49. The most successful uses of social media

are well thought out strategies that drive business and customer engagement, create value for your clients, and provide a mechanism for businesses to understand, change, adapt and adopt new approaches that reinforce that engagement with the customer. It's about relationship building.

No one in politics even comes close to Obama's social media strategy. At the heart of this, is his knowledge and understanding of the meaning of the tools, not just how to use them.

They are just falling all over themselves trying to fail. It's getting uncomfortable to watch.... like watching Michael Scott when you know he should just shut up. It's the cringe moment.

Here's one for you too :toast:

[BurtWorm]

50. I get a cheap thrill out of watching them flail around

Their horribleness just fascinates me.

[GinaMaria]

63. They truly seem to be missing something

they just 'don't get it'. I guess the word for it is 'poser'. It's very shallow and an imitation of what other people are doing in an attempt to look cool. They're trying too hard. They just don't fit in, do they? So out of step with the rest of us, in so many ways. This is just a symbolic representation of the whole picture with them.

[beac]

28. The GOP is a big fan of all things "backwards."

[Oregone]

16. I hope Google goes off his meds and murders Twitter and her fucking Tweets

Die Twitter, die all ready!

[rocktivity]

21. Goldstein should have tweeted back to Gingrich

I can certainly understand your ignoring THIS election. By the way, didn't the end of your career begin when you made a fuss about the seating on Air Force One?

:headbang:
rocktivity

[Uzybone]

22. Is twitter a one sided conversation with your followers?

I'm usually up on all the tech fads but twitter is something that has not caught on in my world. The only people I hear pimping it are pols and big media (which means its lame IMO).

[BurtWorm]

26. It's a 140 character max live feed

Some people tweet, others follow them. You can tweet back, sort of like instant messaging, sort of like blogging, sort of like commenting on blogs...

Here's a sample of what's going on on Twitter right now:



1. Mallory Colliflowermalcolli@eriksundelof Its a tough arena. If someone's life is being threatened I'm not sure theres a place for that on a story or blogpost. #wemedialess than 5 seconds ago from TweetDeck in reply to eriksundelof

2. Cheapest BargaincheapestbargainSomeone has compared prices using http://costume-party.mobi and is buying *General Mills Lucky Charms Leprechaun Adult* from Love Fancy ...less than 5 seconds ago from web

3. Sarah PhillipssarahobmAlmost got my home wifi network working! Yippeeeless than 5 seconds ago from twitterrific

4. blbeesleyblbeesleySitting at Starbucks waiting for the decaf to brew ... Literally "the most fresh cup of coffee in town"less than 5 seconds ago from Tweetie

5. Andrew Schreckandrewschreck@Swallow_Doretti that was funnyless than 5 seconds ago from DestroyTwitter in reply to Swallow_Doretti

6. Lianawritepudding@dpadgham I am ready for 5 p.m. Friday.less than 5 seconds ago from web in reply to dpadgham

7. Jeff Williamsironcx@Kayotino less walkingless than 5 seconds ago from twhirl in reply to Kayotino

8. Sara Lambjavagiraffe@abkadefgee first i forgot about shamrock shakes. then i remembered and wanted one. now i don't but i still kinda do. jerk!less than 5 seconds ago from web

9. stephenshapirostephenshapiroSpecial Goal-Free Living Offer: I recently sent a copy of my Goal-Free Living book to someone I worked with 20 y.. http://tinyurl.com/cs6b3wless than 5 seconds ago from twitterfeed

10. nachozaragozanachozaragozaMaría Antonia Iglesias y Gabilondo arremeten contra María San Gil http://tinyurl.com/bwtkwxless than 5 seconds ago from twitterfeed

11. Christine Valenzaart4change@markgrowden Nice to hear what you eat...but what is a bright guy like you thinking about?less than 5 seconds ago from web in reply to markgrowden

12. Sean GallagherthepacketratNew blog post: It's the cost, stupid, DOD's deputy asst. secretary for C3 says http://tinyurl.com/agnjpvless than 5 seconds ago from Twitter Tools

[Uzybone]

29. Thanks for that

it looks depressing.

[BurtWorm]

32. To be fair

Those people are not all talking to each other. They're talking to followers or replying to people they're following. That's just a real-time snapshot of all the tweeting going on at one moment.

[JHB]

41. And that's why Conservatives are for it!

At 140 characters per twit, you can't exchange serious information, you cna't hold a complex discussion. You have to rely on established themes; there just isn't enough space to communicate with anyone who isn't on the same page.

Excellent for providing the illusion of inclusion while maintaining a top-down structure.

[BurtWorm]

42. Nevertheless, several DUers swear by Twitter as an excellent activism and networking tool.

I don't know how they use it that way, exactly. But one person was telling me yesterday that he's met more activists through Twitter than through DU.

It can be thought of as a conversation tool. How effective it is must depend on the content of the conversation as well as the context.

[anonymous171]

59. Just like Talk Radio! nt

[librechik]

25. Of course: You don't have to spell, and you don't have to write anything longer than a sentence

it's perfect for the Evil Gene-ys.

[PVnRT]

31. Well, I guess it keeps them off your lawn

:eyes:

[treestar]

27. Conservatives are such idiots

Any technology that would help them would also help the Democrats in the same way. The Democrats would probably use it better.

[WePurrsevere]

45. Democrats do use it better. Obama used Twitter as a candidate...

http://twitter.com/BarackObama
Al Gore uses it
http://twitter.com/algore

For fun there's "i can has cheezburger": http://twitter.com/ICHCheezburger

Much as with blogs it's all about HOW you use it. Many use it to get the word out about their product (it's pretty popular amongst those who sell on Etsy) whether that "product" is oneself, a site (which is how I use it) or creations (which I plan to for myself and already am for others.)

I'm still learning how to use it to best advantage... but there is potential there and Twitter is growing. :)

[treestar]

65. Republics just think that Obama got them on the use of the internet

to raise money. Then moved into the WH and noticed how far behind the technology was.

It is typical of their shallow thinking that they then conclude: Technology wins. So they take the lastest technology and think if they just use it they will win 2010.

Gawd, they are so stupid. As if their twittering can win it for them. With no regard to the fact that their content is still bone-stupid.

[RandySF]

35. Just like Steele's Hip Hop

They don't get it. Technology alone does not win elections, ideas do. It's a tool. Actually, these morons better be careful wha they twitter because it can kill them faster than Youtube killed George Allen. By the way, he misspelled "children".

[Tyler Generation]

38. FUCK TWITTER

Sorry, but this ego-stroking blog shit has to end!!!

Twitter is so presumptuous that "Oh, well everyone must know MY OPINION on everything at ALL TIMES!"

It's not enough that I have a blog and a facebook I need to push my blow hard head up my ass opinion on everything! Pleeeeeeeease pay attention to me, my daddy didn't hug me enough!

:rant:

[Lex]

53. Al Gore twitters, so does Rachel Maddow, and lots of other progressive bloggers.

Try not to take it so personally.

[Tyler Generation]

54. Neat

I'll totally check it out now.:sarcasm:

[Lex]

55. No one cares if you.

You are just misinformed about it is all.

[Tyler Generation]

56. No

I am informed about it I just was stating my opinion on it. Al Gore and Rachel Maddow using it doesn't change the fact I find it ridiculous.

[Posteritatis]

60. ... he says, screaming his own opinion all over the forum... (nt)

[NYC Liberal]

68. "Oh, well everyone must know MY OPINION on everything at ALL TIMES!"

Sounds like a lot of the stuff right here on DU. It's a discussion board, after all.

[KonaKane]

44. Twitter is for self absorbed teens

What a bonanza of thoughtful commentary Twitter is...

"Just had a bowl of beans and a good fart."

"Mowed the lawn and now bored."

"What time is it?"

"My cat just threw up on my sofa."

[Lex]

51. Wow, I follow Rachel Maddow on Twitter and it's pretty interesting.

Probably you don't know what you're talking about.

[KonaKane]

70. Probably I do.

There are many ways to follow Maddow, including on her own site - with much more content and intelligently displayed extras.

[Name removed]

47. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Think82]

57. Read: Republicans Mitch McConnell, Eric Cantor and John Boehner Twitter each other at Obama's speech

http://www.examiner.com/x-2895-LA-Political-Satire-Examiner~y2009m2d25-Read-Republicans-Mitch-McConnell-Eric-Cantor-and-John-Boehner-Twitter-each-other-at-Obamas-speech

[Dappleganger]

62. As always they are behind the times...

Democrats RULED the Twitter world during the last election.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

64. Where's Ashley the Twitter girl?

To claim she got beat up by a scary black guy who saw her McCain sticker?

[Fire1]

66. Is twitter basically a 'blog' versus text messaging????

[Fire1]

67. Thanks but I've got it! It IS nice.

[spanone]

69. cause it's simple, stupid, and you don't have to back up your claims

[wickerwoman]

71. 62,400 repetitions make one truth

Tweet away Newt. I work backwards from the assumption that everything you say is full of shit and I've never been wrong yet.