Obama Tweets Too

About a year ago Obama posted his first tweet. Although he already had a Twitter account, he had never posted his own claiming his "thumbs [were] too clumsy to type things over the phone."  But that has all changed.  However, a majority of people believe that his Jan. 18 2010 tweet in support of the Red Cross was a rarity (shown in this Huffington Post poll).

However, weather it is Obama himself or, more likely, his press staff, @BarackObama has over 7,200,000 followers and, since inception, has posted 1,307 tweets.  These updates range from showing support for various causes, announcing events or speeches, updating the public or even, as he did today, announcing that he is gearing up for the 2012 Elections.  

Twitter will likely play a large role in the 2012 Elections for all candidates.  It already is a significant means for politicians to keep in touch with their constituents from DC and will surely increase as they try to garner support.  The Hill recently reported that Republicans are outtweeting Democrats.  

The "Twongress" report shows that 89 Republicans are actively tweeting, compared to 43 Democrats. The divide is especially apparent in the House, where 42 percent of the Republican Caucus is tweeting, while only 12 percent of the Democratic Caucus has found a Twitter audience.

 

One of the most important civic duties is to remain informed and aware.  Sometimes though, the public needs a little help.  And oftentimes, youth can fall to the wayside.  Posting short updates on Twitter (that often lead to more in-depth posts) reaches out to many youth and older citizens alike.  In my mind, anything to keep the public informed is all good.