There is no big mystery about Twitter. Anybody with access to the Web can use it. In fact, just to keep things in perspective about this CNN Political Ticker story on how conservatives somehow have the upper hand on Twitter, be sure to watch this video of Ben Stiller explaining the "glories" of Twitter to a skeptical Mickey Rooney. Here are some of Rooney's classic remarks about Twitter in response to Stiller's explanations:
"Do you find this fun and interesting?"
"I don't find that entertaining."
"How do you get caught up on Tweets?"
"Can children do it?"
Okay, now that we have some perspective on this web tool, let us go the the Political Ticker story on how conservatives have some sort of Twitter advantage:
Liberal bloggers established online political activism, besting their conservative rivals during President George W. Bush's eight years in office. But conservatives are now finding great success 140 characters at a time. Even this week, the conservative organization Club For Growth promoted their Twitter account on their $1.2 million ad campaign against health care.
Liberal bloggers established online political activism, besting their conservative rivals during President George W. Bush's eight years in office. But conservatives are now finding great success 140 characters at a time. Even this week, the conservative organization Club For Growth promoted their Twitter account on their $1.2 million ad campaign against health care.
Liberal bloggers "bested" their conservative rivals during the Bush years? Did the Political Ticker follow closely the Democratic Underground or the Daily Kos during that time? Your humble correspondent followed them very closely for the DUmmie FUnnies and the best description of them would be from a line in a Gary Larson cartoon: "Just plain nuts!"
"While it is obvious the progressive blogosphere is superior, we are being out-organized on Twitter," said Gina Cooper, a blogger who helped organize Netroots Nation, an annual gathering of online liberal activists that met last week in Pittsburgh. "There is some catching up to do on the progressive side."
Huh? How do you even get "organized" on Twitter? Anybody can post there and anybody can go where they want. Even Mickey Rooney although I doubt he will be twitting anytime soon.
Tracy Viselli, who attended Netroots Nation, agreed with Cooper and admitted that liberal bloogers are ceding this valuable territory to conservatives.
"Twitter is a news funnel," she said. "Conservatives are very tightly knit and getting their message out very well."
A little perspective on tweeting (or is it twitting?) was brought by Erick Erickson:
Erick Erickson, managing editor of the popular conservative Web site RedState.com, said that conservatives' efforts online are important but noted that people should continue to use traditional means to try and influence Congress.
"It is all well and good to be banging on your key board, but if you are not picking up the phone and yelling at your congressman, it does not do you very good," he said.
And, yeah, your humble correspondent will be tweeting this story on Twitter. However, keep in mind, those 140 word twits in themselves won't tell you much. Their best function is to point you to other sources of information...such as this story. Most of the twits are really nothing much more than authors gazing at their own navels. And like Mickey Rooney, "I don't find that entertaining."
