Republicans still don't get it..... But the tea party does.

[The_Dude 1,142]

The Conversation: Understanding 'Hashtag Politics'

What's now being called "hashtag politics" has changed the political landscape, giving grassroots activists from both political parties a platform to share their views and gain followers.

If you need any evidence of the power of social media in modern day politics, just look at the Twitter hashtag #TCOT, which stands for "Top Conservatives on Twitter." The tag has allowed individual Twitter users to connect their tweets into an active and influential conversation.

"I think in terms of the world of hashtag politics, we conservatives do have the upper hand right now," said Michael Patrick Leahy, who helped popularize the #TCOT hashtag list in November 2008. "We're the group that really launched the Tea Party movement in February of 2009."

Leahy is now writing a book, "The Ideological Origins of the Tea Party Movement," to be released in 2011, and his website, TCOTReport.com, provides a list of conservatives active on Twitter, ranked according to the number of followers.

Leahy started his list as a response to the perception that liberal activists dominated online. The list now includes both Tea Party darlings and mainstream Republican figures, including Newt Gingrich, Sarah Palin, and Karl Rove. Other grassroots activists also rank highly, though they may not be household names.

"It turns out there were a lot of conservatives on Twitter," he said. "They were A, lonesome, and B, competitive. They wanted to get on top of the list."

"What's happening now, particularly in the Republican, but ultimately in the Democratic party, the manner in which the agenda is set, how the party is organized, and who the leaders are is in the process of historical transformation," Leahy said.

Leahy says that social media sites like Twitter and Facebook are already having a strong influence in the run-up to the mid-term elections in November, and Politico's Andy Barr agrees.

"We've got such grassroots field. That's where a lot of the energy, a lot of the money is coming from," Barr said. "[social media sites are] the way they're communicating. A lot of the time, they're using Twitter and Facebook really to kind of spread a message that you don't see out

Barr points to the example of Tea Party-backed candidate Christine O'Donnell, who is the subject of countless tweets this week in response to her upset in the Delaware Republican Primary, not to mention her comments about witchcraft on Bill Maher's talk show in the late 90's.

Still, Barr says, #TCOT and the Tea Party have to prove that their ability to generate buzz can translate into a governing philosophy.

"They're going to have to run these guys for reelection. You know, you only get to be the rebels for one election cycle. Eventually, these guys are going to become the institution," Barr said.

Today on the Conversation, ABC's David Muir spoke with both Barr and Leahy about the power of hashtag politics and its limits. We hope you'll watch.

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Clearly, the lesson from the 2008 presidential election was lost on the republicans. However, the message of technology seems to have caught on in the Tea Party, and they have forged ahead in the use of twitter and other social networks. It pains me to say this, but the conservatives (not the establishment republicans) have been far superior politically. They are shaping these midterm elections around fiscal policy while trying to minimize the role of social issues like abortion. The end result of this is obvious in the polls. Many of the social issues that tea party candidates and members believe in are very divisive and would actually alienate many moderates and independents. However, conservatives have thus far been able to push those issues to the back burner and focus on fiscal policy to retain independeents and moderates.

Now, if conservatives can stave off a civil war and apathy, they will win quite handily in November. I don't know if they will take back the senate or house of represenatatives, but it will be much closer to a 50/50 split. This time, unlike in 96, it has as much to do with an anti-incumbent sentiment as it does with superior political strategy.

[Dan J 277]

Datamining twitter networks could lead to targeted advertising. You don't want to spend too much money on the people who are going to vote for you no matter what, instead you want identify and spend your advertising money on the people you might be able to switch over to you.

I somewhat doubt the Republicans are actually going to do as well as some people predict. They will win some seats, as per historical trends. But I doubt going more conservative is the way to go, some of the tea party candidates are polling lower than McCain (RINO by the tea party definition) did in 2008 and this is a Republican year after all.

[The_Dude 1,142]

Datamining twitter networks could lead to targeted advertising. You don't want to spend too much money on the people who are going to vote for you no matter what, instead you want identify and spend your advertising money on the people you might be able to switch over to you.

I somewhat doubt the Republicans are actually going to do as well as some people predict. They will win some seats, as per historical trends. But I doubt going more conservative is the way to go, some of the tea party candidates are polling lower than McCain (RINO by the tea party definition) did in 2008 and this is a Republican year after all.

I agree, I don't think they will re-take either house, but they will be able to make it a lot closer to a 50/50 split. With no super majority, I say screw Liebermann, dump him from the causcus.

[^_^ 5,021]

... screw Liebermann, dump him from the causcus.

+1