Twitter and the Virginia Governor's race

If you recall the nation-wide protests Iran earlier this year, social networking services such as Twitter played a major role in helping the protestors organize and coordinate their events.  Last year, social networking was one of the tools credited for helping Obama win the Presidential election.  So it isn’t surprising to find Twitter and Facebook being used in the Governor’s race in Virginia.

Today was the second in a series of four debates between candidates Bob McDonnell and Creigh Deeds, and both camps had staff members “Tweeting” from the event.  As a non-Twitter user, I decided to check out their Twitter pages to see what information the staff members were sending out for their followers to read.  The following is ALL of the Tweets from both camps during the debate (the items in italics are from the McDonnell camp): 

@bobmcdonnell open statement – claims he’s from nova – you sure you don’t mean va beach?

@creighdeeds – open statement – reminds @bobmcdonnell that in 04 he opposed progress made by Gov. Warner

—- @CreighDeeds opening statement: brags about supporting higher taxes.

@creighdeeds – @bobmcdonnell never wrote a bill to create a job or expand edu. opportunity. Voted against Gov Opportunity Fund

1st question – @bobmcdonnell thesis – “working women / feminists are detrimental to society.” Question what has changed?

@bobmcdonnell answer: a lot of my close friends are women

follow-up for @creighdeeds – why is thesis an important topic now?

@creighdeeds A: i didn’t write when i was 34 that workig women are detrimental, that the state should be involved in contraception, etc.

@creighdeeds – the thesis puts @bobmcdonnell’s record in perspective. introduced 35 bills to limit a women’s right to choose

Transpo. question: 1. what is your plan for funding 2. what leve of funding 3. drain of $5million/year from trust fund?

@creighdeeds A: 1. will bring together ds/rs 2. a fund of new $ in excess of a billion $/year dedicated to transpo

—-@CreighDeeds the astronomer…talks about “space”

@creighdeeds: @bobmcdonnell will take $5.4 billion from our schools. he will rob peter to pay paul

—-@bobmcdonnell: “With 47 days to go I’m shocked my opponent (@CreighDeeds) still has no transportation plan” #vagov

@bobmcdonnell – attacks @creighdeeds for his realistic approach to solve our trans. problems. wants his liquor store on every corner plan

—-@CreighDeeds bashes Gov. Wilder’s ABC plan

@bobmcdonnell – “we need to improve the environment” – but does he believe in global warming?

@bobmcdonnell – “drinkable fuel” – not sure i like your green energy ideas

@creighdeeds – energy technology is the next economy. we need an energy based research triangle. check out deedsforvirginia.com for more

—-@CreighDeeds getting angry ~staff #vagov

—-@CreighDeeds called for cap and trade at the Fed. level and bragged about it this Spring ~staff #vagov

Question – Gitmo detainees

@creighdeeds – if we are going to close down gitmo – i would encourage other parts of USA than VA. I can work with Pres. Obama

@bobmcdonnell – i agree with Creigh

—-@CreighDeeds wanted to triple med mal cap ~staff #vagov #2009

Q: VA Gun show loophole?

@creighdeeds – i support 2nd amend. April 16, 2007 changed a lot of things for a lot of people. I felt the need as a human being

to close it. As Governor i will work to close it.

@creighdeeds – it’s going to take someone like me, with my record to close the gun show loop hole

@creighdeeds – i’m not sure where @bobmcdonnell is from. Nova/VA Beach/Henrico?

—-@CreighDeeds angry at Bob’s Fairfax roots and Virginia Beach home ~staff #vagov #2009

@creighdeeds – the people of nova have created unprecedented prosperity for the state – that’s why we have to help solve transpo

@creighdeeds – some of our rules are antiquated – we may have to rethink our rules to make sure they make sense for the 21st century

rt @seanholihan Ireland’s own @bobmcdonnell (hah!)

—-@CreighDeeds opposes 287g ~staff #vagov #2009

—-@CreighDeeds confuses audience, mass hysteria ~staff #vagov

on warner’s signature accomplishment – @bobmcdonnell why did you oppose it in 2004

“i can be better than Mark Warner” – @bobmcdonnell you opposed his accomplishments and his overall philosophy!

I know Mark Warner, I’ve worked for Mark Warner – @bobmcdonnell you are no Mark Warner

—-@CreighDeeds, you’ve really shared these concerns with @BarackObama? prove it ~staff #vagov

@creighdeeds – i know you’re against working women, but what do you have against working people @bobmcdonnell?

bob’s insulted? no bob the working women and families are insulted by your record and your blueprint for va

—-Bob’s for charter schools. @CreighDeeds is not. ~staff #vagov #2009

rt @MoElleitheeMcDonnell said he told Republicans they were wrong on spending. But he also said Bush economic policies would be his model.

—-Bob ends positive, @CreighDeeds ends angry – staff #vagov

As you can see, there really isn’t a lot of content with these Tweets.  Most of the content are merely jabs at both sides, while sometimes mentioning a key word indicating where they are during the debate.  Unfortunately, I come away disappointed.  If Tweeting is suppose to provide followers with information about an event, both the McDonnell and Deeds camps failed in this instance.  This just reinforces my stance that if you want information, go to the source and read/listen/view it for yourself. 

Bob McDonnell’s Twitter page – link
Creigh Deeds’ Twitter page – link