Twitter Me This!

Depending on how much of a Twitter enthusiast you are, by now you've seen Howard Kurtz's piece on the subject, featuring the Twitter stylings of moi (and others, particularly the excellent John Dickerson and Ana Marie Cox). Twitter has emerged as an essential shorthand platform for covering this convention — an answer, perhaps, to John Koblin's question today about whether five zillion journalists all covering the same thing can add anything to the equation. The Twitter feeds I've got have been an essential source for info during this whirlwind week, when I am almost on the go and far from having the time to sit and actually read the coverage of my colleagues (last night chatting with Ben Smith of Politico he agreed: "No one reads anything while they're here." Ben, I'd read you if I had the time!). But Twitter has been the exception — via Twitter I get the brilliance (and wit) of my colleagues along with some pretty essential info. Like the Daily Show (damn, missed it last night!), it's not a replacement for paying attention to the actual news, but as a complement it can't be beat. Even Jon Klein is doing it!

So: I'm going to offer you some Twitter brilliance in two parts: First, some entries from my own feed (you can adjudge the brilliance for yourself) and a little later on, the best from my wonderful colleagues. In the meantime, if you need a shot in the arm, FishbowlDC's twitter is a continuous I.V. drip (there, Patrick, that's your shout-out!). Seriously, dude, watch out for that repetitive stress injury thing.

So - keep in mind that these are real-time observations limited to 140 characters. It's a different form, so no judging. Eagle-eyed readers may chart the progress from Twitter thought to blog-fodder, here on ETP and on Julie Mason's Beltway Confidential at the Houston Chron, where I am guest-posting during the DNC. Other than that, enjoy the Tweets, sweets!

From last night's dual-location-a-block-away Politico/Glover Park Group parties:

• Splitting the Politico baby was a bad idea.
  about 9 hours ago from mobile web

  From yesterday's Common Good panel on campaign issues, featuring Tucker Carlson, Richard Wolff, Dee Dee Myers, Harold Ford and moderated by Dan Abrams:

• Dee Dee Myers just gave a great answer on the HRC sexism as more acceptable than racism question...lobbed it to Harold Ford, and he punted. about 19 hours ago from mobile web

  From yesterday's HuffPo panel on the media and the '08 election:

• Great question from Charlie Rose to Chad Hurley: "What do you have to learn from old media?" I think the lesson is, content has value. about 20 hours ago from web

• Katharine Weymouth sticks up for old media ("we have to find a new name for it"), reminding of the importance of investigative work. about 20 hours ago from web
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• I predict ten twitters on Stephanopoulos' response to being told to stand up: "It's not going to help that much." Aw. about 21 hours ago from web

• Arianna at the HuffPo panel on Michelle Obama's favorite TV show: "True or false, Marsha Brady was a Muslim?" about 21 hours ago from web

  From my morning at the CNN Grill:

• Jon Klein book club: Recommends "Water For Elephants" by Sarah Gruen about 23 hours ago from mobile web

• Leslie Sanchez says Republicans don't tweet. Hmmm. about 24 hours ago from mobile web

• Jon Klein is mocking how much I am eating. "On her schedule, she should have been through the steak already, but she's twittering." 10:46 AM August 26, 2008 from mobile web

• "The most successful fundraising team in the history of the world, ever." - Karen Russell, Obama Finance Team. Jon Klein made a CNN joke. 10:41 AM August 26, 2008 from mobile web

• Blitzer, CNN Grille: "Wherever Wolf is, that's where the Situation Room is." 10:34 AM August 26, 2008 from mobile web

  From Slate "Obamania!" party Monday night:

• Slate party was fun! Saw the Tam Can Fan. 12:37 AM August 26, 2008 from mobile web

• With Chris Cillizza! Wow, taller in person. 12:05 AM August 26, 2008 from mobile web

  After/during Monday night speeches:
  

• Okay, I've got a crush on Michelle Obama. 09:54 PM August 25, 2008 from web

• Surprise kicker: "People like Hillary Clinton." Then Michy O. reprises her 18 million cracks line from when she was on "The View." 09:51 PM August 25, 2008 from web

• What matters to Michy O.: "That your word is your bond and you do what you say you're gonna do." 09:42 PM August 25, 2008 from web

• Is it bad that I keep thinking, "Man she looks goooooooood!"? Because she looks goooooooood. 09:41 PM August 25, 2008 from web

• Watching Ted Kennedy tribute video on CNN and can't help wondering if they'll show the Roger Mudd moment... 08:24 PM August 25, 2008 from web

  Random observations:

• Jake Weisberg just did a perfect headstand at the Oasis. Impressive! 06:47 PM August 25, 2008 from mobile web

  (photo evidence to come)

• Just saw Ted Sorenson in bookstore. He said that HuffPo was "an important part of this process." Aw. 06:03 PM August 25, 2008 from mobile web

• Thom Hartmann welcomes Arianna to her panel, tells her she smells terrific. (Krugman's on it, he smells nice, too.) 05:09 PM August 25, 2008 from mobile web

• Sorensen remembers the anti-Catholic hatemail that came in back in the 60s; said biggest anti-JFK voting bloc was Protestants, incl. Dems. 04:52 PM August 25, 2008 from web

• Also, Dyson: If Obama is ruffling feathers amongst whites AND blacks, then he's doing something right. Brings it back to JFK. Oh, he's good. 04:47 PM August 25, 2008 from web

• Michael Eric Dyson: Obama is like Jackie Robinson in that he can take the slings and arrows of being "first" -- and still do the job. 04:45 PM August 25, 2008 from web

• Jonathan Alter compares Roosevelt and Obama; says Obama has opportunity to redefine the social contract. 04:42 PM August 25, 2008 from web

• Great speech from Ted Sorenson drawing the distinction between the kind of man JFK was and George Bush -- and John McCain. 04:34 PM August 25, 2008 from

• David Corn is back at the HuffPo Oasis, possibly due to how much fun he had yesterday at yoga. Also making a splash here: Daryl Hannah! 03:11 PM August 25, 2008 from web

• Ed Rendell is totally blowing up this luncheon. Love it. 02:29 PM August 24, 2008 from mobile web
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• Wow, so far the Secret Service agents have been very fetching. 05:18 PM August 23, 2008 from mobile web

• Hilarious sign held up in Denver airport: Welcome, Mr. Blitzer! 12:30 AM August 23, 2008 from mobile web
  

Comments

[Crowhaul]

If, as Plato suggested, 90% of spoken words are unneccessary, just think what that says about 90% of the Twittered word....

[AFPR]

Tweets are limited to 140 characters, but I believe it is a lot more to it then that. People need to stop thinking of Twitter as a "micro-blogging" service, and start looking at it like a platform, or operating system. I have blogged a ton about Twitter lately on my blog. Everyday, I think of (and learn of) new ways to use Twitter (I just posted about some NEW ways that businesses can use Twitter)

VOIP? Phweep
Find out about a Start-up (funding...founder,etc) send a Tweet to @cbbot . Want to cheat at scrabble? @ wordbot

Just today, Mozilla announced Ubiquity that will work with Twitter. There are already a few hundred applications that are utilizing the Twitter app. Everyone, and every business can benefit from Twitter. Take your blog as an example ... By simply using twitterfeed, anyone in Twitterville can automatically learn of your new posts (It posts the URL and a brief summation as a Tweet).

www.afpr.com
www.twitter.com/A_F