Obama to field ‘tweets’ on jobs, economy

From the Washington Examiner

President Obama on Wednesday will become the first chief executive to preside over a town hall meeting made up entirely of tweeting people.

In the past, there was a strong correlation between Facebook followers and votes, but with more campaigns turning to social media sites and the ability of Facebook users to inflate their followings by offering would-be friends financial incentives, it’s more difficult now to accurately translate virtual support into votes, said political strategist and new media expert Vincent R. Harris.

If Facebook followers were an indication of political support, Obama would have about 22 votes for every vote cast for Republican presidential front-runner Mitt Romney. Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann would capture second place, with roughly 404,000 followers, and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman would come in last, with about 9,000.

As for Twitter, Harris said it “should not be used as a benchmark at all to judge a candidate’s support.” The micro-blogging website “remains the tool of activists and a hyperengaged audience,” not average American voters, he said.