It’s been appropriately dubbed the 2012 Social Media Election for good reason. With the undeniable power of social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook, both President Barack Obama and challenger Mitt Romney have utilized each platform to generate millions of mentions and endorsements.
Facebook and Twitter have also brought each candidate’s achievements and blunders to the forefront perhaps more prominently than any other time in American history. With up-to-minute fact checking via sites like Politifact and FactCheck.org, candidates have endured several months under the social media microscope.
According to the Pew Research Center, of the 60 percent of American adults using either Facebook or Twitter, roughly 66 percent of those users—or 39 percent of all American adults—“have done at least one of eight civic or political activities with social media.” Facebook and Twitter have become a springboard for political discussion, whether it’s to encourage others to vote, take a stand on the most pressing issues, or promote material from their preferred candidate.
Not too long ago, newspapers and journalists served as the Watchdogs of Democracy, carefully investigating every waking move of those running for or already in office. Now it’s more than scoring high marks from political pundits on CNN or Fox News.
Even the term 24-hour news cycle is starting to lose its luster among the mainstream media.
“It’s a 140-character news cycle,” said Adam Sharp, leader of Twitter’s government, news, and social innovation team.
From humorous to awe-inspiring, here is a list detailing some of the most memorable moments — the 140-character variety — of the 2012 Presidential Election leading up to Election Day.
No. 1 — “This seat’s taken”
A surprise appearance by one of the nation’s most revered actors had America all atwitter following the final day of the Republican National Convention in Tampa. Hollywood icon Clint Eastwood’s bizarre, impromptu speech was buzzing on Twitter at the rate of 7,044 tweets per minute, according to the official Twitter blog.
Eastwood rambled (crazily at times) for nearly 11 minutes, speaking directly to a stool occupied by an imaginary President Obama.
“I remember 3½ years ago when Mr. Obama won the election and though I wasn’t a big supporter, I was watching that night when he was having that thing and they were talking about hope and change. ‘Yes we can’ and it was dark and outdoors and it was nice, people were lighting candles, they were saying ‘I just thought this is great.’ Everybody’s crying, Oprah was crying. And I was even crying,” Eastwood quipped as he looked at the empty stool, evoking laughter among the throng of Romney supporters.
Eastwood was off to a great start, but it was all downhill from there.
“Clint Eastwood’s speech tonight brought new meaning to the good, the bad and the ugly … but mostly just the bad and the ugly,” said Obama campaign spokesperson Lis Smith.
Eastwood’s disastrous speech made headlines the following day, somewhat overshadowing Romney himself. The Obama team capitalized with a stirring move of its own, however, responding with a picture sent from the @BarackObama Twitter account of a rear look at him sitting in a chair marked “the President” with the caption: “This seat’s taken.”
