Ma Hamatzav? (Was' Up?)

the internet as a force for democratization

October 8, 2008 at 1:47 pm 1 comment

I’m going to leave the decision of who won the 2nd presidential debate to the politicos. However, there was a fascinating experiment going on during the debate. NPR teamed with Plodt to use Twitter as a tool for gathering immediate feedback on each candidates performance. Confused? Well, me too and I was part of it!

But, despite the confusion, it was a fabulous social science experiment, enabling those of us twittering the debate to give and get immediate feedback on the candidates. I would add it was far from representative of the American populous – NPR listeners tend to be more liberal (and intelligent… ooh, did I say that?). I know it kept me engaged in a way I’ve not been for past debates.

I hope this sets a precedent for future public conversations. Viva la internet!

P.S. If you’re interested, the final tally… Obama 8, McCain 4 and you can read my comments at http://plodt.com/rebaaron

Entry filed under: Politics. Tags: debate, democratization.