It’s not just President Trump who is tweeting these days. It’s all the candidates. So we decided to take a look at the twitter accounts to see what we could learn about each leading Democratic candidate. Here are our observations:
Joe Biden’s twitter banner is “Text Joe to 30330.” It’s a bit of an odd way to introduce yourself, but next to it there’s a more conventional photo of Biden and his wife walking hand in hand. Biden then describes himself as a “Senator, Vice President, Senator, Vice President, 2020 candidate for President of the United States, husband proud of Dr. Biden, father & grandfather. Loves ice cream, aviators & Amtrak.” Like most of the candidates, he makes an appeal that you contribute $5 towards his campaign. Biden appears to tweet a few times a day, no particular schedule. Today, he served up some folksy quotes such as “My dad had a saying, ‘Joey, the greatest sin of all is the abuse of power.'” There is also a clear attempt to appeal to the center including today’s reference to scripture: “Scripture is clear: it’s not enough to wish the World were better.”
Then there is Bernie Sanders. Sanders’s twitter account is visually more appealing than Biden’s. The lead photo is a view of a massive rally on a beautiful day underneath the Brooklyn Bridge (or at least that’s what we think it is). The photo highlights Sanders’ massive crowd support. Then there is the tag line that says “Not Me. Us.” Maybe we’re being thinking too much, but it almost seems like a dig on Hillary Clinton. Recall that her tag line was “I’m with her.” Bernie is saying its “Us” not him or her. His personal description is more direct: “U.S. Senator from Vermont and candidate for President of the United States.” No fooling around. Then there are the tweets themselves. Sanders tweets more regularly than Biden, generally at least once an hour. The message is consistent: “The ideas I am talking about now didn’t come to me yesterday. It’s not because I have a pollster who told me what I should say today. Health care as a right, a living wage for all, an end to endless wars, a right to decent housing — that’s what I’ve fought for my entire life” or “Together, we will launch the decade of the Green New Deal, a 10-year, nationwide mobilization centered around justice and equity.” Sanders also uses twitter to raise money and features upcoming events such as a rally in Iowa. The key message is that he is serious, both in the political revolution that he supports and trying to win the nomination.
Warren’s twitter account has a lead photo of an indoor rally where Warren has raised her hand surrounded by a healthy number of supporters. The message is simple: “We will rebuild the middle class.” Warren devotes much of her twitter page to pictures of her calling her supporters. The point seems to be that she cares about you. She also reminds viewers repeatedly that “Warren has a plan for that” and then says that “I don’t spend any time at fancy fundraisers asking wealthy donors for donations.” It’s a subtle knock on her moderate opponents Biden and Buttigieg. It also contains the mandatory attacks on Trump (“Trump is the most corrupt president in history.”) and several appeals to women (“Here’s my advice to young women on running for office, fight from the heart.”). Still, the twitter account comes across as a bit more folksy and subdued than Sanders.
Buttigieg also opts for a campaign rally photo at the top. One of the distinguishing characteristics of his campaign is that he has a clear color pattern: yellow and blue. The banner at the rally in the photo is yellow with blue letters Pete 2020. His head photo has a yellow background as well. It’s a neat bit of branding. The twitter page also has a more modern feel to it. There is a modern looking 2020 image that says “A New Era.” Buttigieg’s pinned tweet sounds a more uplifting message: “This season is one of hope and resilience—qualities that we need to cherish and celebrate more than ever. Regardless of whether you’re celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa, all of us at PeteforAmerica are wishing you and your family peace and joy this holiday season.” It’s noticeable that Buttigieg does not seem to criticize Trump that much, rather he stays positive and talks a lot about the future.
Finally, we briefly took a look at Mike Bloomberg’s twitter account. One tweet says it all: “As president, I’ll turn the East Room into an open office plan where I’ll sit with our team.” No one but a business executive is thinking about the office floor plan at this point in the campaign! Bloomberg highlights his key messages: gun violence, fighting climate change, improving education and creating better jobs. It’s a fairly conventional appeal that is focused on the moderate, urban and suburban voter.
It’s interesting how much you can learn by looking at the twitter accounts. Sanders is clearly playing to win and is serious about the political revolution. Buttigieg also has a coherent appeal about the future and a hopeful, modern appearance that is trying to evoke memories of Obama. Warren and Biden are more folksy, both trying to appeal to the middle class, Warren from the left and Biden from the center. Finally, Bloomberg is mr. business. We rank the effectiveness in the following order: Sanders at the top, then Buttigieg, Warren, Bloomberg with Biden bringing up the rear.
NewEnglandPolitics.com 