President's Twitter campaign back-tweets
Washington (CNN) - It's hard to explain it in 140 characters or less. President Obama's re-election Twitter account lost thousands of followers Friday after his 2012 campaign tried to use the social media site to turn up the heat on Republicans over the debt ceiling.
The account, @BarackObama, sent out scores of tweets Friday listing the Twitter handles for dozens of GOP members of Congress.
"If you live in Wisconsin, ask @SenRonJohnson http://twitter.com/SenRonJohnson to support a bipartisan compromise to the debt crisis," one tweet said.
Earlier in the day, the president called on Americans to use Twitter, as well as other forms of communication, to send a message to Congress to end the stalemate.
"Let your members of Congress know, make a phone call, send an e-mail, tweet, keep the pressure on Washington and we can get past this," the President said.
But the tweet offensive may have backfired. Or is that back-tweeted?
According to the website Twitter Counter, the account lost tens of thousands of followers Friday.
White House reporters and the president's critics questioned whether Mr. Obama's re-election campaign was spamming its more than nine million followers.
"Bam's spam? President Barack Obama takes debt battle to Twitter, loses more than 33,000 followers," the Twitter account @whitehousepresscorps tweeted as of 6pm Friday.
An Obama re-election campaign official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, brushed off the account's losses, arguing there's a "natural burn rate" any time you send an email or tweet.
Members of Congress tweeted back their frustrations.
"Dear #Obamatons you are ruining my interactions with thoughtful democrats with this spam. And U R hurting your President," tweeted Rep. Dennis Ross R-Florida.
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Whine and cry - the republicans are just like the speaker - wah wah wah wah wah
Kill the damn thing! Get rid of Twitter, textinng and any other media that has no business related application. Maybe we can go back to enjoying movies, going shopping or even walking without being violated by these addicts of that technology.
Too many tweets isn't near as serious as the GOP selling us down the drain.
33K out of 9 million?
He can afford the loss.
How appropraite, Obama using Twitter to create Obama Flash Mobsters. Keeping right in character if you askme.
I am a sinior 85 years old and needd my ssi thats the only money that i get to take care of me monthley with out that I am lost.So please solve this proublem asap .hope this comment gets to someone with interest
how many does he gain/loose normally? How has he ever had an in/decrease of that size before?
I was under the impression that President NObama could (would?) not stoop any lower. Boy, was I wrong! Now the NObamatons will need to start making excuses for him; just like his lapdogs and the mainstream media.
Shame, shame!
This is all the fault of the tea party.
They are un-American and rude
33,000 ex-followers of the President? That should be a LOT higher. This guy is a clown, plain and simple. But, then the Congressional leadership from both parties are just as guilty of being clowns. Don't they care that they're holding the people that hired them by the family jewels? I know that if they don't do something by 9/1...I'll be among those broke! And if that's the case, I'm not voting for the incumbent, even if said incumbent comes over and personally offers to kiss my backside in the middle of Indianapolis or in front of 125,000 screaming fans at the Indy 500 in 2012.
Guys...you'd better post that article...There's no offensive words in there...
To "tweet or not to tweet....that is the question!"
I don't mind that I received the tweets. I do mind that I would need to follow my cut-cap-balance-supporting twit of a Republican representative in order to tweet to him. He's no one I need to hear from and I mean EVAH. But yeah, hindsight, one link to all congressional Twitter accounts would probably have come with way less burnout. Live and learn. 🙂
Yea, I contact my congress member, to tell them to support Boehner's plan. I live in Imperial Beach, CA, a mostly democratic district with one Susan Davis as the House rep. Obviously, Feinstein and Boxer are California's senators. I'll let them all know I want Boehner's plan to pass, I want them to support a balanced budget constitutional amendment and tell them that they had better info the President to put social security recipients, veterans, military and the American people before bond holders, China and any other creditors in the event of a partial government default. Understand CNN?
Tweeting is not my thing...I could care less what these mindless Republicans do.
Where was your tweet to Congress and the American people before spending billions of dollars on Libya?
Fake Phoney and Fraud
lol i like fried chicken and watermelon. and cool aid. and old classy black women,
I contacted all my elected officials and told them to balance the budget don't give in to your scare tactics and do what's right for us and not just for you.
HA HA HA HA HA
Lost 33,00 out of 9 million? OOOOOh! I didn't see anything partisan about it. Asking Americans to contact their Senators and Congressmen is a bad thing? Or it's fine on TV but not Twitter? I don't get it. Is "thoughtful Democrats" a code word for those who agree with him(Ross)? He'd just as soon not hear from anyone who disagrees with him? Sounds about right.
its a sad day in America!
Tell me it ain't so.
Tell me it aint so.
They are done, because everyone got sick of it, and took themselves off the feed.
I would like to know what part of my social security check would the Republicans like to cut? the part for food, medicine,
the heat that keeps the home warm, or maybe the blood work that is paid out of pocket left over, that medicare did not pay?
With out social security,like so many of us, I guss we should all just rot on the vine like one politician from PA said!
I gess the golden years is for the rich not the poor.