It's Our City is a project that uses TV, Radio and Web
to promote civic engagement in the Philadelphia region.WHYY will be posting your Twitter tweets live during the VP Debate
Thursday, October 2nd, 2008 at 5:10 pm - by Matt Campbell. Filed under: Politics.
Twitter the VP Debate
It’s been a long time since a VP debate could generate so much interest. While it’s believed by pollsters that the VP debates don’t always have a huge impact on the Presidential election outcome, tonight’s could. With Sarah Palin’s celebrity honeymoon just about over, thanks to her Katie Couric interview, a poor performance by her could reflect badly on John McCain. But then again, I would have thought the same in 1988 when Lloyd Bentsen put Dan Quayle in his place with his comment; “Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy. I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you are no Jack Kennedy. (Prolonged shouts and applause)” But three-and-a-half months later, Dan Quayle was sworn in as VP. Another possibility we could see tonight is that expectations are so low for Palin that if she can come off, at least gubernatorial, she wins. Also, Delaware Valley residents know Senator Joe Biden is susceptible to “foot in the mouth” disease, which could set him back.
It’s Our City will be tracking Twitter comments live during the debate and posting the best ones on the It’s Our City website.
We tried this out last Friday for the Presidential Debate, and it created a unique Philly-centric chronology of what people we’re thinking. There were many comments I couldn’t use do to foul language. If you want to be sure that your comments will be under our radar, all you have to do is sign up for a Twitter account and begin following It’s Our City. We have a policy that if you follow our Tweets, we’ll follow your’s. So sign up for an account, look us up, hit “Follow” then Tonight at 9pm begin micro-blogging your every thought on the VP Debate. Then occasionally check our website to see what others are saying and whether your comments have become part of Philly internet history.
For those of you unfamiliar with Twitter, let’s make this a PBS teachable moment.
If you don’t want to Twitter your night away, you’re welcome to just post your thoughts in the comment section of our website or just send us an email city@whyy.org
When: Thursday, October 2nd @ 9pm eastern
Location of the actual debate: Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri
Where you can access the VP Debate
TV 12
91FM
whyy.org (live audio stream)
Useful Links: NYT on Biden’s debating style
NYT on Palin’s debating style
October 1st, 2008 at 3:46 pm
Think I’ll try to comment later (after the debate), as I’m really not able to Tweet and watch at the same time (also can’t concentrate on the debate that way, too much body language going on). Kind of envy those who can, though
There is what the candidates say with their mouths, and what they speak with their body language - at times that can be two different speeches. I like to observe both forms of discourse at once when possible
October 2nd, 2008 at 12:53 pm
[...] instant-messaging phenomenon? It’s about the dynamic of conversation, and this radio outlet isn’t alone in encouraging its listeners to “tweet” during the veep debate. NPR is asking Twitter [...]
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