Twitter maps out popularity of Obama, Romney tweets

TheTwitter logo is displayed at the entrance of Twitter headquarters in San Francisco on March 11, 2011 in California. AFP FILE PHOTO

WASHINGTON – Twitter has launched an interactive map of the United States that charts where Barack Obama and Mitt Romney’s campaign tweets have had the most impact, and where they have fallen flat.

The “Political Engagement Map” measures the popularity of statements posted by both candidates on their official accounts by tracking how much people re-tweeted or stored them in their ‘favorites’ folder.

“No family should have to set aside a college acceptance letter because they don’t have the money,” reads Obama’s best-loved tweet.

“On this most somber day, America is united under God in its quest for peace and freedom at home and across the world,” said Romney’s on September 11.

The map also measures tweets’ impact in each state, enabling users to get an idea of what issues resonate most in a specific area.

In California, Obama’s comments on gender equality have been particularly successful. Ohio – a key swing state in Tuesday’s presidential election – has a preference for Romney’s tweets on unemployment and energy.

Users are also able to type in keywords such as “unemployment,” “coal” or “education” to see where specific issues draw the most attention.

This is the second Twitter initiative aimed at analyzing the US elections. Its “political index” also attempts to measure the general popularity of both candidates according to the sentiments of tweets mentioning Obama or Romney.

On Saturday afternoon, Obama had a score of 52 compared to 32 for his rival Romney.

Political Engagement Map: https://election.twitter.com/map/

Twitter Political Index: https://election.twitter.com/