Skip to content
ADVERTISEMENT
Sign In
  • Sections
    • News
    • Advice
    • The Review
  • Topics
    • Data
    • Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
    • Finance & Operations
    • International
    • Leadership & Governance
    • Teaching & Learning
    • Scholarship & Research
    • Student Success
    • Technology
    • Transitions
    • The Workplace
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Special Issues
    • Podcast: College Matters from The Chronicle
  • Newsletters
  • Virtual Events
  • Ask Chron
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Professional Development
    • Career Resources
    • Virtual Career Fair
  • More
  • Sections
    • News
    • Advice
    • The Review
  • Topics
    • Data
    • Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
    • Finance & Operations
    • International
    • Leadership & Governance
    • Teaching & Learning
    • Scholarship & Research
    • Student Success
    • Technology
    • Transitions
    • The Workplace
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Special Issues
    • Podcast: College Matters from The Chronicle
  • Newsletters
  • Virtual Events
  • Ask Chron
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Professional Development
    • Career Resources
    • Virtual Career Fair
    Upcoming Events:
    An AI-Driven Work Force
    University Transformation
Sign In
Decision2012-Logo

Decision 2012

What's at stake for higher education.

#Politics: Academics Jump to Twitter to Talk About the Conventions

By Xarissa Holdaway September 6, 2012

As the number of professors using social media multiplies, the ease with which we can get a real-time view of the opinions of today’s thinkers is increasing exponentially. Especially now, as professors report from the convention floors and their couches with an off-the-cuff mix of aggregation, commentary, news, and personal anecdote. These are the people @Chronicle will be following tonight during President Obama’s address:

To continue reading for FREE, please sign in.

Sign In

Or subscribe now to read with unlimited access for as low as $10/month.

Don’t have an account? Sign up now.

A free account provides you access to a limited number of free articles each month, plus newsletters, job postings, salary data, and exclusive store discounts.

Sign Up

As the number of professors using social media multiplies, the ease with which we can get a real-time view of the opinions of today’s thinkers is increasing exponentially. Especially now, as professors report from the convention floors and their couches with an off-the-cuff mix of aggregation, commentary, news, and personal anecdote. These are the people @Chronicle will be following tonight during President Obama’s address:

Siva Vaidhanayathan, University of Virginia:

Somewhere on a yacht, Mitt Romney sat watching Bill Clinton’s speech and said quietly to himself: “Oh, Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhasta.”

— Siva Vaidhyanathan (@sivavaid) September 6, 2012

Bear Braumoeller, Ohio State University:


If by “candy” you mean “methamphetamines” RT @nytjim: Clint Eastwood = Twitter candy. — Bear Braumoeller (@Prof_BearB) August 31, 2012

Melissa Harris-Perry, Tulane University:


I’ve been collecting buttons at #DNC2012. These are two of my favorites. twitter.com/MHarrisPerry/s… — Melissa Harris-Perry (@MHarrisPerry) September 5, 2012

Robert Reich, University of California at Berkeley:


BC’s best line, from Ronald Reagan: “There they go again.” But aimed at Rs who want to cut taxes for rich,hurt poor, and explode deficit. — Robert Reich (@RBReich) September 6, 2012

Stephen M. Caliendo, North Central College:

There goes the under 40 vote. #loveourlgbtfrindsandfsmily

— Stephen M. Caliendo (@SMCaliendo) August 31, 2012

Claire Potter, The New School:

Castro: can’t be pro business unless u r pro education @barackobama @thedemocrats

— Claire Potter (@TenuredRadical) September 5, 2012

Shirley Samuels, Cornell University:

There’s an intricate dance about women and the economy that #DNC2012 has choreographed. — Shirley Samuels (@SRSamuels) September 5, 2012

Jennifer Mercieca, Texas A&M University:

Warren doesn’t at all appear to be the radical socialist that she’s been portrayed as. I was hoping she’d be all #ows at the #DNC

— Jennifer Mercieca (@jenmercieca) September 6, 2012

Duke University and Hofstra University
Some universities have also created formal streams for staff and students. Well, as formal as a hashtag can get:

Is Romney’s strategy, to ask if people are better off, the best strategy he could use? wapo.st/OSX1Du #hupolitics #hofstra #romney

— Hofstra Poli Comm (@CommInPolitics) September 4, 2012

Clinton’s great skill: makes the complex simple but not simplistic,lessons for academic world as well as politics, #DukeChat — Bruce W Jentleson (@BWJ777) September 6, 2012

The outworking of the story of the model minority in the RNC this week is worth thinking abt. #DukeChat — J. Kameron Carter (@jkameroncarter) August 31, 2012

As a libertarian, I was hoping to hear a lot on economic policy from Romney tonight, but expected social. Intead, we get history. #DukeChat

— Chloe Rockow (@carockow) August 31, 2012

Will any other academics be tweeting for the president’s address tonight? Leave your following suggestions in the comments.

We welcome your thoughts and questions about this article. Please email the editors or submit a letter for publication.
Share
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Email
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

More News

Mangan-Censorship-0610.jpg
Academic Freedom
‘A Banner Year for Censorship’: More States Are Restricting Classroom Discussions on Race and Gender
On the day of his retirement party, Bob Morse poses for a portrait in the Washington, D.C., offices of U.S. News and World Report in June 2025. Morse led the magazine's influential and controversial college rankings efforts since its inception in 1988. Michael Theis, The Chronicle.
List Legacy
‘U.S. News’ Rankings Guru, Soon to Retire, Reflects on the Role He’s Played in Higher Ed
Black and white photo of the Morrill Hall building on the University of Minnesota campus with red covering one side.
Finance & operations
U. of Minnesota Tries to Soften the Blow of Tuition Hikes, Budget Cuts With Faculty Benefits
Photo illustration showing a figurine of a football player with a large price tag on it.
Athletics
Loans, Fees, and TV Money: Where Colleges Are Finding the Funds to Pay Athletes

From The Review

A stack of coins falling over. Motion blur. Falling economy concept. Isolated on white.
The Review | Opinion
Will We Get a More Moderate Endowment Tax?
By Phillip Levine
Photo illustration of a classical column built of paper, with colored wires overtaking it like vines of ivy
The Review | Essay
The Latest Awful EdTech Buzzword: “Learnings”
By Kit Nicholls
William F. Buckley, Jr.
The Review | Interview
William F. Buckley Jr. and the Origins of the Battle Against ‘Woke’
By Evan Goldstein

Upcoming Events

Plain_Acuity_DurableSkills_VF.png
Why Employers Value ‘Durable’ Skills
Warwick_Leadership_Javi.png
University Transformation: A Global Leadership Perspective
Lead With Insight
  • Explore Content
    • Latest News
    • Newsletters
    • Letters
    • Free Reports and Guides
    • Professional Development
    • Virtual Events
    • Chronicle Store
    • Chronicle Intelligence
    • Jobs in Higher Education
    • Post a Job
  • Know The Chronicle
    • About Us
    • Vision, Mission, Values
    • DEI at The Chronicle
    • Write for Us
    • Work at The Chronicle
    • Our Reporting Process
    • Advertise With Us
    • Brand Studio
    • Accessibility Statement
  • Account and Access
    • Manage Your Account
    • Manage Newsletters
    • Individual Subscriptions
    • Group and Institutional Access
    • Subscription & Account FAQ
  • Get Support
    • Contact Us
    • Reprints & Permissions
    • User Agreement
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • California Privacy Policy
    • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037
© 2025 The Chronicle of Higher Education
The Chronicle of Higher Education is academe’s most trusted resource for independent journalism, career development, and forward-looking intelligence. Our readers lead, teach, learn, and innovate with insights from The Chronicle.
Follow Us
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • youtube
  • facebook
  • linkedin