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

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.