ELECTIONS - Social Media, Twitter's Political Index

"In Twitter's Political Index, More Tweets Mean Good News for Candidates" by News Desk, PBS Newshour 8/29/2012

NewsHour correspondent Hari Sreenivasan interviewed Twitter's Adam Sharp on Tuesday about what the so-called "Twitter Political Index" says about the candidates.

The index tracks Twitter users' attitudes about the candidates, and how they've changed over time. On this particular Tuesday during the Republican National Convention, President Obama ranked 28 and GOP presumptive presidential candidate Mitt Romney scored 40.

The numbers show where the average tweet about the candidates falls on the spectrum of the conversation on Twitter, said Sharp. "Right now, the conversation about the campaign overall is slightly negative. Both candidates are below 50," he said.

The index doesn't replace polling, it makes it stronger, he added.