Twitter found itself used yet again as a tool for political
buzz, as Sen. John McCain and George Stephanopoulos used the messaging
service in an interview that covered much of the day’s news.
Like Google’s
YouTube, blogging and other technology tools, Twitter has found use
among
politicians seeking to extend their brand out to the public through as
many
avenues as possible. In January, McCain joined Twitter and promptly
began microblogging "tweets" on a variety of subjects large and small,
ranging from economic
bailouts to meeting with actor Richard Gere about Tibet.
Twitter’s use within the enterprise has undergone
much debate, particularly as to whether it’s ultimately a useful tool or
time-waster. There is also a security issue; even then-president-elect
Obama had his Twitter account hacked in January.
McCain’s March 17 interview, dubbed a "Twitterview" by some
in the blogosphere, attracted more attention in the hours leading up to
it than your typical talking-heads discussion, and started off with the
senator writing: "hi george im a
little slow."