While there are comparatively few followers out there for our stream, like just about anything else, it isn’t always quantity that makes the difference, but quality. And the followers are shaping up to look like a who’s who of Pennsylvania political media personnel. That is meaningful, since there was never a concerted effort to court any of the journalists currently following the account, and there still hasn’t been a formal press release on the effort to get lawmakers tweeting.

What has been happening so far is testament to the saying “If you build it, they will come.” Now, it is no longer a question of whether or not this will work. The question is, who will benefit? The bottom line is that whether or not politicians make use of social media at all is up to them, but failing to do so is starting to look like a failure to take advantage of an inexpensive resource. What is the ability to pass along important information to multiple members of the press and their audiences with a single click of the mouse worth, particularly during a campaign? Mastercard could easily do a commercial on this one, showing the cost of a computer, internet connection, and granting “priceless” to instant access to the press.

And as always, it’s still a two-way street. No matter how tempting it might be for political opponents to block each other from reading posts on Twitter (or on any other social media site), it would be political suicide. The press would eat the offending candidate for breakfast. So, keeping up with what the other side is doing will be easier.

Social media usage is still split on party lines in Pennsylvania, with a clear majority on the GOP side – that’s including both incumbents and candidates for right now. There is no reason to think that Dems who would be facing opposition in 2010 could expect to face a GOP candidate who doesn’t use social media as a campaign tool. And the followers, if they aren’t traditional press, are the citizen journalists who write blogs on politics, or write letters to the editor regularly. The general public still is swaying toward non-traditional news sources, particularly in politics, gravitating toward blogs written by like-minded people. Blogs are the new way for single issue voters to keep up on the candidates who agree with them. The failure of either party’s politicians to take advantage of that rich resource will make the difference in campaigns of the future, including 2010.

Accessibility – getting the message out, and listening to the needs of the public – is the primary purpose of personal appearances and rallies during any campaign. Social media radically increases the potential for having that dialog with the voters. An attitude that this trend is just a passing fancy, and is beneath the dignity of a politician is beginning to become as foolhardy as the short-lived belief of the previous century that television wouldn’t last.

This luddism stands in direct opposition to what was typical for politicians in the past. There was a time when politicians did not like the idea of seeming unintelligent. Over the years, I spent a great deal of time researching various topics on behalf of politicians who needed “crash courses” to be able to complete their duties efficiently. In a time when there will be many pieces of legislation making their way through Congress and State Legislatures that will deal with technological issues, it is difficult to understand the resistance of lawmakers to learn about the very things they will be required to create laws about.

Obama announced today that he considers cyber-security a high priority for the administration, and there will undoubtedly be several debates within the IT world about what the administration will do. From how safe our systems really are, to how much regulation would be too much, IT professionals will hash it out. Users of Twitter will have front row seats to that debate. Unfortunately, many lawmakers will not be privy to these conversations.

Promoting social media amongst lawmakers isn’t just about getting the politicians closer to the masses. It is also about putting the politicians in touch with a vast resource of real-time information. Things change rapidly in the world of technology, and one of the easiest ways to keep up with the pace is to take part in the means of communication that the movers and shakers in the IT world are using. Right now that is Twitter and other social media outlets.

Today, I was given an example of both of these situations blowing up in the face of one U.S. politician. One man decided it would be fun to manipulate some photos to poke fun at Obama and his administration. A Twitter user on my list was quick to mention it:

Shortly after posting this, the user was being followed by the politician. If nothing else, the politician realized that it was smart to keep an eye on what others were saying about him. It can be hoped that he also learned that it isn’t a good idea to use Twitter to pass along bad jokes.

A common statement in the inbox lately is that politicians are hesitant to jump in on Twitter. “How many are already on Twitter?” is a common question. Both of these beg another question: what does it take to lead others?

Social media in general is a new beast for politicians to tame. The argument can be made that comparatively few constituents of any given politician will end up following on Twitter or any other social media tool. That leaves little reason to consider it for direct communication with citizens. But the majority of those who follow politicians in general are not “regular citizens”, but are members of the media.

Media today is not what it was. Press releases and conferences are just a small portion of the information used by both traditional and independent information outlets. And the public does not get news just from newspapers and TV anymore. Independent bloggers on politics are becoming a larger part of the public’s resources for political news on a daily basis. Those bloggers and many members of the traditional media use Twitter as a means to disseminate information. The list of accounts that the @Tweetpalawmaker follows includes politicians, governmental agencies, and media personnel.

Even what could be considered meaningless in the general scheme of things can become news when it comes from a politician. For example, when Senator Claire McCaskill posted on Twitter that she was trapped in a subway car, it was initially written off by many viewers. Later she mentioned that a Right-wing blogger had suggested that she was lazy for not trying to walk – she made the observation that was impossible. As a result, CNN considered it worthy of at least a blog post on their Political Ticker.

Perhaps the argument could be made to avoid Twitter to keep from being the object of derision by bloggers and media from the opposing party. In the short term, that may be true, but in the long run, embracing new technology for open communication as suggested by the Obama Administration is probably the better option. Twitter is an integral part of the rise of the Democratic Party over the past year. That may seem a bold statement, but it has been analyzed, ironically enough by one from the other side. Twitter is to current politicians on both sides, as talk radio was to the conservatives during the Clinton years. Leaders who neglect to make use of social media tools will be giving up the ability to maintain a public appearance that is in step with the times.

As a public figure, there are always people out there talking about you – your voting record, your public comments, and in some cases, your private life. How useful would a computerized communication system that can give you real time information on what people are saying about your latest TV spot or vote on the floor? Situations happen where there are misunderstandings, and Twitter can offer an extremely quick way to quash rumors before they get out of control.

And you’re not the only one out there, so Twitter offers you a quick way to keep track of news you’re interested in. The House Floor is on Twitter, letting your colleagues and constituents know what is going on in real time. Colleagues in Washington, most of the Federal alphabet soup, and many media outlets are twittering with news. How useful would it be to correct a comment to a journalist before a story is released with a few keystrokes on a computer, or even on a Blackberry?

Getting started on Twitter can be time-consuming, but it can be a useful tool for communication. In the coming weeks there will be more Twitter resources added here, including information on software, getting started, and more advanced options for use. As always, seriously consider joining yourself, or having someone from your staff get an account and post for you.

Also, notice the right column with the Twitterfeed. Those who are following us will be getting most of the Tweets from the politicians (and a few others), so this is one-stop shopping for news from Harrisburg.

Thanks for the support from various quarters in the media! Will be passing on tidbits from you as well!