Growing up, my parents used to read the paper the day after the a debate, whether they watched it or chose to go to sleep. Most articles and pundits would give their take on who "won" the debate. Now, Twitter lets citizens and non-citizens (of course) voice their opinions as the debate goes on. Here are ten of some of the best tweets from the GOP debate and the hilarious answers.
- We need a small government but with regulation. How much does regulation cost?
- The best way to get on the good side of the moderator is probably to tell them that you could be really mean to them—okay, let me know how that goes.
- Some people are very direct about where they would like to cut spending.
- Twitter may have some social competition. Do I hear a mashup in the making?
- #nofilter: We know his opinion.
- On the subject of the GOP debate, let's talk about Democratic candidates. What if Democrats moderated Republican debates and vice versa?
- Newsflash, it's hard to win a debate where no one argues. Some people just like competition.
- Watching political debates can make people feel less confident in the government. It will be interesting to see how the debates affect donations.
- Nate Silver always gets the stats. He even matches the colors.
- This tweet may just sum up the debate.
The number of tweets from the primetime GOP debate went through the roof, yet people seemed to overlook and ignore the 5 p.m. debates with the candidates who did not make the top ten. Are those candidates any less qualified? As people make decisions about potential candidates, they often forget about the choices, and even forget to vote. Alright, people vote, but the statistics are a little disheartening in both presidential and congressional elections.
Barely 70% voted in peak presidential elections. I am a little embarrassed by my millennial generation when I look at historical voting rates. Nonetheless, it is great how a debate can bring nearly 24 million viewers.
A larger question moving forward is whether people will simply tweet or put their views to the voting polls.