Jindal's on Twitter

Perhaps this is old news, but it hasn't yet been mentioned on PdF, so I'll mention it here: I just stumbled upon Bobby Jindal's Twitter page, and I'm impressed. Here's why:

  • It's active. He's been consistently posting about one tweet per day for the last two weeks. (Sure, two weeks isn't much, but given the timing of his account activation, his presence is more likely part of a long-term strategy than a fling: it is probably a reaction to the Obama campaign's successful online outreach strategy, and furthermore, it comes from a possible 2012 White House contender. Also, I think it's very telling that while Jindal became active after the election, BarackObama has done the opposite, posting heavily until the election and falling into silence ever since.)
  • It's substantive. There is a fair amount of life casting ("Here's me on MSNBC last night," etc.), but there's also some idea casting: several of his tweets are links to his blog, where he writes about policy issues in a half-way natural voice. Notably, his blog is hosted on his campaign's site--which has remained active despite be elected one year ago--instead of the official site of the Office of the Governor.
  • It's HIM! Or at least, it feels like it's him, and that's what matters. It's written in the first person, and it makes the governor sound like any other Twitter user. He is not as real as Representative Culberson--and, as someone being touted as the future of the GOP, he probably never will be--but he understands Twitter can be more than a press release feed. He (or an aide) is keeping up conversations with followers. Due to his relatively low volume, he can't keep up with everyone, but it's a start.

To me, Jindal is the first high-profile politician worth following on Twitter. Sign me up.

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