He was encouraged by Ashton Kutcher, but now Mayor Cory Booker is having regular communications directly with people via Twitter. He now has over 67,000 followers, up from the meager 77 when he first created the account and he credits it to taking things over himself:
"We're growing pretty rapidly," Booker said, predicting 100,000 or more subscribers by month's end.
The inspiration for the mayor's new means of communication comes from an unlikely source: actor Ashton Kutcher.
Kutcher, a former star of "That '70s Show" and creator of MTV's prank show "Punk'd," in April became the first Twitter user to attract 1 million followers. Kutcher, who now has 1.8 million subscribers, subsequently reached out to Booker to suggest the mayor begin writing his own Tweets, a task Booker had delegated to a staff member after opening his account in 2008.
His tweets are usually pretty entertaining and have covered everything from how to care and honor returning National Guard veterans next month, to the differing immigration rights for same sex couples. Here's a piece the Ledger Live did on Booker's use of twitter:
Ledger Live: Newark Mayor Cory Booker and Twitter
And on how twitter and technology are changing politics and governing by providing the latest means of communication:
In that sense, he's not unlike politicians who have recognized the effectiveness of new technology to reach the largest audience possible, said John Weingart, associate director of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University.
"Whether it's going back to Franklin Roosevelt embracing radio, John Kennedy and television, Republicans and direct mail, or Howard Dean in 2004 with the internet, it's important to figure out how to communicate with people," Weingart said.
Weingart said Twitter joins Facebook and MySpace as new political tools in light of declining newspaper readership. Even so, he said, it's too early to tell whether a large number of followers can help a politician like Booker.
I don't think twitter will replace traditional campaign and governing activities, but it provides more access and is another tool that can be used to communicate. Booker is using twitter in a way many politicians aren't willing. He isn't just sending out press releases or good publicity, he's engaging in a dialogue. It's fun to watch him go back and forth with people sometimes too. What do you think of Electeds and Politicians using twitter? Who do you follow if anyone?
