"He seems amusing" -- The 10 Most Engaging Congressional Tweeters

A couple of years ago Billy Long learned how to use his iPhone and started tweeting.

This bus stop from February 22, 2010 set the tone for Billy's tweets. About Last Night follows a series of tweets from Long while he was attending a wine tasting party at Big Cedar Lodge down in Ridgedale. You can draw your own conclusions. Hey, it was a wine tasting weekend.


This piqued enough interest to follow Long's twitter feed. Others in MO7 started following Long and his twitter statements.

Characterized by flippant attempts at humor and poor judgement, Long's tweets have mocked tornado drills, the death of Amy Winehouse (just pick anyone of these), the Navy SEALS attack on the Osama Bin Laden compound -(Long did a series of tweets on the raid and its aftermath that he later deleted).

But we didn't follow him for long, Long blocked our access to his twitter feed.

We weren't the only ones who attempted to follow Long. One DC blog said of Long, "He seems Amusing".
Read this:

The 10 Most Engaging Congressional Tweeters
By Rachel Greenway Feb 08 2012, 09:23 AM

Members of Congress are using Twitter more and more as a way to communicate with their constituents, champion causes or simply keep to in touch with each other and the world. But, like anything, even Tweeting is a skill that can be improved upon, and some members of Congress seem to have mastered the “social” in social media, while others are talking to virtual space.

Drawing from data over the past month, exclusive analytics from OhMyGov! uncovers the healthiest and unhealthiest Twitter feeds in Congress, and reveals the importance of the message—not just the medium.

The key to a healthy Twitter presence is not necessarily in the followers, and it’s definitely not in output. Just because Twitter makes it possible to provide minute-by-minute updates on a user’s current state of mind doesn’t make it a wise political decision to use it as such, e.g. Weinergate. The secret is in quality over quantity, and one measure of quality tweets is the amount of retweets an individual tweeter averages, revealing the popularity of the message.

The following chart reveals the strongest Twitter users in Congress by measuring the ratio of Retweets to Tweets for individual users.

*(H stand for U.S. House, S stands for U.S. Senate)

Of course, while the House of Representatives maintains some of the strongest Twitter feeds in Congress, it also bears some of the worst. The following chart shows a few of the least effective Twitter feeds in Congress, as measured by those with the lowest average retweets per tweet.

The strongest Tweeter in Congress is Allen West (R-FL) of the House of Representatives, who averages 112 retweets per every tweet he sends. That means that 112 different people find what he says interesting enough to share on their own walls every time he posts something new. West sent only 31 tweets last month, but collected a robust 3,501 retweets from his 43,000 Twitter followers who soak up his 140 characters ravenously.

On the flip side is Billy Long (R-MO), also from the House of Representatives, who averages 0.19 retweets per every tweet he sends. Last month, Long sent out 643 tweets (bus driver's note: 643? Does he ever take his nose out of his iPhone?), but those only managed to earned him 126 total retweets.

So what is the difference? Are West’s followers just more dedicated?

Yes and no. Twitter can’t prove whether anyone’s constituents are more loyal, but it can show who is using the social media platform more effectively for political purposes. This understanding of Twitter may result in stronger campaigns because the politician’s message is disseminated more clearly and consistently.

A big factor in attracting engagement, as measured by retweets here, is the size of one's following. West sports over 43,000 followers compared to Long's 2,185. In this case, size does matter, as more followers makes it more likely someone will retweet the message to their following, creating the viral flow of information.

One detractor from attracting retweets, however, is tweeting too much, whether they are original posts or a plethora of Retweets from favored politicians or celebrities. Too many posts in a day crowd up the feed, numb followers to yet another Tweet (if it’s 12 in the past hour), and fog up the overall message.

West saves keeps his Twitter feed well manicured, limiting messaging to promote political causes or his own writing for followers to share. Only one or two posts a day means that when he does tweet, followers pay attention to check out the new information he shares. It seems that on Twitter as often it is in life; less is more.

Rep. Long tweets upwards of 40 times a day, filling his feed with few original posts and a slew of retweets from journalists, politicians, and the odd celebrity. Sure they’re all entertaining on their own, but when jam-packed together they cloud the message Long is sending, which instead comes across as: look at what all these other people are saying about stuff!

Congressional leaders can check the health of their Twitter feed by understanding the importance of the tweet:retweet ratio. Their messages should be clear for their constituents, and worthy of passing on the message. A fun tweet every now and then reminds social media users that a politician can have a sense of humor as well, but a steady diet of it can water down the candidate's overall image.

But we knew that already.

Overheard in Aldi's.....

A frequent bus rider related this encounter to me:

Yesterday afternoon (Tuesday)around 4:00 PM she was shopping with her two-year-old niece in the Aldi's market on Battlefield and Jefferson
As she was in the checkout line, with her niece sitting in the child's seat in the shopping cart, an older man, also in line (a veteran as she soon learned as the conversation progressed), started talking to the aunt and her niece.

The conversation turned to the cost of groceries, the economy and finally healthcare.

The man volunteered that he received his health care at the VA Clinic in Mount Vernon, Missouri.
Then, and I swear by all that I value that this is an exact quote- as related to me by the aunt--whom I trust implicitly--, the man said, "They're closing the VA in Mount Vernon and moving it to Springfield because Billy Long said they can serve more colored veterans here."


White alone - 4,468 (98.7%)
Two or more races - 25 (0.6%)
Hispanic - 29 (0.6%)
Black alone - 6 (0.1%)

Read more: http://www.city-data.com/city/Mount-Vernon-Missouri.html#ixzz1lC5uAfS6
White alone - 140,107 (89.1%)
Black alone - 5,471 (3.5%)
Hispanic - 4,711 (3.0%)
Two or more races - 3,814 (2.4%)
Asian alone - 2,414 (1.5%)
American alone - 388 (0.2%)
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone - 102 (0.06%)
Other race alone - 73 (0.05%)

Read more: http://www.city-data.com/city/Springfield-Missouri.html#ixzz1lC4kVmqc

Thanks, Bro!

ALEC's voter photo id law, A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do -- Shane

The Missouri House will debate Shane Schoeller's Photo ID proposal (HB1104) soon. Here's what Missourians need to know about
photo id enabling legislation

PART OF A NATIONAL EFFORT BY REGRESSIVE POLITICIANS TO SKEW ELECTIONS. Politicians pushing these laws never acknowledge their real purpose, which is to turn away from the polls people who are more likely to vote Democratic, particularly the young, the poor, the elderly and minorities. 

NO CASES OF VOTER IMPERSONATION FRAUD HAVE BEEN DOCUMENTED IN MISSOURI. Every national study conducted has found that allegations of such fraud are not supported by empirical evidence. Voter fraud is a serious crime, punishable by 5 years in jail & a $10,000 fine. Moreover, this bill addresses only in-­person voter impersonation, not more common registration or absentee problems

OVER 230,000 CURRENT ELIGIBLE MISSOURI VOTERS LACK A MISSOURI DRIVER’S LICENSE. African Americans, seniors, people with disabilities, the working poor and students are twice as likely to lack such ID.

THE MISSOURI SUPREME COURT SAID THAT PHOTO ID IS “A HEAVY AND SUBSTANTIAL BURDEN ON MISSOURIAN’S FREE EXERCISE OF THE RIGHT OF SUFFRAGE.”

PHOTO ID LAWS ARE A MODERN-­‐DAY POLL TAX. THE BARRIERS TO ACQUIRING IDS WOULD EFFECTIVELY PREVENT MANY ELIGIBLE VOTERS FROM VOTING. It can be costly, diffifcult – and even impossible – to get the underlying documents (such as certified birth certificate) required to get a state ID. (i.e., Joplin tornado victims, Holocaust survivors, those born at home, those whose birth state can’t locate their records – may not be able to get birth certificates)

Yesterday, NPR did a feature on Why new photo ID laws mean some won't vote. "People are caught in a Catch-22: You need a birth certificate to get this ID, but to get a birth certificate you have to have an ID," says Elisabeth MacNamara, who heads the League of Women Voters.

The Voter ID Act ALEC model legislation – adopted July 17, 2009

Status: Versions introduced in at least 33 states. As of 11/10/11, 14 states have photo ID requirements in place.

Purpose: The 2008 electorate that launched Barack Obama to the White House was more than just the highest election turnout in more than 60 years. It represented the emergence of a new Democratic coalition, one comprised primarily of
racial and ethnic minorities, low-income Americans, liberals, young voters and women. At the time, forecasts of demographic change and shifting views on social issues led to speculation that Republicans were on the verge of becoming a permanent minority party. Shortly after President Obama's election, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) began to prioritize efforts
to chip away at the influence of this coalition. featuring a cover story entitled “Preventing Election Fraud” in its widelyread newsletter. ALEC and its allies invoked the specter of voter fraud to justify a series of measures designed to erect
barriers to voting among Democratic-leaning demographic groups. The Voter ID Act, adopted by ALEC's Public Safety and Elections Task Force in summer 2009, is the most prominent of those measures.

Summary: The Voter ID Act requires voters to present a photo ID in order to cast a ballot. Specifically, it:
• Defines “proof of identity” as a federal or state-issued photo ID that has an expiration date but is not yet expired;
• Requires that prospective voters present proof of identity at the polls;
• Allows those without a valid ID to fill out provisional ballots and lays out guidelines for the consideration of such
provisional ballots;
◦ Provisional ballots are counted if the voter provides ID to the county by the Monday following the election;
◦ Otherwise, county election commissioners evaluate each provisional ballot “based on the merits”;
• Establishes that ID cards shall be provided free of charge to eligible voters without a valid driver's license;
• Exempts nursing home and assisted-living facility residents from the requirements.
If enacted in all 50 states, this model legislation would have the effect of making the voting process more cumbersome for
the up to 5 million American citizens, particularly minorities and college students, who currently lack proof of citizenship
or residency.
Supporters: American Legislative Exchange Council, most Republicans, etc.
• Supporters claim this measure is necessary to counteract rampant voter fraud, primarily carried out by the
Democratic machine. However, details such as the exclusion of expired licenses and the persistent lack of
evidence of widespread voter fraud suggest that their support is more driven by partisan concerns.
Opponents: Civic engagement organizations, minority rights organizations, most Democrats, etc.
• Opponents view this measure as an assault on the democratic process, a thinly veiled attempt to depress turnout
among the Democratic base by restricting voter access among groups that lean heavily Democratic. They believe
it may also violate the various constitutional protections for equal voting frights.

Model legislation text: http://alecexposed.org/w/images/d/d9/7G16-VOTER_ID_ACT_Exposed.pdf

The Nation article on ALEC election-related legislation: http://www.thenation.com/article/161969/rigging-elections

NCSL interactive map and description of state voter ID laws and pending bills:
http://www.ncsl.org/default.aspx?tabid=16602

Representative Shane Schoeller, who is running as a self-described conservative candidate for MO Secretary of State, has introduced ALEC's voter photo id law in Missouri.

As to why is Shane pushing this bill which would dis-enfranchise Missouri voters? All we got to do is look to the Shane's namesake-- remember?

I do: "A man has to be what he is, Joey. You can't break the mold. I tried it and it didn't work for me."

Remembering a Friend, Mark Cunningham, 1947 - 2009

Mark and I first met in the summer of 1964 at the Trappist monastary in Ava, MO. I can't remember the circumstances that led us to that place, but I do remember eating our meals, served by the ancient Brother Barnabus, in the guest dining room. Listening to George Kessler, a theology professor at Rockhurst College, voicing his opinion about dang near everything. (George used an ivory cigarette holder to smoke his non filter Camels.)

Every morning after breakfast, Mark and I would walk down the gravel road to Bryant Creek and walk across the swinging bridge to the concrete plant where we would stack blocks. We worked monk's hours. This was the beginning of a life-long friendship.

Time passed, Mark joined the Air Force and was deployed to Thailand. He liked Thailand. When he got discharged, he moved to Detroit and worked for Ryder Truck Rental. He got married, divorced, retired and moved back to Springfield, in roughly that order.

Mark wrote everything down. The last time we had lunch together, at a small Mexican restaurant on South Campbell across from O'Reilly's, he wrote down the details of our conversation in a small spiral notebook. I made fun of him for doing so. He told me he wanted to chronicle the events so he could re-live them. He shoulda been a blogger.

Mark was a kind and gentle person who died of a heart attack on Tuesday. He was 61.

His funeral mass is tomorrow at 1 PM at St. Joseph's Catholic Church on North Campbell in Springfield.

He will be missed.

As published in the SN-L, Mark's obituary:

Mark Stephen Cunningham, 61, of Springfield, was born February 6, 1947, in Independence, Mo., and passed away January 27, 2009, in Springfield. Mark graduated from St. Agnes High School in 1965, and attended SMSU and the University of Washington at Puget Sound. He was an Air Force veteran who served with distinction in the Philippines and Thailand. He retired from Ryder Truck Leasing, where he was a district manager for Detroit and Dearborn, Mich., after 25 years of service. He was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church and was a CASA volunteer. He was preceded in death by his parents, one brother and one sister. He is survived by two brothers, Philip and wife, Gail Cunningham, and John Cunningham; and eight nephews and one niece. Mark was a kind, generous man who always found the good in everyone. He will be deeply missed. Funeral mass will be held in St. Joseph's Catholic Church at 1 p.m. Saturday, January 31, 2009. Burial will be in St. Mary's Cemetery at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to St. Joseph's Church building fund.

from the bus garage, January 30, 2009