The Republican and Democratic National Conventions have been a coming-of-age party for the practice of politicians and outside groups paying Twitter for nationwide promoted trending topics. Promoted trends cost upwards of $100,000 each -- but is that money being wasted by the campaigns?
Romney opened the floodgates with #RomneyRyan2012 during the RNC. Later, the Republican Party and a conservative PAC, respectively, bought #AreYouBetterOff and #16TrillionFail during the DNC as part of a counter-messaging campaign.
Thursday morning, the Obama campaign joined in with #Forward2012.
A decent chunk of the responses to each promoted trend have been exactly the opposite of what the buyers wanted -- a situation we've seen with plenty of hashtag campaigns before.
When the Republicans asked #AreYouBetterOff than before President Obama took office, for example, more than 31,000 people responded.
Americans across the country are talking about how #ObamaIsntWorking. Join the conversation: obamaisntworking.com #AreYouBetterOff— RNC (@GOP) September 4, 2012
#AreYouBetterOff? Under @barackobama, gas prices have more than doubled. No solution proposed at @demconvention last night. #tcot— Michael Levoff (@MLevoff) September 6, 2012
#areyoubetteroffAsk the 23 million unemployed.— Against Obama (@against_obama) September 4, 2012
However, many of those responses included a resounding "yes I am."
#areyoubetteroff. Hell Yeah!— Trimicka Mecca Eli (@MeccaEli) September 6, 2012
#AreYouBetterOff @gop indisputably; 4 years ago The DOW was at 6000. Now it’s at 13,000. #Obama2012 #p2— ShadowBard (@ShadowBard) September 6, 2012
#AreYouBetterOff No. Signed, Osama Bin Laden.— Path2Enlightenment (@Path2Enlighten) September 3, 2012
The Republicans' #16TrillionFail trending topic, a reference to the United States national debt topping $16 trillion, suffered from a similar derailment.
#16TrillionFail Are you kidding me?? Who started 2 wars without funding them or planning for the aftermath? Then gave zillionaires tax cuts?— Becky (@beckythecyclist) September 6, 2012
We dont live in Reagan or Clinton times. Gas isnt 99 cents people. #16TrillionFail came from spending by Bush.— Terrill(@TerrillCharming) September 5, 2012
Definition of #16trillionfail is taking a budget surplus, tacking on two unpaid wars and an unneeded tax cut— Carl Seiler (@csxyzzy) September 6, 2012
The problem of hashtag hijacking isn't isolated to Republican-backed trending topics -- the Obama campaign's Thursday-morning #Forward2012 is experiencing the same phenomenon.
Pres. Obama believes in everyone paying their fair share, not tax hikes on the middle class to pay for tax cuts for the rich. #Forward2012— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) September 6, 2012
#Forward2012 away from the truth and towards higher taxes!!!— Michael O'Seasnain (@the_rajun_bear) September 6, 2012
#Forward2012 because if you look back at Obama's failed presidency, you won't vote for him.— RB (@RBPundit) September 6, 2012
#Forward2012 The percentage of FACTS shared w/the American people at the two conventions so far: #DNC2012 = ONE HUNDRED PERCENT. RNC = ZERO.— SheSheGo (@SheSheGo) September 6, 2012