The Twitterati

These new venues aren't replacements for the old ways. Someone like Mitt Romney still needs to publish columns on the op-ed page of the Washington Post, where it will be read by people who still think Twitter is something birds do in the morning. It just means there are new ways for candidates to compete and push their message—and new ways to measure candidates against one another. Almost nothing matters more than money raised in politics, and as the second quarter comes to a close, the totals are being closely watched. But here's another list: the Twitter accounts of potential 2012 hopefuls:

Newt Gingrich: 1,308,757 followers, 1,925 tweets
Sarah Palin: 191,164 followers, 347 tweets
Mike Huckabee: 83,297 followers, 1,188 tweets
Tim Pawlenty: 16,464 followers, 235 tweets
Mitt Romney: 14,347 followers, 241 tweets
Haley Barbour: 6,357 followers, 264 tweets
Mitch Daniels: 3,451 followers, 457 tweets

Haley Barbour and Mitch Daniels are such outliers that Twitter hasn't even bothered to verify their accounts, the way it does with celebrities and politicians. It's a tiny indication of their place in the race right now. Still, if they're serious about running, they'll make sure to get verified soon enough.