Well, well, well- here we are in the first presidential race in the Twitter Age. While some candidates used Twitter- John Edwards did it best I thought- it’s the discussion among the rest of that remains. Political discussion online is not new, but Twitter places these discussions right in the middle of everything else that’s going on. Some folks are having a hard time with this new "noise" but in the U.S. that’s what we’re talking about.
What about those of us who mix the personal and professional on Twitter- and our blogs? Clients and employers have to get used to the mix of personal and business content, but politics can be polarizing- could it be bad for business relationships?
I tend not to get too deep into politics, but it’s not hard too figure out my leanings. Others differ- for one, my boss Todd Defren lets it all hang out sometimes at http://pr-squared.com/.
Is it better to show commitment or avoid polarization? How does the business "you" factor in?
What do you think?
Mobile post sent by DougH using Utterli. 
Replies. mp3
I steer away from discussing politics, since I know that my clients and blog readers come from different sides of the political spectrum. But I do have to hold back sometimes when I see Twitter followers post statements dissing my candidate. I did unfollow someone who had a banner on her site with a picture of a whining baby at the center of the Democratic party seal. That just seemed to be mean-spirited. I don’t mind differing opinions, but using childish labels turns me off.
Ultimately, I care most about helping people to start a business so that they can have a better quality of life and relationship with their family. The more I get to know people past superficial labels like political party, the more I realize we want the same thing.
Curious what others think.
All the best,
-Pam
Pam,
Thanks for your reply. I have unfollowed a couple of people who were just trolls- ot troll-baiters, but I actually have a high tolerance. i defused one potentially antagonistic situation by pointing out to my sparring partner that we both hated the Yankees. Kum-Bay-Yah quickly followed.
Hey man! I hate politics, but Twitter is the perfect place for it. We just need a Twitter Mute button until after November.