VA GOP attempted coup failed due to twittering

[catgirl]

TPM:

The Republican Party's embrace of technology, which many inside and outside the party see as essential to a political recovery, so far is working out like...well, it's not working out at all.

Yesterday the Virginia GOP came very close to taking control of the state Senate, nearly luring a Democratic Senator to switch parties and put them at a 20-20 tie, which would have been broken by the Republican Lt. Governor. Then Jeff Frederick, a state legislator and the party chairman, ruined it all by Twittering this:

Big news coming out of Senate: Apparently one dem is either switching or leaving the dem caucus. Negotiations for power sharing underway.
The Dems then read the message, quickly mobilized to talk the renegade out of it, and stopped the GOP coup before it could happen.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/02/virginia-gop-chairmans-blog-outreach-massive-fail.php

I wonder who the dem would-be-traitor is? And when is his/her term up?

[Hellataz]

1. HAHAHA that's too funny!

Figures the republicans would screw that up. It' like trying to teach chimps, but harder because none of them believe in evolving.

[catgirl]

2. I just can't believe a dem would switch

especially now! I wonder what they offered him.

[PretzelWarrior]

3. they said they would make him a better fiddler than Charlie Daniels

[DRoseDARs]

4. Way to go, twitiot. We need more Republicans like you.

Jeff Frederick :thumbsup:

[wndycty]

5. I just started following Jeff Frederick as a result of this. . .

. . .he has deleted the Twitter that blew the switch.

[zbdent]

6. "wait a sec ... did I hit 'send all'???"

[Phx_Dem]

7. We need to find out who the Dem was . . . so we know who to hate.

LOL (but serious).

[S_E_Fudd]

8. Senator Ralph Northram...

Explanation here

http://notlarrysabato.typepad.com/doh/2009/02/background-on-why-northam-almost-left-party.html

[catgirl]

12. Hmm, interesting

It looks like this guy needs to be schooled a bit on politics. Perhaps the
republicans saw a gullible guy and pounced. It almost worked. Thank
goodness for the stupidity of Jeff Frederick.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

16. Thanks. Are the republicans in VA different than elsewhere that having them in power would have

helped Medicaid?

[NatBurner]

9. wow... they should just stick to Pork Invaders™

republicans and technology apparently don't mix

[ClarkUSA]

10. Loose Twits Sink Shifts.

[wildeyed]

17. Or maybe Loose Twits Sink Shits. n/t

[ClarkUSA]

11. dupe n/t

[GoCubsGo]

13. Twice in one week...

In the case of the republicans using Twitter, the emphasis is on "Twit". Just the other day, Pete Hoekstra gave up his location while traveling in Iraq by twittering others. The Pentagon considers the locations of its congresspeople in a war zone to be a sensitive issue: http://tinyurl.com/bjyb64

[AlCzervik]

14. Haha, douche Chill!

[Teaser]

15. EPIC FAIL

That really is the quintessential epic fail.

[Seen the light]

18. This is one of the funniest stories I've ever read

Thanks for posting that.

[ejpoeta]

19. i am still trying to figure this twitter thing out.

but sure sounds like a dumb move to broadcast your moves before a surprise attack.