Political Coverage That's All a-Twitter

"Apparently Obama does not sweat when he works out about which you should be receiving a nutty email by dinner time."

And before the Biden selection: "We're to the point where people claim certainty about vice presidential picks the way the devout see Christ's face in table crackers."

Other journalists have joined the game, such as Portfolio's Matthew Cooper: "wondering what Maureen Dowd will do when she doesn't have the Clintons to kick around anymore."

Partisans can also play. "You know, if I picked Biden -- I'd announce it under cover of night, too," tweeted conservative blogger Mike Krempasky.

Some entries are more personal and, occasionally, caustic. From Time blogger Ana Marie Cox, the former Wonkette: "Henry [blanking] Kissinger in 1st class car w/me. Short for a war criminal. Will need more wine if he smiles @ me again. Also garlic & a stake."

Huffington Post's Rachel Sklar: "Yick. Mr. 'I Was An Edwards Campaign Staffer, Now I Sure Like Being On CNN' has way too much product in his hair. Sorry, in his mullet."

Washingtonian's Garrett Graff: "Amusing how much John Edwards trashed the Enquirer as a 'tabloid' last night--um, dude, they were RIGHT."

Speaking of Edwards, he had a Twitter page, too, with such entries as: "On my way to the 27th stop of our bus tour through Iowa. Can't believe we only have 1 day left. Elizabeth, the kids and I are having a b . . ." The updates ended -- not quite as abruptly as that last message -- nine months ago. Which is a shame, since they would be fascinating reading right about now.

Barack Obama's page, which has 65,000 followers, sounds like it's written by a staffer, with such uninspiring notations as this one on Aug. 6: "At a New Energy for America town hall meeting in Elkhart, IN. Watch the event live at http://my.barackobama.com/. . ." There is a John McCain News page, but it has just 1,300 followers.

Sklar loves the haikulike restrictions, "posting my real-time thoughts, impressions and wisecracks without having to worry about fleshing them out for a proper blog post. Working within that 140-character limit -- and still managing to get out your observation, your comment, your setup and punch line or what have you -- is great training for a writer."

Sometimes journalistic interest can flag. Atlantic blogger Marc Ambinder hadn't twittered since February, but he is back in action for the conventions.

Not everyone is a cheerleader. Tech blogger Robert Scoble, who is active on the site, recently wrote: "I am always afraid of being noisy and stupid on Twitter until I read everyone else's tweets. Then I realize I will fit right in."

The site offers a quick way of reaching like-minded folks and gathering information. Jay Rosen, a New York University journalism professor and blogger with more than 1,200 followers, asked his Twitter pals this question two weeks ago: "In a big and hard fought election, like the one we're having this year, what would happen if one candidate was significantly less truthful than the other in ads, speeches, interviews and public statements?" He used the responses (including mine) in a piece for Salon.

Sklar discovered an ancillary benefit in June when she wrote to a casual acquaintance, blogger Rex Sorgatz: "Your latest twitter is one of the reasons I like you without knowing you so well." After that e-mail, she says, "he wrote back suggesting we have lunch." They are now dating.