With the ever-increasing value of social media, the profile content of brands and personalities of any significance are often the closest representations of the account-holder. This is particularly true when it comes to politics, and even moreso for presidential candidates. Twitter as a platform is generally comparatively a far less filtered outlet, when compared to its better crafted and curated counterparts such as Facebook and Instagram. With the frequency of tweets and their often impromptu nature, they bare a degree of authenticity which remains unmatched.
The Socialites political team analyzed the twitter accounts of Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump to gain some added insights into their personalities and what they find valuable as a topic of discourse.
– STATS & STRUCTURE –
Overall, Bernie’s tweets were both more readable and more detailed that those of Trump’s. Bernie’s account also follows more of his supporters – by far – than Trump’s does.
Tweet readability:
Trump: 6.6 | Sanders: 7.2
Average sentence length:
Trump: 7.36 | Sanders: 9.65
Following to follower ratio:
The percentage of followers of each account the account follows back.
Trump: 1:200k | Sanders: 1:3.5k
– CONTENT –
Top words used:
Bernie frequently used inclusive words like ‘our,’ ‘people,’ and ‘you.’ While Trump did use ‘you’ often, he most frequently used ‘Trump’ and ‘I.’ Trump did, however, thank more than Bernie.
| TRUMP | SANDERS |
| Trump | Our |
| I | Bernie |
| You | People |
| Great | Vote |
| Thank | You |
Top phrases:
Bernie used phrases which addressed a broader range of issues and were change oriented. He spoke frequently about the billionaire class, political revolution, and the need to vote. Trump’s phrases focused more on his catch phrase, himself (and his appearances), but also had a significant amount of gratitude.
| TRUMP | SANDERS |
| i will be | in this country |
| make america great (again) | the united states |
| thank you for | the billionaire class |
| will be interviewed/will be on | a political revolution |
| the people of | out and vote |
Top sentences:
Bernie’s top sentences were about inclusiveness, access, the economy, education, imprisonment, and voting. Trump’s top sentences were about his catch phrase, himself, and thanking his fans.
| TRUMP | SANDERS |
| make america great again | an economy that works for all of us |
| thank you for your support | a right not a privilege |
| will be interviewed on foxandfriends | belongs to us all |
| i am self funding my campaign | colleges and universities tuition free |
| i am the only one who can | [the USA has more] people in jail than any other country |
| i will beat hillary | …is your last chance to register to vote |
Top 10 states mentioned:
Both candidates mentioned Iowa far more frequently than other states, and Nevada rather often. For the remainder of the states, they seemed to have differing priorities.
| TRUMP | SANDERS |
| Iowa | Iowa |
| Nevada | New York |
| South Carolina | Nevada |
| New Hampshire | Michigan |
| Ohio | New Hampshire |
| Florida | Utah |
| New York | Nebraska |
| Illinois | South Carolina |
| Pennsylvania | Washington |
| Wisconsin | Alabama |
– OUR TAKEAWAY –
Trump’s strategy’s been fueled by publicity, and focused on individuals rather than a broader community. He taps into the woes and dreams of Joe and Jane, and not that of the broader community. Trump is also lighter on (variety in) detail, and more focused on broad key messages. Trump also has a greater disposition to talking about himself, but balances this with an added dose of gratitude.
Bernie’s statements are indicative of a drive for a broader change, and the betterment of the entire community – not just a single person. He speaks to the masses, and does so in an inclusive way. Bernie speaks on a broader range of specific issues and beliefs, with a greater call to action. Bernie speaks little about himself and more about the nation as an entity.
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