Tonight, the remaining field of Republican candidates took to the stage in South Carolina to make their case to voters. Throughout the debate, Fox News encouraged viewers to rate each candidate’s responses in real time by tweeting #answer or #dodge plus the candidate’s name.

From Juan Williams referencing Tweets from his timeline in pressing Newt Gingrich to clarify an answer, to host Bret Baier asking candidates questions from Twitter users, you were part of the debate conversation—online and on TV.

We partnered with Mass Relevance to track the #answer and #dodge data. The tweeting was immediate, providing a rich real-time picture of audience reaction to each candidate’s answer within 15 to 30 seconds. Here are a few of the debate highlights:

Newt Gingrich
After a slow start and a net #dodge rating for an answer on his recent attacks on Mitt Romney’s record at Bain Capital, Gingrich elicited strong #answer ratings for much of the remainder of the debate. His highest #answer peaks came during his comments on unemployment and his reply to Juan Williams about characterizing President Obama as a “food stamp President.”



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Mitt Romney
While generating the highest total volume of Tweets among the candidates, Romney spent most of the debate with net Twitter user reaction firmly in #dodge territory. The former Massachusetts governor’s explanation for not releasing his tax records generated the most significant #dodge reaction, but Romney scored #answer ratings for his replies on Medicare and Social Security reform and his refusal to negotiate with the Taliban.



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Responses to the other candidates:

Rick Perry’s biggest Twitter reaction came right at the end of the debate, as Twitter users rewarded him by noting #answer for his response to a question on immigration.

Users tweeted that Rick Santorum’s biggest #dodge of the night was in his answers to questions on gun control, but they applauded his answers on employment.

Ron Paul saw his most significant number of #dodge votes in answers around foreign policy.

As the primaries roll on, so do the political conversations on Twitter. If you want to be the first to hear what’s happening on the campaign trail as it unfolds in real time, here’s a list of accounts we suggest you follow to get in the middle of the action.

Getting the latest information and commentary by following candidates, pundits, journalists and other voters is one of the best ways to stay informed. And there’s another way to make your voice heard on Twitter, particularly during debates. Twitter gives everyone equal and unprecedented access to many of the most influential players in the election. And we know that when you tweet, they listen.

Tomorrow night, at the Fox News Republican debate in South Carolina, your Tweets will let host Bret Baier, on-air analysts, viewers and candidates themselves know your thoughts during the evening.

We’ve been through this before — so here’s a reminder of how you can have your say:

• When a candidate answers a question, tweet that person’s name with #answer (if you think they answered the question) or #dodge (if you think they, well, dodged it).

• Watch the live results at live.foxnews.com.

To further join the conversation, include the debate’s official hashtag (#scdebate) in your Tweets, or search for that hashtag on Twitter.com to see what everyone else is saying.

This year, discovering the playoffs on Twitter is easier than ever: we’ve partnered with @chevrolet to launch Road to the #SuperBowl. Head over to get real-time updates from everyone watching every playoff game, including coaches, players, analysts and fans. While the teams move the chains on the field, on Twitter you can track who’s winning by the number of Tweets fans send about players and teams.

Last week more than 1.5 million Tweets mentioned @TimTebow during the Denver Broncos’ overtime win against the Pittsburgh Steelers—and, reacting to Tebow’s game-winning touchdown pass to @DemaryriusT, fans set a new Twitter sports record of 9,420 Tweets per second. That’s more than double the Tweets per second peak from last year’s Super Bowl game (4,064).

Tune in this weekend to follow every bold prediction, every sideline development and every game-changing down on Twitter. Can the @49ers defense slow down the offensive firepower of @Official_Saints? How will the breaking news and injuries reported by @JasonLaCanfora affect the match-ups during the game? And what do sportswriters like @SI_PeterKing and @sportsguy33 make of it?

If it’s happening on the field, on TV, or in the press box, it’s happening on Twitter. Game on!

Make this your Twitter profile pic leading up to the #49ers Divisional round game against the Saints. #BeatTheSaints twitter.com/49ers/status/1…

— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) January 10, 2012

More than 400,000 volunteers have contributed to our Translation Center, which takes a crowd-sourced approach to making Twitter available in new languages. In fact, thanks to these passionate people all over the world, Twitter is offered in 21 languages. We’ve recently introduced it in Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Polish — and today, we launch in Swedish.

As the number of volunteer translators grows, we’ll explore new ways to empower users to translate and localize Twitter for even more communities. Expect to see further improvements to the Translation Center in the coming year, including new translation tools and more opportunities to help make Twitter accessible to every person on the planet.

If you’d like to get involved, visit translate.twttr.com and follow @translator for the latest updates about these efforts. If you’d like to read Twitter in a different language, you can change your language setting.

Tweets have become one of the most important — and simplest — ways for people to share news, humor, inspiration, and knowledge online. And they are even richer when they include pictures, videos, locations, or links to other sites on the web. With the new version of Twitter, anyone can embed Tweets simply by copying and pasting one line of code into their website. Embedded Tweets automatically open to show images, conversations and videos.

Whenever you see a Tweet embedded in a web page, you can follow that user with a single click and reply, retweet or favorite the Tweet right from the page. Click on the author’s @username to see their Twitter profile page, or click the date in the lower left corner of the Tweet to see Replies, Retweets and Favorites on the Details page. Try it now on this embedded Tweet.

#protip Now you can embed a Tweet right on your WordPress blog, Posterous Space, or any website. Read more: dev.twitter.com/blog/tweets-an…

— Twitter (@twitter) January 5, 2012

People are already embedding Tweets across the web in order to continue the conversations that matter to them. U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) embedded a Tweet to congratulate Walla Walla Community College. Journalists embed Tweets to quote eyewitnesses or sources, and bloggers embed Tweets to collect the year’s most memorable moments in one place. Here’s how you can embed Tweets on your own site, and watch for them on your favorite websites.

TweetDeck is indispensable for tracking the real-time conversations about any given topic on Twitter. Last week we made TweetDeck available on the web for the first time.


Built with HTML5, the web version of TweetDeck syncs your accounts, columns, layout and settings whenever and wherever you sign in. And, TweetDeck now reflects the overall design of Twitter with Profile and Tweet box pop-ups.

Whether you are listening to conversations about a topic that impacts your business, or a journalist covering breaking news, TweetDeck on the web gives you an even simpler way to filter content. You can easily set up columns that track search results, trending topics, specific users, your own @mentions, favorites and more. You can also now open Tweets directly within a column to view media, conversations, favorites or retweets.

#ProTip: Need to send a Tweet later? You can choose to post an update at a specific time in the future using TweetDeck’s scheduling feature.

In addition to accessing TweetDeck from your browser, you can also download TweetDeck for your Mac or PC.

To learn about the changes to TweetDeck, how to get an account, and tips & tricks, check out this help center article support.twitter.com/articles/20169…

— TweetDeck (@TweetDeck) December 9, 2011

We will continue to enhance TweetDeck on the web, so follow @TweetDeck for updates.

Political debates give citizens a way to hear from the candidates themselves on the issues that matter most. In the past, we’ve all experienced this important phase in the election cycle by gathering around the TV to watch candidates exchange views in real time.

Twitter helps you share the debate-watching experience more directly and powerfully by bringing you closer to the candidates, commentators and other voters. Tonight, you can weigh in with a Tweet as the debate progresses. At 9-11 p.m (ET) / 6-8 p.m. (PT), seven Republican presidential candidates will take the stage in Iowa and participate in the Fox News debate. Tell Fox News, the campaigns and pundits whether or not you think the candidates are really answering the questions.


Here’s how to do it:

• When a candidate answers a question, tweet that person’s name with #answer (if you think they answered the question) or #dodge (if you think they, well, dodged the question). Example: “gingrich nailed that #answer” or “gingrich is avoiding the issue #dodge”.

• Watch the live results over at live.foxnews.com.

If you want to continue to the join the conversation, include the debate’s official hashtag (#iowadebate) in your Tweet. Or just search for that hashtag on Twitter.com to see what everyone else is saying.

Another #protip for debate watchers tonight: follow the host Bret Baier and moderators Megyn Kelly, Chris Wallace and Neil Cavuto to get their perspective during the broadcast. And don’t forget to see what the candidates themselves tweet before and after the debate.

If you won’t be near a TV this evening, you can keep up with the debate’s big moments on your mobile device.

Last week we announced a new version of Twitter that provides a familiar experience across the web and mobile phones. We are rolling out the new version to Twitter.com over the next few weeks, and you can see it now on Twitter for iPhone, Twitter for Android and our mobile web app - mobile.twitter.com.

Here are some tips to help you enjoy the new version of Twitter on your phone.

• Blue glow. A blue glow underneath any of the tabs means you have new Tweets (in Home), Interactions (in Connect), Stories (in Discover) or Direct messages (in Me).
• Jump to the top. When you’re done scrolling through a tab, just tap the icon to jump to the top of that tab’s timeline. Double-tap a tab you’re not currently viewing to jump to the top of that timeline.
• Tweet details. Want to find out more about a Tweet in your timeline? Tap a Tweet to go to the details page, which includes photos and video, conversations, linked web pages and the number of favorites and retweets the Tweet has received.

While this new version of Twitter scales across different platforms with a consistent navigation and actions, each app also has its own unique details.

#ProTip: Swipe up on the “Me” tab in the new version of Twitter for iPhone to see your direct messages. Swipe left to switch accounts.

— Twitter Mobile (@twittermobile) December 14, 2011

Learn more about the different Twitter mobile apps in our Help Center.

As we’re rolling out Twitter.com to users, some folks have wondered how they can get it sooner. Just download and log in to Twitter for iPhone or Twitter for Android, and you will get earlier access to the new version of Twitter on your computer. It takes some time to update, but once you’ve logged in to the app, just know it’s coming!

Update - 3:15pm PT
More news: Read about enhanced profile pages, on the advertising blog, and embeddable Tweets, on the dev blog.

Today we introduce a new version of Twitter. We’ve simplified the design to make it easier than ever to follow what you care about, connect with others and discover something new. You’ll see this new design both on Twitter.com and mobile phones, so that you’ll have a familiar experience any time, anywhere. We’ve also updated TweetDeck to be consistent with this new version.


Four new tabs bring you instantly closer to everything you care about. Visit fly.twitter.com to learn more about the changes.

We’ll be rolling out the redesigned Twitter over the next few weeks. You can see it immediately on the just-updated versions of mobile.twitter.com, Twitter for iPhone, and Twitter for Android. You can get early access on your computer by downloading and logging into Twitter for iPhone or Twitter for Android. We’re working on updates for other apps, such as Twitter for iPad, and will share news as they become available.

What we’re announcing today is just the beginning. We now have a framework in place that we will quickly build and iterate upon to help users connect with whatever is meaningful to them.

#letsfly

Today’s installment of #YearInReview charts the top Tweets Per Second (TPS) of 2011.

The biggest moments on Twitter this year were live events and breaking news, when millions of people came together to watch significant events as they unfolded in real time. These moments range from natural disasters and geopolitical happenings to championship games, and reflect the way people turn to Twitter for a fast, simple way to communicate.

Beyonce’s pregnancy announcement on MTV's Video Music Awards in August broke the record for the highest TPS spike of all time: nearly 9,000 Tweets per second. Live sporting events accounted for six out of the top 16 TPS spikes, with the final game of the Women’s FIFA World Cup holding the TPS record for sports. Hard news, including word of Troy Davis’ execution (7,671 TPS) and Steve Jobs’ resignation (7,064 TPS), round out the list.

Visit our #YearInReview page to see a compilation of all of our lists to date, including the Year in Stories and Hot Topics.