The election teams of all candidates* are watching the social media service closely, from spotting early reactions at events to using it as an early warning mechanism when something isn’t going the way they wish. The Romney campaign even tracks reporters’ messages to ferret out perceived bias, reports Ashley Parker for the New York Times.

“Twitter has changed the whole way that politics works,” said Teddy Goff, the digital director of President Obama’s re-election campaign. “Not just the press element, but the organizing element and the fund-raising element and the relationship building that all campaigns try to do.”

* Correction: all but Ron Paul, which is ironic given the candidate’s popularity on social media sites and among young voters.