The media may have declared Hillary Clinton the winner of the first Democratic presidential debate on Tuesday in Las Vegas, but Bernie Sanders clearly won the night on social media.
The Jewish senator from Vermont gained 35,163 new Twitter followers Tuesday night, while the other four Democratic candidates — Hillary Clinton, Martin O’Malley, Jim Webb and Lincoln Chafee — picked up just 23,219 new followers combined. (Clinton gained 13,252 herself.)
Sanders’ campaign Twitter account also boasted the most retweeted line of the night on social media. His dismissal of the Clinton email scandal was retweeted over 12,000 times and made headlines.
Best line of the night: “The American people are sick of hearing about your damn emails, @HillaryClinton.” #DebateWithBernie
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) October 14, 2015
Amidst all the tweeting, many of Sanders’ Jewish fans were also quick to point out that his Jewish-guy-from-Brooklyn demeanor was fun to see on a national stage.
larry sanders pic.twitter.com/780KYxxztz
— Seinfeld Current Day (@Seinfeld2000) October 14, 2015
Bernie Sanders doesn’t sound exactly like Larry David. He sounds exactly like Larry David doing George Steinbrenner.
— Molly Tolsky (@mollytolsky) October 14, 2015
I want to have Passover Seder with Bernie Sanders so bad. Like I want to eat Haroset and matzo ball soup and listen to him read the Haggadah
— Campbell Narron (@ctnarron) October 14, 2015
At most Jewish dinner tables, @BernieSanders would be considered to be whispering. https://t.co/VadgOA8CyO
— Steven Silton (@StevenSilton) October 14, 2015
Jewish girls love Hillary but they also love their grandpas. — Bernie Sanders debate strategy #ThatAccentTho
— Amanda Duberman (@AmandaDuberman) October 14, 2015
Bernie, you only smoked twice? You were smoking the wrong weed. Come to a Seltzer Hannukah party and we’ll fix that & then eat some latkes.
— Sarah Marian Seltzer (@sarahmseltzer) October 14, 2015
Sanders will have to wait and see whether all of that online enthusiasm will translate into votes.
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