As echoed throughout the social media community, engagement is far more important than numbers, making a politician's follower count meaningless if he or she does not actively engage with supporters. Recognizing the importance of engagement, the Republican Party has fittingly themed their convention "Convention without Walls," in an attempt to break down the physical barriers to attendance with the help of social media. As we outlined earlier on The Social Ballot, one key strategy is through the use of smart phones.

The Sac Bee's Torey Van Oot is on the ground in Tampa at the Republican National Convention, closely following the California delegation. She's been tweeting out photos of the scene on the convention floor, including California congressional candidate Ricky Gill. Gill is largely seen as a bright up-in-coming figure in California for conservatives and was featured heavily in youth and minority outreach programming at the CAGOP convention. He's running in Congressional District 9, against Rep. Jerry McNerney.

National Geographic says our new extreme weather is due both to normal fluctuations and climate change but that climate climate may be the precipitating factor. They conclude that we, as a planet, need to act now to save lives and money.

Minutes before the Empire State Building shooting on Friday, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg discussed the need for stricter and reinforced gun control laws across the nation.

Rep. Michele Bachmann has always been vocal about her religion, but her recent comments have caused speculation within the political community. At a prayer rally on Sunday, Bachmann addressed the inclement weather in Florida: