Obama named the ‘most influential’ politician on Twitter

The President of the United States is often referred to as the most powerful man on earth. While the accuracy of that can be debated, President Obama can now be referred to by another moniker that may be as valued in social media obsessed Washington: Most influential politician on Twitter.

The president’s account (@BarackObama) has 7,176,450 followers – less than Lady Gaga or Justin Bieber but more than Kim Kardashian or Oprah Winfrey – but he also ranks high on the list of users who influence Twitter chatter, according to a new survey from Twitalyzer, an analytics firm, conducted for the New York Times.

Twitalyzer ranks President Obama fourth “most followed” overall and the seventh “most influential” on a new list of prominent users based on how much users “affect the conversation” on Twitter.

The president is the only politician on the 10 person list, which includes celebrities from not only the U.S. but other countries where Twitter is most popular, such as Brazil and England.

Twitalyzer’s Influence Index measures how much influence users have on Twitter on a 0-to-100 index scale that factors in not just number of followers but frequency of tweets and how often tweets are re-tweeted.

Twitalyzer also ranked Sarah Palin as the most influential of the potential 2012 Republican presidential candidates, with an Influence Index rank of 39 that means she moves conversations on Twitter more than any of the other possible candidates.

Twitalyzer also classifies Twitter users as five types ranging from Everyday Users (small circles of influence), which is where the service labels former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (@timpawlenty), to Thought Leaders (voices listened to the most), which is where President Obama fits in. Frequent–and frequently humorous–tweeter Rep. Anthony Weiner (@RepWeiner) is labeled a Social Butterfly (influential within his own circle), while New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (@govchristie) is a Trendsetter (early adopter who loves to share new ideas). White House Press Secretary Jay Carney (@PressSec), appropriately enough for the former scribe, is labeled Reporter (well-connected and great communicator).

Editor’s Note: The Hill’s account (@TheHill) may not have made the list, but it is worth following.