What could possibly go wrong? ...[click] go wrong? ...[click] go wrong? ...[click] (another Thursday Tweet highjacked by last minute events)

One of the main strengths of Twitter is its ability to capture the reactions to an event in real time, before the dust has had a chance to settle. These impressions can be rough and inchoate, and they often age quite badly, but they are an important part of a story and can be a useful corrective against self-serving revisionism and tricks of memory.

Here are two accounts published shortly after the event in question.

Elon Musk fails to launch Ron DeSantis in disastrous Twitter Space https://t.co/s6swZyFRwS pic.twitter.com/1ISV3ijikt

— The Verge (@verge) May 24, 2023

Column: The love song of Elon and Ron blows a fuse https://t.co/zGoFW96C7D

— Michael Hiltzik (@hiltzikm) May 25, 2023

 

The rest of these tweets are reactions posted while the event was taking place, mostly from the small group of people I follow.

ok,so where's the DeSantis thing? Running late already?

— Michael Hiltzik (@hiltzikm) May 24, 2023

 

The Twitter Space where Ron DeSantis was/is supposed to announce his presidential campaign alongside Elon Musk just abruptly ended before anyone even spoke. pic.twitter.com/9hc9ByyR3f

— Caroline Orr Bueno, Ph.D (@RVAwonk) May 24, 2023

It crashed and they gave up!!!! The recording is unavailable too.

When they try to put it up again, everyone log in and listen! Who knows what will happen? pic.twitter.com/f1lmQm9qcP

— Brianna Wu (@BriannaWu) May 24, 2023

Why are people blaming Twitter, maybe DeSantis simply got cold feet about running for president

— Jonathan Chait (@jonathanchait) May 24, 2023

I would like to amend my column about why DeSantis still has a chance with the caveat, "Assuming, of course, he successful announces his campaign." https://t.co/f01EgapbhD

— Jonathan Chait (@jonathanchait) May 24, 2023

Megan McArdle often fares badly when people go back and review the tape.

https://t.co/fTaziA5aJC pic.twitter.com/MdeGXSl0B1

— Brian Tashman (@briantashman) May 24, 2023

How it started. How it’s going pic.twitter.com/0mrwQxvpps

— New York Times Pitchbot (@DougJBalloon) May 25, 2023

So Elon/Santis thing is crashing basically? This is impressive. Who's wantin more engineers now, bitch?

— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) May 24, 2023

"DeSantis had planned a splashy and unorthodox entrance, joining Twitter CEO Elon Musk for a live WH announcement.

"But the 'Twitter Space' came to a halt after 20 glitch-plagued minutes filled w/stretches of silence and message 'details not available.' " https://t.co/Ne8f65TemP

— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) May 24, 2023

Now more echoes, because David Sacks (the first speaker) is apparently sitting next to Elon and he needs to mute. And then... back to silence. Amazing that a presidential launch could demonstrate the incompetence of two entities (Twitter and the DeSantis campaign) at once.

— Tom Bonier (@tbonier) May 24, 2023

Musk and Sacks are bragging about having half a million listeners – "probably the biggest room that's ever been assembled online" – when in fact YouTube and other companies have been live-streaming video to millions simultaneously for years

— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) May 24, 2023

Of course, this sort of thing is basically slow pitch for NYT pitchbot.

The real winner in Ron DeSantis’s disastrous campaign launch? Florida governor Ron DeSantis.

— New York Times Pitchbot (@DougJBalloon) May 24, 2023

Eventually, things did start running a bit smoother.

After first half hour of disaster, it was an awkward speech/podcast hybrid. But DeSantis was able to give long substantive answers on issues he wants to highlight: COVID, education, immigration, big tech. We'll see how they play in formats/news cycles that aren't this.

— Benjy Sarlin (@BenjySarlin) May 24, 2023

Of course, being able to get his message out was a bit of a mixed blessing for the candidate.

2/ him. But the issue is what matters to him. This is a way way WAY online minded campaign. And really lives within the keyboard warrior world of the right. What are the issues a winning GOP presidential campaign is going to run on? Border, Inflation, weakness abroad, etc.

— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) May 24, 2023

4/ This is super niche stuff that most of the country doesn't even know what he's talking about. I noted that just a short time ago Sacks said DeSantis would be like a "cool headed ruthless assassin" turning back to the woke mob. To most people that sounds kinda nuts.

— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) May 24, 2023

And the winning tweet goes to the White House, for this understated bit of shade casting.

This link works: https://t.co/9PzIJkseYI

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) May 24, 2023