Let Scotland go and compete.Everyone would win.

— Rupert Murdoch(@rupertmurdoch) February 20, 2012

From distance, Santorum doing great.Values really do count in America, and not sneered at as in parts of Europe. Win Michigan game over.

— Rupert Murdoch(@rupertmurdoch) February 20, 2012

Alex Salmond clearly most brilliant politicianin U.K.Gave Cameron back of his hand this week.Loved by Scots.

— Rupert Murdoch(@rupertmurdoch) February 19, 2012

How much influence does he still have?

There’ve been a couple of tweets overnight from Rupurt Murdoch giving his views of coming elections battles on both sides of the Atlantic. As can be seen one is pro-Scottish independence and the other is about the front-runner in the Republican nomination race, Rick Santorym.

In the Scottish referendum battle Murdoch’s view could not be me clear – the media magnate is backing the YES to independence option in the coming Scottish referendum.

Scotland’s biggest selling newspaper, News International’s the Scottish Sun, endorsed the SNP ahead of later May’s Holyrood election which saw the party being returned with an overall majority.

That was before, of course, the ‘spot of bother’ that Murdoch’s newspaper group got into a couple of months later over the hacking affair.

A key part of the referendum campaign will be about turnout and this is where the Scottish Sun could make a critical difference encouraging those demographic groups who are less likely to vote.

The downside for the YES campaign is that the ongoing troubles that the Murdoch empire might undermine its influence and could possibly be counter-productive.

In the US, of course, Murdoch has a huge media empire including some key newspapers and, of course, Fox News. His point about perceptions of values issues being different in the UK is an acute one.

Whatever Rupert has come out of the past week fighting and we shouldn’t underestimate him.

@MikeSmithsonOGH