Fri Oct. 03 2008 3:35:49 PM
cp24.com
This is one of the first federal elections in Canada where the leaders are actively trying to use social media to reach out to voters, but compared to the election buzz online in the U.S. (i.e. Obamamania), as a nation we are late to political web wars.
Nonetheless, now is the time to stop gazing south of the border. With election day less than two weeks away, three party leaders are scrambling to adopt micro-blogging tool Twitter, video-sharing site YouTube, and social networking site Facebook.
While Harper, Layton, and Dion can't possibly expect to build loyal online communities overnight, they are starting to build modest e-followings (OK, well, tiny e-followings might be more accurate, but they have to start somewhere).
Over the next couple of days, I'll blog about some of the attack websites online and how the leaders are tackling election issues on the Internet, but for now let's take a look at Canada's Web Wars by the numbers (and some surprising Facebook facts about the leaders, like who could have guessed that Layton's favourite TV show is The Simpsons or that Harper loves Lost in Translation?).
Please post your suggestions for upcoming topics in the Comments section, which I'll watch 24-7 (give or take a few hours, AKA sleeping time).
Twitter Love
Jack Layton - 1,063 followers, 111 updates
Stephen Harper - 930 followers, 43 updates
Stephane Dion- 768 followers, 51 updates
You Tube Eyeballs
Stephen Harper- 32,615 channel views, 311 subscribers
Jack Layton - 8,406 channel views, 324 subscribers
Stephane Dion - 15,966 channel views, 303 subscribers
Facebook Friends
Jack Layton - 20,052 supporters
(Surprising Facebook Fact - Favourite TV show - The Simpsons)
Stephen Harper - 16,108 supporters
(Surprising Facebook Fact - Favourite Movie - Lost in Translation)
Stephane Dion - 13,590 supporters
(Surprising Facebook Fact - Favourite Music - Arcade Fire)
Legal Briefs
Hot Property
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Homepage
Animal House Calls
Talk TV on Health
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CP24 airs Toronto's number one local 6pm news
Comments are now closed for this story
October 02, 2008 at 5:02:57 PM
Rajio
Aaah but following someone on twitter just indicates that you want to keep tabs on them, not necessarily an affinity for them.
October 02, 2008 at 5:03:33 PM
Darryl Ring
Isn't it interesting that Jack Layton has the highest number of Twitter followers, YouTube subscribers, and Facebook friends?
I haven't been following any leaders' online communities, but I'm curious to see how Layton compares to Harper and Dion in the online arena. Perhaps he's simply more compelling?
October 02, 2008 at 5:06:07 PM
Carol
Elizabeth May & Gilles Duceppe are both on Twitter as well
https://twitter.com/ElizabethMay
https://twitter.com/gillesduceppe
Although there numbers are not as high as the other 3.
October 02, 2008 at 5:06:35 PM
Amber MacArthur
I'm excited to announce that we have comments on this blog, so now is the time to have your say!
Also, let me know if there are stories I should cover or folks I should interview online in regards to our upcoming election.
THX for reading.
Amber MacArthur
October 02, 2008 at 5:09:24 PM
Saleem, Toronto
Hi Amber,
To round out the leader links, The Bloc Quebecois and Green Party also have a Twitter presence:
@GillesDuceppe www.twitter.com/GillesDuceppe
@ElizabethMay www.twitter.com/ElizabethMay
Nice to see comments. Will you be posting video?
October 02, 2008 at 5:47:41 PM
Amber MacArthur
@Rajio - i totally agree. Sometimes we love to follow controversial people on Twitter, along with people we like.
@Darryl - I think, to a lot of people, Layton has a friendlier persona...therefore he might resonate more closely with the online community.
@Saleem - THX for posting the other Twitter accounts. As for video, yes, I will be posting YouTube videos, so if you have any "goodies" let me know!
October 02, 2008 at 7:22:30 PM
russ
I follow dion and harper just to keep up with their talking points and where they are. I like following phoney harper he's much more fun to follow.
Check out electopinion.ca you can see all the twitter posts from the different parties.
October 03, 2008 at 10:39:21 AM
Amber MacArthur
@russ - Ah, yes, Phoney Harper (https://twitter.com/phoneyharper). His latest tweet:
"Just came from visit to oral surgeon. Got five stitches in my tongue from biting it last night. No pain, no gain."
October 03, 2008 at 9:17:54 AM
Christopher Kata
Hey Amber - To encourage people to vote we created Digital Election Lawn Signs for Twitter, Facebook, blogs and more. You can get them after taking a short 5 question poll.
http://www.tinyurl.com/digital-lawn-sign
October 03, 2008 at 11:20:57 PM
Jason
It is great to see that all the parties are recognizing the power of the Internet and trying to utilize it to their ability. When the election first kicked it seemed that Harper was the most prepared as he had all the main social networks accesible from the Conservative home page while the other parties have followed. Very interesting that neither the Green Party or the Bloc have links to Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, Flikr or Myspace on the front page of their respective websites. I think the short time frame of the Canadian election doesn't give the parties the time to build the online community compared to the US. Let's see how this thing wraps up.
October 05, 2008 at 12:02:50 AM
denise
Did anyone notice that harper was the only one that did not talk over anyone? or that layton and dion are trying to use the same lines mccain used and with the same disdain and may well she is just to cocky and arrogant,What is going on?thank god our election process is short all of these insults are getting to be a bit much!
October 06, 2008 at 12:00:15 AM
denise
Im a pc voter and yet find it repulsive that these vandals or punks rather doing such a horid thing,i thank god no one is hert,niether party should be put under this kind of attack.