I want to take a moment to address some questions I have been asked over the past couple of days. These questions are about polling, social media and Clive’s chances to win this next election. However, before we begin, a clip from the CBC News at 6 on Social Media in the mayoral race. This is a shameless plug and I admit to it. The only thing I am not a fan of with this clip is that the preview image being my face. Yikes!
I want to start by saying that Naheed Nenshi’s win in Calgary and the connection to social media being used for the mayoral campaigns here in Ottawa is a little different. The top three contenders (according to the latest poll) all use some form of social media. Some of them are using more than others, while others may be using their forms better. While Clive Doucet’s push for mayor utilizes a wide variety of mediums it does so with a limited budget. However, this does not diminish either the Calgary or the Ottawa example. Both cities have similar issues and similar political leanings with likeminded underdogs; one is now mayor-elect, the other will hopefully have the same distinction on Monday.
How has Social Media changed the race in Ottawa?
Since joining the Clive Doucet campaign it has been my singular goal to keep the online voting public informed on Clive’s day-to-day schedule while linking news stories about him. I have noticed a turn in a number of people from undecided and even doubters to supporters. Do I take credit for it? No. Clive did all the work, I was simply (likely) sitting in my office at home at the right time to share the story.
I have noticed that when I cover a debate or a press release, retweets (people sharing other people’s tweets) about Clive increase substantially. This happens a lot more often with the Doucet campaign than it appears to happen with other campaigns. Albeit, I am also convinced that the other campaigns could benefit from a dedicated staff member working specifically on social media with the candidate lending their voice from time to time. Is it too little too late for another campaign to ramp up their social media exposure? Yes. Not because it would not help their campaign in some form, but rather it would come off a little desperate. Fortunately, the Clive Doucet social media presence has been there for some time now and has been plugging away for weeks.
What about the polls?
It is well known I was very critical about one poll in specific and how it was done was well as the intentions of said poll. However, I have grown to adopt the campaign line that we only care about the election poll results. Yes, polls are important in understanding where the momentum is, but they are not an end all or be all of elections. Online polls (some easily manipulated, others not) have put Clive in the running for mayor just as much as Watson or O’Brien. We simply have to wait and see.
Do you hate conventional media?
This one came in when I was writing this blog and I suppose it has to do with a recent posting on the Ottawa Citizen website. The short of it is no. I do not hate conventional media. In fact, I often admire the work reporters do. Go back six or so years and I too wanted to work in journalism, but had a change of heart. I am critical not for the sake of being shrill or whiney, but because I do not believe my candidate has been equally represented. Thus far two large articles on vision and transit both skipped out on my candidate for one publication. Saying that someone has a fair chance may be accurate, but there is not fair exposure.
That said, there are other publications and outlets (radio and television) that have given Clive Doucet a fair chance to be heard and seen. The number comment we often hear from undecided voters is simply that: “I have no idea what your message or platform is.” It is not easy explaining why they have no idea without sounding negative, so we turn to the social media savvy people to do it even though the reach may be limited compared to over 100,000 readers per day of other mediums. But no, I do not hate conventional media. They serve a purpose, they work to said purpose and they do so quite well. I could easily sit down and have a glass of scotch (I do not drink beer) with any of the members of the media even if I disagree with them.
Will Clive Doucet win come Monday October 25th?
Much like the final cost of the proposed tunnel downtown, the future is difficult to determine. I do believe that Clive has a sincere shot at winning based off of the online buzz I am witnessing. Shockingly, I have been emailed, messaged and even stopped on the street with people saying they’re going to support Clive. Just yesterday, at Carleton University, a young woman shook my hand and said hello simply because I follow her on Twitter (or at least I think that’s what she said … busy hallways are not conducive for chit-chat). People appear to be picking up the momentum for Clive and running with it. So, yes, I do believe Clive Doucet, with momentum on his side, has a fair shot at taking the polls on Monday.
W.
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