Working as CliveForMayor: I did it my way

Well, last night Ottawa elected a mild mannered politician and said good bye to the sober second thought on council and a mayor who was prone to lashing out irrationally.  My congratulations goes out to Jim Watson and his campaign team for running a long and well won race.  They did so with a level of grace and civility (when it came to Clive Doucet and his campaign) that I had no issues dealing with them online or in person.

I learned a lot over the last several weeks, but my role as the social media “guru” on the campaign team was a lot of fun.  I started off my day usually quite early.  I would collect the news stories that spoke favourably of Clive and looked for little bites of text to use for tweets.  I would also prepare all my tweets on his schedule and start sending out the schedule and news.  When it came to interaction with voters, I was not comfortable (in the beginning) with being the voice online and constantly worried I was misrepresenting Clive.  That changed after a few #AskClive Twitter sessions and getting to know how he thinks and what he believes in.  I also worked on Clive’s Facebook page giving updates, sharing news stories and eventually also talking more on there with voters.

When Nenshi won in Calgary, riding on a wave of momentum that grew through social media and the support there from, I noticed an immediate response toward Clive.  I had already been building the positive buzz and working 13 hour days trying to keep his name out there.  Within 12 hours of the Calgary election, Doucet’s office went from a comfortable working pace to near frantic as supporters came out of the woodwork and before I knew it I was interviewing with Cory O’Kelly of CBC.  That’s when I was certain I could double up Clive’s poll approval with a little more work and being less business-like and more personable through CliveForMayor.

In the end, I started on the campaign when Clive was not polling well.  Within two weeks a poll showed him sitting at 5.6% and I was determined to increase this as much as I could.  On my own Twitter account I decreased my agitating tweets and on CliveForMayor I increase the dialogue with the voters.  On Facebook I did the same on Clive’s page and started thanking people and encouraging them to get out there and vote. On election night, Clive ended at 14.89% and while some at the campaign headquarters last night attributed a lot to me, I would like to think that we did it as a team.  There are a lot of people both inside and outside of the campaign group that pushed Clive’s name online and equally, there are a lot of people who pushed for Clive in the “real world” too.

If you are interested in just how much work was put into the use of Twitter during the campaign, take a look at Professor Josh Greenberg’s latest blog Tweet, Click, Vote: Twitter and the 2010 Ottawa Election.  It’s more shocking to know that 99% of the posts from CliveForMayor in October all came from me.  Yikes!

W.
Voice of CliveForMayor on Twitter

ps. Now the real task is turning what I learned into career opportunities.  I really enjoyed new media and politics combined.  I’ll take suggestions on my Twitter account or emailed. ;)

Social Media on the Mayoral Campaign

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! 

Social Media from Calgary to Ottawa in the race for mayor–CBC News Ottawa, Oct 19 2010

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.

Thanksgiving and Municipal Turkeys

My brine is ready.  The 5 gallon bucket in which the turkey will rest, soaking in a lavish bath of salt, sugar, all-spice, ginger and pepper is prepped and ready too.  Sometime around midnight tonight I will immerse the festive foul -- once reserved for the rich whereas the goose was the meal for the poor -- into the mixture to soak for 16 hours on our balcony.  Yet, while I get ready for my bi-weekly night out with friends, away from the campaigning, I am reflective on things I am thankful for this weekend.

I am thankful for the chance to become involved in local politics, but so much so that it occupies most waking hours of my day (8-13 hours per day, every day usually).  While there may only be 15 days away from the end of the road on this campaign, I do believe my efforts have helped pick up momentum for one candidate; Clive Doucet.  I am also thankful that I was welcomed with open arms into that campaign office and while I am sometimes outspoken, I am infrequently chastised for it.

This week has been the most trying and frustrating week I have experienced on the campaign trail.  From questionable polls that came out of nowhere, reporting thereof, to pernicious editorials aimed to steer the public on who is and is not a candidate, it truly has been difficult to remain calm. Of all that, I am thankful for people who tapped me on the shoulder and gave me sage advice, to chin up and keep trudging forward for what I believe in.  If I let everything get to me about what other people say about my candidate, my objectives might be influenced and my ability to do good on his behalf could be rendered inconsequential.

It sounds as though I am patting myself on the back a little, something I have tried to avoid for the last few weeks.  I am simply happy to see that the week has come to a close.  There has been sparks in this campaign that have ignited for better and for worse.  There have been ups and downs, but the social media community of Ottawa's voting public (largely on Twitter's #ottvote hashtag) have been outspoken and largely supportive.  For that I am absolutely thankful.

Above all and as cheesy as it can be, I am most thankful for my wife who has told me to chase this and do good for my candidate.  I have met people from other campaigns and while they seem nice, I am truly having fun despite the pressure and stress.  I am also very thankful for the supportive campaign staff and am hopeful in our success over the next 15 days; we can make a difference in this city.

W.