Code Politics, Ontario Election 2007: Weekly Research for Week Ending Sept. 21, 2007

Post Debate Analysis: Blogger chatter, winners, losers, and video-campaigning

Blogosphere

Top Issues in the Blogosphere (Immediately after the Leaders debate*)

Sample: drawn from top 100 blogs, as determined by Google

Notes: “De Jong” were blog posts discussing the Green party’s exclusion from the televised debate. “MMP” blog posts mostly noted the omission of this issue during the debate.

Who Won the debate (According to the blogosphere)?

23% of bloggers voiced an opinion about a winner or loser of the Ontario Leaders Debate
12% of Bloggers picked a winner, whereas 11% named the debate’s loser

Please see charts follow below

Click the chart to see it in a full-size window

Top issues in the blogosphere for the week ending September 21

Name	Title
1	the debate
2	faith based schools
3	mmp referendum
4	autism funding
5	healthcare

Facebook

Top Ten Facebook Groups by Membership for Ontario Election, September 21, 2007: Click the chart to see it in a full-size window

Largest Gains in Group Membership on Facebook for Ontario Election, September 21, 2007: Click the chart to see it in a full-size window

YouTube

The Green party saw their videos gain significant viewers this past week leading up to the debate Thursday night. The campaign also uploaded a live internet streamed Q&A with Frank De Jong in response to his exclusion from the televised debate.
Our research has noted the emergence of increasing numbers of video-bloggers,, non campaign related individuals who are posting cynical and humorous videos about the provincial election. eg: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOs9dzdu_tQ
The Tories released three new TV ads this week, but for the first time this campaign have neglected to upload them onto Youtube or other social networking sites where bloggers and others often debate their merits.
Torytube.ca, the liberal’s online war room, has started to turn more attention (and criticism) toward the NDP. In addition to adding a couple new videos on Youtube this week, Torytubers have also added a page to their site entitled “NDP4Tory.ca”.

John Tory

Title	Upload Date	Views Last Week	Affiliation	Tone
John Tory Platform Costing	July 13, 2007	2288	Unknown	Negative
John Tory shows 'Zero Respect' for the University of Ottawa	September 3, 2007	1198	Liberal	Negative
John Tory and Brian Mulroney, so happy together.	September 19, 2007	1194	Unknown	Negative
John Tory's Broken Education Policy	September 17, 2007	1076	Liberal	Negative
We won't be fooled again	June 11, 2007	813	Unknown	Negative

Dalton Mcguinty

Title	Upload Date	Views Last Week	Affiliation	Tone
Sticky Notes	September 7, 2007	1011	NDP	Negative
Dalton McGuinty Music Mix	August 28, 2007	851	Conservative	Negative
Caledonia Developer Attacked by Natives Update Sept 13 07	September 14, 2007	736	Unknown	Negative
Dalton McGuinty and his...Hand in my pocket no. 6	February 1, 2007	622	Unknown	Negative
Dalton McGuinty: Liberals Working	June 17, 2007	552	Liberal	Positive

Howard Hampton

Title	Upload Date	Views Last Week	Affiliation	Tone
NDP Campaign Trail: Why are you hiding?	September 13, 2007	1602	Unknown	Negative
Sticky Notes	September 7, 2007	1011	NDP	Positive
Hampton Gets NDP Eyes Rolling	September 20, 2007	861	Liberal	Negative
Sticky Notes: Forget Orange	September 9, 2007	336	Liberal	Negative
Priorities	July 3, 2007	317	NDP	Positive

Ontario Election

Title	Upload Date	Views Last Week	Affiliation	Tone
Let Frank In	September 4, 2007	2730	Green Party	Positive
Democracy at Work: The Assembly's Decision	May 28, 2007	1096	Citizen's Assembly	Neutral
Visible Minorities?	September 12, 2007	1088	Liberal	Negative
Ontario Fishin' (2007 Ontario Election Commercial)	September 4, 2007	449	The Freedom Party	Positive
Dalton McGuinty: Send him Home Election Day	August 29, 2007	445	Unknown	Negative