Code Politics, Ontario Election 2007: Weekly Research for Week Ending Oct. 5, 2007

Facebook

Facebook continues to be the platform of choice for MMP proponents and Green party supporters – we might say this new media format is supporting a certain type of new politics. The Green party saw their group add 358 members this past week, just slightly ahead of a group promoting the environment (which added 310 members to its ranks this past week). Two nastier groups entitled “Dalton McGuinty is an Idiot” and “John Tory is a douchebag” also made our top ten list of largest gains in group membership for the past week.

[1]Top Ten Facebook Groups by Membership for Ontario Election for October 5, 2007: Click the chart to see it in a full-size window [2]Largest Gains in Group Membership on Facebook for Ontario Election, October 5, 2007: Click the chart to see it in a full-size window

YouTube

Torytube, the Liberal’s internet war room, are responsible for all top five videos targeting John Tory this past week, further contributing to their other efforts at defining the PC leader. McGuinty, by comparison, received one positive video uploaded by Torytube. Recent Torytube ads continue to hammer away at Tory’s own “leadership matters” campaign theme. The NDP has unveiled a couple new videos, one which looks to be their final TV campaign advertisement, mirroring their previous “sticky notes” ad, the other resembles a do-it-yourself style Youtube video. All five of Howard Hampton’s most watched videos this past week were positive – all uploaded by the NDP (though some dating back to their January 2007 convention).

John Tory

Title	Upload Date	Views Last Week	Affiliation	Tone
Voter scolds John Tory over private religious school funding [3]	September 25, 2007	1437	Liberal	Negative
John Tory shows 'Zero Respect' for the University of Ottawa [4]	September 3, 2007	952	Liberal	Negative
John Tory: A Week In Review Part 2 [5]	September 30, 2007	790	Liberal	Negative
John Tory: With or Without You [6]	October 3, 2007	737	Liberal	Negative
John Tory tries to speak French, por favor! [7]	September 6, 2007	731	Liberal	Negative

Dalton Mcguinty

Title	Upload Date	Views Last Week	Affiliation	Tone
Cancer patient lets McGuinty have it [8]	September 26, 2007	1417	Unknown	Negative
Ontario is First Again [9]	September 29, 2007	1030	Liberal	Positive
Dalton McGuinty - The "Compassionate" Premier [10]	September 28, 2007	933	Blogger Network	Negative
Dalton McGuinty Liberal Ontario Cancer Patient Liar Health [11]	September 27, 2007	880	Unknown	Negative
Sticky Notes [12]	September 7, 2007	616	NDP	Negative

Howard Hampton

Title	Upload Date	Views Last Week	Affiliation	Tone
Speaking up [13]	September 28, 2007	985	NDP	Positive
Sticky Notes [12]	September 7, 2007	616	NDP	Positive
Howard Hampton introduction video [14]	January 27, 2007	499	NDP	Positive
Priorities [15]	July 3, 2007	483	NDP	Positive
Get Orange [16]	January 26, 2007	479	NDP	Positive

Ontario Election

Title	Upload Date	Views Last Week	Affiliation	Tone
Covertcat submits Ontario election debate Question	September 20, 2007	1174	Unknown	Neutral
Green Party - Election 2007 [17]	September 25, 2007	1120	Green	Positive
Green/Grey Promises [18]	September 22, 2007	1052	Green	Positive
MMP Explaining Ontario Referendum [19]	September 12, 2007	707	Citizens' Assembly	Neutral
Green/Grey Health Care [20]	September 22, 2007	608	Green	Positive

Daily Views for Official Party Accounts

Daily Views for Unofficial Party Accounts

Blogs

October 5, 2007 – Google Blogs Analysis

1. Referendum (MMP)
2. Post-secondary education
3. Faith based schools
4. Auto industry
5. Autism

[21]Leaders Names in the Blogosphere for October 5, 2007: Click the chart to see it in a full-size window