The first NDP leaders debate is tomorrow. Below is a call to action from the Paul Dewar team to fight for their guy on social media. We've seen political operatives take to Twitter, Facebook and other social media in the federal election leaders debate last May and in debates during subsequent provincial election campaigns this year. As a journalist, watching those Twitter wars between dueling partisans is informative because it can give you a sense of what the campaigns think of how the debate is going.
But in all the debate battles earlier this year it Conservatives vs Liberal vs New Democrat (or their provincial equivalents). Tomorrow it's an all Orange-on-Orange fight. So far, it's been tough (for me, at least) to differentiate any candidate from the other. Each candidate is reluctant to take shots at another candidate or even mention another's policies. There was almost a division over the number of debates and Nathan Cullen has tried to stir it up with a bold (if, apparently unpopular) proposal for some form of co-operation — but not a merger — with the Liberals in order to defeat the Conservatives
But beyond that, the NDP leadership campaign has been marked by a remarkable unanimity on major issues. Anyone like the idea of continued corporate tax cuts? None of them do. Anyone ready to bust up publicly funded health care? Are you crazy? Who hates the idea of a national public transit strategy? They all love it! National daycare anyone? Bring it on!
On all of those issues — and many more — all nine leadership candidates would find little to argue about.
But now we have the first debate where there will be significant national attention. The Dewar team — and others, I suspect — are being called into action. So even if the candidates keep it polite and respectful — and despite the call from Dewar's team to stay “positive” — I'll be looking to Twitter and Facebook to see if anyone wants to drop the gloves and start making a move to help their champion win the NDP crown.
Here's that call to action from the Dewar team:
Paul needs you tomorrow.
While he debates under the hot lights of the Ottawa Convention Centre; you and the online team will be needed to take to Twitter and Facebook and push what he is saying there.
The goal is simple: to flood the twitter feed with positive reaction to Paul’s performance and to post good things on Facebook.
So what you do is very simple—just watch the coverage (2:00 PM ET on CPAC or live streamed on NDP.ca) and tweet things that you are impressed with—even quote him (if you can in 140 characters).
Remember to use the hashtag #ndpldr and #dewar4ndp. That way the folks following the debate will see what you are saying.
If you haven’t already you should probably start following some of the National Political reporters and even some of our NDP tweeters. You can find a pretty good list here: http://www.davidakin.com/politicaltwits/media.htm
Also look out for other good tweets and retweet them.
Keep the posts as positive as you can—no need to attack the other candidates, put down what they are saying or make cheap shots—and avoid all twitter fights.
Facebook is a good tool before and after the debate. In the lead up posting any good story about Paul will help as will posting any stories that come out afterwards.
Tomorrow is an important moment in the campaign. Your help will be crucial in maintaining the momentum of our campaign.
You're going to make the difference.
My Parliamentary Press Gallery colleagues Jöel-Denis Bellavance of La Presse and Stephen Maher of Postmedia have been invited by the New Democrats to be the event's (bilingual) moderators. I'm sure they've got some great questions prepared but let me put forward these for consideration ( I asked Peggy Nash some of these questions on my television program, The Daily Brief, on Sun News Network on Friday and also put some to Brian Topp when he appeared on the program recently):
- Many of the leadership candidates have cited strong fiscal records of provincial NDP governments as evidence that New Democrats can run a balanced budget. But New Democrats have never been in charge of monetary policy — telling the Bank of Canada what to do. Recently at a House of Commons Finance Committee meeting, CAW economist Jim Stanford was highly critical of the agreements that successive Liberal and Conservative governments have struck with the Bank of Canada. Those agreements say the objective of Canada's monetary policy should be to keep inflation at 2 per cent. Mr. Stanford told the committee: “Monetary policy has absolutely exacerbated the inequality in our society.” So: If you led an NDP government would you force the Bank of Canada to consider a higher inflation target — Mr. Stanford suggest 4 per cent or 5 percent — or would you ask the Bank to consider the effects of employment levels when it sets interest rates in addition to or instead of inflation?
- Recently, CAW President Ken Lewenza told Bloomberg News that not only should Canada not sell its ownership stake in General Motors but that the federal government should seek out other opportunities to buy ownership positions in other Canadian manufacturers such as Bombardier. What do you make of Mr. Lewenza's suggestions?
- The current Conservative government distinguished itself as economic nationalists in refusing to approve the takeover of MacDonald Dettwiler and Potash Corp., the first occasions when foreign takeovers were rejected since the Liberals brought in the Foreign Investment Review Act. Did you agree with these decisions and why? Would you tighten or loosen Canada's foreign investment regime? How would you attract foreign investment?
- Canada's economy is heavily dependent on exports of energy, be it carbon-based energy such as the oilsands or hydro-electric energy. Would encourage or discourage exports of Canadian energy? How would you do this?
- Many economists argue that the best way for governments to raise revenue, comparatively speaking, is through consumption taxes rather than income taxes. How do you feel about this? Does the federal government have the right mix between consumption taxes, income taxes and other kinds of taxes?
- The preamble to your party's constitution reads, in part: “The principles of democratic socialism can be defined briefly as: That the production and distribution of goods and services shall be directed to meeting the social and individual needs of people within a sustainable environment and economy and not to the making of profit.” Do you believe in the principles of socialism and that, for entrepreneurs and business owners in Canada, profit ought to be a secondary consideration after “meeting the social and individual needs of people”?