Quote:
Originally Posted by kn
Just curious, is having an "online presence" a prerequisite for political office today? And what qualifies as an "online presence"? Do you need Facebook/Instagram/Twitter/Google+ etc., etc.? I'm not sure what else is out there.
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You could start with a web site other than the page that your party creates for you. Pretty much every candidate has this, even most candidates that aren't serious. But not these two.
But at minimum I would also like to see Twitter. At the beginning of every election cycle, I follow all candidates in my riding. In 2015, pretty much every serious candidate has it. Everyone had it in 2012. I would also add Facebook as necessary if you want to be taken seriously, even though I would not look at it anywhere near as much.
If it is a good political idea to print and distribute flyers, then social media is a no-brainer. I know most wouldn't follow everyone like I do, but many would check out the riding hashtag (#yycbuffalo, in my case). If you are passing on this free advertising, you are not really trying.
Is there any serious candidates out there that doesn't have a Twitter account? The only ones that I am aware of that don't are paper candidates for WRP or NDP so they can say they have a full or near-full slate. Because of the serious backlash on the PCs, I wouldn't be surprised if one or two of these get elected.
And although not absolutely necessary to hold public office, it is useful. I find out about some things in the community from city councillors. I rarely interact with them, but I have. I am more likely to tweet them than to call them.