Facebook has become a popular space for political parties to spread their election messages. But as NDP Leader Jack Layton recently learned, the site can quickly backfire on candidates out on the campaign trail.
A recent spike in activity on Layton's Facebook page can partially be attributed to new members signing up for a chance to tear him down, Libby Davies, a NDP candidate running for re-election, told CTV.ca.
Social-networking websites such as Facebook, MySpace and Bebo are the cornerstone of what's become known as Politics 2.0. But this e-participation approach to campaigning can be perilous.
"It depends on how you see it," Davies said.
Canadians logged onto Layton's site in large numbers to gripe about his staunch opposition to Green Party Leader Elizabeth May's participation in the televised leadership debates.
One network user from Montreal wrote this on Layton's public message board known as the "wall": "You just lost my vote, you undemocratic shill. I can't believe you'd try to block a serious political party from the debates."
Soon after, the NDP leader reversed his decision.
Davies' Facebook page is home to more than 1,700 supporters, mostly from her Vancouver East riding. Her campaign office uploads pictures, posts video, discusses party platforms and shares general election information with members daily. Facebook's "mini-feed" automatically provides news updates to everyone within her network.
Though she is committed to having a robust online presence, Davies is wary of the problems associated with online social forums.
"You are definitely leaving yourself open to attack and vulnerable," Davies said.
Elsewhere on Facebook, more than 2,500 people have joined the "Anti-Harper Vote Swap Canada" group since it was created on Sept. 10. Here, members form strategic voting alliances in hopes of reducing the Conservative Party's chances at a majority government.
Despite the drawbacks, politicians mostly see Facebook, and similar social-networking sites, as a way winning over new voters.
Layton's Facebook page is the most popular of the Canadian party leaders, with more than 16,400 members. Conservative Leader Stephen Harper and Liberal Leader Stephane Dion fall in second and third respectively.
Public vs. private personas
Aside from online smear tactics, there are other problems politicians can run up against in online communities.
MPs often don't manage their own profiles, increasing the chances of inaccurate or damaging information being circulated for thousands, and in some cases millions, of network users to view and share.
Liberal Deputy Leader Michael Ignatieff has more than one Facebook page, each moderated by unnamed members of his campaign team.
One site has nearly 1,000, mostly candid, pictures of Ignatieff. The pages also link to Ignatieff's other social media destinations such as YouTube and Flick'r -- a photo-sharing network. It would be a full-time job if Ignatieff were to personally verify each photo and video that users "tag" of him.
Even professional journalists have been duped by online imposters. After the assassination of Pakistan's Benazir Bhutto last December, newspapers, including some here in Canada, quoted lines from what they thought was her son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari's personal Facebook account. The papers printed retractions after learning the page was a fake.
Even Davies, who has a much smaller portfolio than Ignatieff, has staff manage her online persona.
"I don't have to time to do it every day," Davies said.
When asked if she has won over any new voters with Facebook, Davies said she couldn't be sure.
"It's not about getting votes. It's about getting connected on issues," she said.
Engaging youth online
Ilona Dougherty, executive director and co-founder of Apathy Is Boring, encourages politicians to venture into online communities like Facebook. Established in 2004, her non-partisan organization tries to bridge the gap between politicians and young voters.
And it appears Canadian politicians need more of a push in that direction than their American counterparts.
"We're not quite on the bandwagon yet," Dougherty said.
American presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama instantly brought himself to the world's fingertips when he announced his running mate in a text message.
And supporters of Texas Congressman Ron Paul waged nearly their entire Republican presidential nomination campaign over the web last year.
"The reality is that it's part of what you have to do," Dougherty said.
Here in Canada, The Dominion Institute, a not-for-profit promoting appreciation of Canadian history and citizenship, seems to be taking pointers from the Obama camp with the launch of Youth Text 2008.
The project allows voters under the age of 24 a chance to text questions or comments directly to political parties using their cellular phones. The Conservative, Liberal, NDP and Green parties have agreed to respond within 24 hours.
But despite these and other efforts, Elections Canada data shows only 38 per cent of people aged 18-30 cast ballots in the 2004 general election.
Although Davies will continue to beef up her online campaign with a new website launch this week, she won't be replacing old-fashioned handshaking with online buddies anytime soon. To her, social media is just one more way of reaching out to a community.
"And politics needs more of that," she said.
