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Online Social Media And The NY Political Game
By MICHAEL SCHENKLER
Follow me on Twitter @QueensTribune
It’s 10:45 p.m. Sunday night, Aug. 23 as I finally sit down to write the column. A busy weekend and a crazy week’s schedule – past and to come – prevented all but the selection of a topic for my column.
In addition to being the summer, it is political interview season and tomorrow’s schedule typifies my day. My first stop is in my Huntington newspaper office where I publish the Long Islander Newspapers group started by Walt Whitman in 1838. A review with key staff of our Huntington Restaurant Week program, return phone calls and off to Queens to review this week’s nine editions of the Trib and the Press of Southeast Queens before candidate interviews.
I will continue to meet by District with all of the Council Candidates running for the seat. Tomorrow: 1 p.m. - District 31; 2 p.m. - District 26; 4 p.m. - District 29.
My evening meets aren’t relevant but will go until 11 p.m.
Therefore, it’s write now or stay up all night and not be online.
Social Media has made its mark big time: First MySpace, then Facebook, followed by LinkedIn and Twitter and a slew of others.
The younger generations – “x,” “y” and so on took to MySpace and FB like it was the only way to build a friendship, have relationship, keep in touch and be part of the scene. It didn’t take long for the demographic to change and today, you’re just as likely to find your grandfather on Facebook as your grandson. My generation and every generation down to my college junior daughter and beyond establish and reestablish relationships, build networks and/or businesses, keep in touch, as they fill the day checking in with their online social media via computer, Blackberry, iPhone, and cell phone. They steal time from class, work, and sleep to be part of the new online networking revolution.
And politics is part of the scene.
Barack Obama successfully employed it on a national level. Now, we see online social media impacting Citywide elections . . . right down to the City Council.
While many (perhaps most) council candidates in New York City are using Facebook and Twitter to a much lesser extent, all the citywide candidates have explored or embraced social networking as a means of attracting voters, volunteers and contributors.
We believe that this is the first New York election where online social networking can and will make a difference. It will be difficult to judge the exact impact it has but ask Eric Gioia and he will tell you that most of his small contributors found him online. Ask Mike Bloomberg; he spent a day last week tweeting on Twitter himself.
While Facebook seems to be the dominant choice of candidates, Twitter has entered the exploratory stage.
The numbers below are in part indicative of the effort (and money) a candidate has put into his or her online presence. It is also indicative of a candidate’s popularity and campaign’s knowledge on how to build a social network. Clearly, the numbers of supporters, followers and friends a candidate has is a measure of some campaign strength. Obviously, direct mail, media advertising – that means community newspapers, too – door-to-door canvassing and all the other things that make a campaign work – like money – are an equal or greater part of the ultimate political process which decides the winner.
However, with this election and each subsequent election, look for online social media to play an ever-increasing role. (If a candidate has both a friends account and a supporter account, we combine the followers of all political accounts).
Candidate Facebook Twitter
Mayor
M. Bloomberg 19,998 9,972
B. Thompson 4,882 1,014
T. Avella 1,156 281
Comptroller
J. Liu 4018 211
D. Yassky 2,939 275
D. Weprin 1,491 272
M. Katz 162 0
Public Advocate
E. Gioia 6,184 423
B. DiBlasio 2,357 394
M. Green 1,041 171
N. Siegel 934 288
Save these numbers and see how the candidates finish. After the November elections, we’ll be back to you with our analysis and some commentary on the subject.
In the meantime, if you don’t have a Facebook account, get one; and search for the candidates of your choice and follow them. Or follow them all, perhaps it will help you decide.
For those of you who already do, try Twitter.
While you’re at it, please become a fan of QueensTribune on Facebook and follow me on Twitter @QueensTribune.
See you online.
MSchenkler@QueensTribune.com
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Who Is More Brave: The Villain Or The Hero?
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| Henry Stern
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By
HENRY STERN
The lengthy list of Pedro Espada’s patronage appointments has now been published in the New York dailies, which makes it official.
The inevitable question then arises; what to do about these examples of people taking unfair advantage of their positions in government?
Who is responsible, if anyone, for policing the legislature to prevent abuse of power for personal gain?
The next question is what are their standards for legislative hires? There are no objective criteria for many of these positions, nor is there any law regulating the size and the cost of each member’s entourage. If a member wants to double the number of his employees, and gets approval from the leadership, that will be done.
As you may imagine, an organization that is submissive to the will of its senior, or more influential members, is often unjust and degrading to its junior members.
They learn the lesson that the way to rise in the hierarchy is by deferring to the wishes of the leadership, and that someday, if they behave well enough, their turn will come to hold a position of responsibility. Too often, though, they will find that there is a still higher authority whose views must be respected. There is always another ayatollah on the horizon.
When I was a member of the City Council (1974-83), among the most valuable plums available to the members were committee chairmanships. They were assigned by the Vice Chairman and Majority Leader. Thomas J. Cuite (1913-87), a Brooklyn Democrat, was leader from 1969 to 1985. The Council had over a dozen committees, coming with lulus of various sizes, depending on who was holding the position. Since the majority leader set the lulus and prepared the package, he in effect fixed the salary (and pension) of the elected Councilmembers. Later, some chairs were bargained for by the Democratic county leaders as part of the negotiations choosing a Speaker.
There were three criteria by which chairs were chosen: seniority, geography and loyalty. That was the way it was done. Every vote taken, no matter how minor the issue, was a vote for or against the Leader’s position. If your vote was not the same as his, you acted at your own peril, and dissent would crush your opportunity to advance in that milieu. Most people in politics want to advance themselves, and they knew the best way to do that was, “Go With the Flow.’’
That situation undermines the effects of Rules Reform, to which so many fine people are devoted so passionately. If, when push comes to shove, the members of a legislative body will defer to the wishes of their leader, usually because it is in their own interest to do so, then the leader will prevail because the majority rules. The reformers may make it easier for the prisoners, or inmates, to escape from their masters, but unless they can be protected when they return to the fold, few will stray from the party line.
There is an exception to that rule. When it is clear, as in the cases of Senators Espada and Monseratte, that the defection is motivated by self-interest and personal advantage rather than any misconceived notion of principle or desire to appeal to a larger constituency, the defectors will be welcomed back, heaped with honors and their pocketbooks fattened. That may be because Senators better understand actions motivated by greed and ambition, and respect the nerve of those who jumped across the aisle and then successfully jumped back – for a price.
The average politician spends his life pleasing others, in the hope that he will be rewarded with benefits for himself. How bold it is to simply please yourself and your cronies, and leave it to others to clean up the mess if it upsets them. The 60 enablers (62 minus 2) received far lesser rewards for themselves and their staffs. They can only admire the daring amigos who have so far successfully defied the IRS, the Queens County District Attorney, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Campaign Finance Board and any other agencies that may have attempted to interfere with their behavior.
We close with a reference to popular culture. In this case, it is the film High Noon. Gary Cooper is the marshal of a small town in the New Mexico territory. A criminal who he sent to prison five years ago has been released and will arrive in town on the noon train. Grace Kelly, the marshal’s wife, wants him to leave town with her. Cooper walks down Main Street recruiting deputies for the anticipated gun fight with the released convict and three gang members. The deputy marshal, Lloyd Bridges, resigns, and all the others around town refuse to help the sheriff.
Cooper must fight the gang alone. This being a movie, he and his wife kill them all. Then he throws his badge to the ground, and he and his wife leave town. This is a great American movie. If any of you have not seen it, get the DVD. You will remember it long after you have forgotten this column.
Who will be New York State’s Gary Cooper? There is no legal matter of greater concern to the public than the integrity of its government. Will the marshal take on this responsibility?
StarQuest@NYCivic.org |
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Not4Publication.com by Dom Nunziato |
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