Welcome to Absolutely Neutral
A new project analyzing how technology is transforming Canadian politics
As of today, there are 287 days until the 43rd Canadian federal election.
Between now and then, millions of dollars will be spent, thousands of stories will be spun, and hundreds of news cycles will burn brightly before fading away. And, more than any other election in our country’s history, all of these moments, until the final ballot is counted, will be recorded, uploaded, and shared, sailing through cyberspace to influence the electorate.
If the wheels of democracy churn by the participation of its people, its speed is governed by technology. When Justin Trudeau led the Liberal Party to a majority victory in 2015, it was on a wave of progressive optimism. That wave, which bathed the country from coast to coast to coast in party red for the first time in over a decade, was carried mostly by the potent mixture of Trudeau’s charisma and his campaign’s masterful use of digital tools to swing voters his way — less party than personality. His time in power since has operated in much the same way, relying on sophisticated, coordinated messaging across a variety of media to paper over any policy shortcomings with the slick veneer of “sunny days.”
If the wheels of democracy churn by the participation of its people, its speed is governed by technology.
It’s a strategy that has gained much traction in the last four years. Perhaps most infamously, Donald Trump’s 2016 bid for the White House used social media — in particular, Twitter, Facebook, and their respective advertising tools — to help tip voters to the Republican ticket. In the 2017 leadership race for Canada’s New Democratic Party*, eventual winner Jagmeet Singh was powered to a first-ballot victory in part because of his social media savvy. And earlier this year, Doug Ford, the newly elected leader of Ontario’s Progressive Conservatives who rattled the party establishment with his ascendency, won a majority in the provincial legislature by marrying his outsider status with an aggressive online campaign. In all of these cases, the algorithms that govern social sites, search engines, and the online conversation broadly were instrumental to the candidates’ victory.
The growing sophistication of web tools is only accelerating shifts in the political-media landscape. Far better than newspapers or television, platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter put potential voters within advertising reach, making it easier than ever to champion for a cause, whip up support for a candidate, or donate to a campaign’s war chest. At the same time, these personalized feeds obliterate nuance and elevate the most visceral voices.
It is here, in an environment that is so well connected but bitterly divided, between votes and viral posts, that Canada’s upcoming election approaches, and where Absolutely Neutral sits. Between now and Election Day, it is my goal to explore how the political discourse ebbs, flows, and mutates as it bends to the power of digital platforms.
There are sure to be any number of pressing issues that come up as October nears. The horse race, however, will not be our focus. Instead, I will seek to unpack how the candidates, parties, and other groups of influence are using digital networks to sway the opinions of the public — and how the public may be pushing back. Absolutely Neutral will be a catalogue of these moves and countermoves as they collide and reverberate through technology in a contest to reshape our government.
Some key topics I look forward to exploring:
- How will the Trudeau Liberals modify their 2015 playbook now that they are the incumbent rather than the challenger? Do more recent campaigns since provide an answer?
- What would the Conservative Party, the current opposition, have to do to mount a successful campaign that neutralizes Trudeau’s appeal and technical acumen?
- The NDP’s 2019 opportunity
- How the Canadian right-wing exploits technology to broaden its influence
I am committing to exploring at several of these bigger topics a month until Election Day, along with smaller discussions as they arise. Keep up with @AbsoNeutral on Twitter and sign up for a regular email summary.
*Full Disclosure: I participated in the NDP’s 2017 leadership race as the Director of Media & Communications for Jagmeet Singh’s opponent, MP Niki Ashton.
