Social Media
Social Media

Politicians on social media: Winners and losers

Noelle Perera

SUMMARY

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More and more politicians see the value of social media these days, but while some are good at it, others aren't so adept

SAY CHEESE. Would this be what a Senatorial selfie would look like? Image by Rappler/Mara Mercado

MANILA, Philippines – When it comes to politics, support and even election campaigns can be won and lost on a candidate’s connection with voters. And with Facebook and Twitter among the most immediate platforms to connect one person to millions, it was only a matter of time before politicians took to social media.

Some do it brilliantly, posting well-timed pictures, using appropriate hashtags and expressing sincerity that Gens X and Y can spot a mile off. But there are others who haven’t quite grasped the medium, and commit the very worst social faux pas – online or off.

Here’s our list of the best and worst uses of social media by politicians around the world. 

Fail #1: The Funeral Selfie

At Nelson Mandela’s memorial service in Johannesburg, US and UK leaders Barack Obama and David Cameron leaned in for a selfie with Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt. All 3 were criticized by international media for the apparent frivolity at a solemn occasion.  Not included in the selfie was Michelle Obama, who seemed unimpressed with the impromptu photo shoot.

This Guardian article, however, argues that the act wasn’t as disrespectful as everyone made it out to be.

Retweets: 93

Favorites: 32

Win #1: The Tight Slap


Post by Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago.

Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago added to her long and growing list of clever one-liners with this biting quote on her official Facebook page. Besides getting #WittyWednesday – the hashtag she used – trending in the Philippines, the post has been shared almost 25,000 times.

Shares: 24,357

Likes: 170,774 

Fail #2: The Patrick Stewart


British PM David Cameron tweeted this picture of himself on the phone with US President Barack Obama. The idea: let supporters know the two leaders were in talks about the Russia-Ukraine situation. The response: a slew of parody images mocking the awkward snap, Sir Patrick Stewart and a tub of wet wipes among them. 

Retweets: 9,851

Favorites: 4,634

Win #2: The Call Your Mom

Senator Grace Poe hit a double whammy by celebrating Women’s Month and #throwbackthursday with this adorable black and white photograph of her and her Mom, actress Susan Roces. 

 


Post by Grace Poe.

Shares: 85

Likes: 3,292

Fail #3: The Grammar Fail


Post by Jojo Binay.

Vice President Jejomar Binay likely meant well with this display of passion and solidarity. But while the sentiment resonated well, this immortalized grammar gaffe doesn’t actually make much sense.

Shares: 138

Likes: 3,585

Win #3: The Australian Throwdown


Former Australian PM Kevin Rudd sent this tweet to rival Tony Abbott during last year’s election campaign. Abbott turned down the invitation and eventually beat Rudd for the Prime Ministership. However, Rudd’s remained the politician more connected to the population, with 1.4 million followers on Twitter to Abbott’s 290,000.

Retweets: 1,764

Favorites: 894

Fail #4: The Dance Oddity

Jack Enrile released this video on YouTube during his (failed) run for the Senate in 2013. Unfathomably, it features some overly-staged actors and a few familiar politicians engaged in extremely awkward dancing. It’s painful to watch, but still got over 20,000 views on YouTube. 

Views: 21,453

Win #4: The Selfie of Diplomacy


Head of a government consistently accused of being out of touch, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong managed to connect with this selfie. He snapped the picture with Malaysian PM Mohd Najib Tun Razak when they were at last year’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Sri Lanka. 

Retweets: 1,209

Favorites: 580

Fail #5: The Twitter Turkey


On 20 March, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced a national ban on Twitter, following the viral spread of audio recordings incriminating his government. Thanks to proxies provided by Twitter, Turks got the hashtag #twitterisblockedinturkey trending worldwide. The ban was decried by Turkey’s President and lifted on April 3, after a court hearing found it breached freedom of expression.

Win #5: The Retweet Generator


It’s over a year old, but this one still gives us goosebumps. To announce Barack Obama’s re-election in 2012, his official Twitter account posted this image of him and wife Michelle with the elegant caption, “Four more years.” Until Ellen DeGeneres’s Oscars selfie earlier this year, it was the most retweeted image ever.

Retweets: 774,373

Favorites: 294,347

Have we left your favorite out? Share it in the comments section below! – Rappler.com

Noelle Perera is the Community Manager for Our Better World. 

Our Better World is an online platform that tells stories, with a focus on Asia, to fuse the magic of stories and the power of people to inspire change. Along with featuring people who are changing lives and whose lives are changed, they pull together a range of tangible, useful actions for you to join the journey. Our Better World is an initiative of the Singapore International Foundation.

 

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