Comments on: MiCandidate – One Week On

By: Irish Election » MiCandidate.eu not to be used by RTE

Irish Election » MiCandidate.eu not to be used by RTE — Tue, 19 May 2009 23:34:10 +0000

[...] has been documented extensively both here and elsewhere candidates in local and European Elections have been sold the MiCandidate Pro [...]

By: Maman Poulet » Roll up Roll up - MiCandidate.eu Pro going cheap

Maman Poulet » Roll up Roll up - MiCandidate.eu Pro going cheap — Sat, 02 May 2009 12:28:18 +0000

[...] more on the MiCandidate.eu story see the comprehensive analysis and follow up from Mark Coughlan on Irishelection.com PS. First campaign blog round up of the candidates who [...]

By: Stephen Spillane - Friday Links - 1/05/09

Stephen Spillane - Friday Links - 1/05/09 — Fri, 01 May 2009 10:16:03 +0000

[...] Mark looks at MiCandidate one week on [...]

By: Simon

Simon — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 09:59:21 +0000

so you have roughly 5% of your required supporters supporting you on facebook. That is actually not bad thought it might be worse. I think with a lot of elections people wouldn’t google you till about a week or 2 before polling. So that 5% probably will grow. The question for people looking at micanidate would they give you a.) more then the 5% and b.) is that worth the sign up fee.

Also i suppose 5% can win or lose you an election.

Another thing about micanidate. Are they getting top of google for searchs for the politicans?

By: Dermot Looney

Dermot Looney — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 09:30:09 +0000

Hey Simon.

Over half the group are residents in the ward by my reckoning, though that proportion has grown over time.

Going by the 04 turnouts I reckon the quota will be over 3500, which is in or around the highest in any LEA.

By: simon

simon — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 07:26:10 +0000

Dermot as a matter of interest How many of them do you think are in your constituency? Vs how many of them are say just Labour Party supporters in general. Also what is an electable quota where you are.

By: Dermot Looney

Dermot Looney — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 00:09:35 +0000

As a candidate in the local elections, I can say with confidence that CD’s point above is borne out in reality.

I have 375 supporters on my Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=36150395175 – a free service, and far more worthwhile, to be honest, than paying through the nose for a micandidate pro package.

By: CD

CD — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 18:56:35 +0000

And – forgot to add this – candidates have enough expenses. With posters, leaflets, newspaper advertising and other expenses (buying canvassers lunch, paying leaflet droppers, hiring venues for launches and buying every charity lotto ticket that appears), charging them for a web presence is not on.

By: CD

CD — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 18:54:30 +0000

I work for a media organisation and micandidate attempted to make a deal with us in a haphazard but very pushy way – they don’t appear to be organised, just enthusiastic. I think there is room for candidates to have an online presence – many are making great use of Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=551915971#/pages/James-Hope/33604724971?sid=2f4ea427378721e3a5edef8fdbc02efd&ref=search, http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=551915971#/pages/Brian-Stokes/112811390303?ref=ts) but I really don’t know if micandidate is necessary – the proportion of the population that is interested in following politics online is still small, and the majority of it uses facebook.

By: Mark Coughlan

Mark Coughlan — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 17:59:02 +0000

I’m waiting on emails back from Sky and The Telegraph, Steve.

I believe The Irish Times coverage online is going to be fairly in-depth, RTE will also be working with social media for the first time (blogs etc) as far as I know…

I’m sure there will be a good amount of view too, that doesn’t mean it was morally correct to charge such high figures to candidates, or claim to be connected with The Irish Times, or that it will educate voters in any way at all.