Rising and Falling with Social Networking and Recession Stuff

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Today’s Blog Post


Rising and Falling with Social Networking and Recession Stuff

Fare Warning to Politicians… Social Networking and other stuff will have a greater affect on your job than ever before!

Unless you have been bitten by a “political bug” of some sort you will not know about Shawn Graham and his Liberal Party in New Brunswick. But if you live in New Brunswick you will know lots about Shawn.

Shawn Graham was ousted yesterday as the Premier of the Province of New Brunswick. The news report stated that he accepted the defeat graciously and wished the Progressive Conservative Leader, Premier-elect David Alward, the best of luck.

I was interested in reading the report (link below) from the “Times and Transcript”. And I am guessing that a whole lot of other folk across our nation will be looking on as well for some important reasons.

Shawn Graham represents the new order in the political world. The new order being someone that rises quickly to a place of power and then tries to do something quickly as well. He is very much unlike the Old Boys of politics or the old days. Mr. Graham is only 42 years of age and has already served a full term as a Premier of the Province. He started the job when he was a mere 38 years old – imagine!

During Shawn Graham’s term of office some major shake ups have taken place… much like it has all across our country. Two of the major shake ups have been crucial ones to look at… for I feel that it will likely have some effect on many other political leaders as well – in days to come.

Shake up One…
Social Media was used widely in the protests against Mr. Graham’s actions while in leadership. The article relates that the Federal Beausejour MP Dominic LeBlanc made some comments about the results of this election (for non Canadians reading this – an MP is a Member of Parliament in Ottawa and an MLA/MPP is a Provincial Leader – either Member of Legislative Assembly or Member of Provincial Parliament)

The Times&Transcript said… Quote…
“LeBlanc said he feels the advent of social media and technology have made it easier for protest movements to mount and challenge governments. "That will make voters much more volatile, and you had an activist government that decided to attack difficult problems head on and, in so doing, you built up some of this agitation."
End quote

Since 2006 when Mr. Graham was elected Social Media, things like “Facebook” and “Twitter” – along with the technology to use them with great ease – i.e. Blackberry and all the rest, have come into play in a huge way.

In the past when the Old Boys were fighting for their political careers, they only had to worry about the Old Biddy on the hand crank telephone and the party line – listening. Today the new generation will rise and fall in a heart beat with the help of the Social Media.

Most of the Old Folks that I associate with, folk my age, don’t even know what the term Social Media really stands for… nor would they know how to use it!

Mr. Graham’s age group knows it well and uses it al the time. And as LeBlanc the Federal MP points out – it may well have added to his undoing!

Shake up Two…
In the last four years the number one problem faced by every Political Person (an all of us) has been the “Great Recession” where everything has fallen and everyone has been affected deeply. There hasn’t been one person that hasn’t felt the deep blow from this Recession.

There is less money coming in and fewer people doing what they did before… at least they are thinking that way. In reality things have not been easy for anyone.

Now put yourself as the Leader over a Province that has felt this deeply. Every decision that you make will have some kind of an effect by the Recession mind set. Basically when everything is pushed aside… people are upset and want to blame some one… for something that they may not understand… and when that happens the Leadership will be at fault – for everything. Some one will have to pay… why not the politician, the elected leader????!

The Leader has been leading us and things went from bad to worse… so it must be his fault! Dump him! Get a new one with better promises and everything will be okay.

I think the important part of the article that I read about Shawn Graham was his call to the Mr. Alward wishing him the best of luck. He will certainly need it now. All that changed is the leadership.. not the affects of the Recession or the Bad decisions made prior to 2006 – nor the social networking.

So what in the world has New Brunswck have to do with my area of Canada? I think it is simple. Their election is one month ahead of ours. There has to be some politicians in our Province of Ontario that are having long meetings locally… and are worried sick.

In our own city the mayor and councillors are up for the election that is coming at the same time. I noticed one thing locally… there is way more folk running for leadership now… and they are using a number of new ways to reach people. The local problems haven’t changed much… but new leadership hopefuls think they are better than the old guys that were leading up to now… yikes!

The problems have not changed one bit. The answers to the problems will not change. Yet we will expect the new leader to fix it.

Our new man on the political block locally, a mayoral hopeful, has some election statements that irk me… his signs and brochures say that he represents “Leadership that works”. What an ego… and what a comment about others that went before you. They didn’t work and you will.

I notice that this particular local politician has not done anything in politics before. But he has all the answers. Is he ever in for a surprise.

The month of October in our area is a big one. We have an election coming and things will change big time.


~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

Source:
http://timestranscript.canadaeast.com/news/article/1237880