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David Raymond Amos @DavidRayAmos
Replying to @DavidRayAmos @FloryGoncalves and 49 others
"Candidates are scrubbing their digital pasts, but is that ethical?"
Of Course NOT I wish folks would Google my name and read what is left of my blogs, my Twitter account and the comments I have been making within CBC that still exist..
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/social-media-election-ethics-politics-1.5314878
Candidates are scrubbing their digital pasts, but is that ethical?
'I see it more as people trying to erase mistakes ... as opposed to totally trying to reinvent themselves'
· CBC News · Posted: Oct 13, 2019 6:00 AM AT
Some political candidates are deleting their past comments on social media, or in some cases, getting rid of accounts entirely to better control their image. (Ink Drop/Shutterstock)
A little editing here and a bit of deleting there, some candidates running for office have taken to scrubbing away unwanted bits of their online history, while some political hopefuls shut down social media accounts.
But is that ethical?
"Of course candidates are going to want to clean their Twitter up before they completely defeat their own chances of being elected," said Lori Turnbull, a Dalhousie University professor who studies political ethics and is director of the university's School of Public Administration.
Last week, racist and sexist tweets from Sydney-Victoria Liberal candidate Jaime Battiste were unearthed by the Toronto Sun. Soon after, Battiste locked down his @youngmedicine33 Twitter account, not allowing public access. Since then, he appears to have deleted the account. His official Liberal Party account, @JaimeBattiste, is still up and running.
Last year, provincial Progressive Conservative candidate Andrew Lawton admitted he deleted racist, homophobic tweets three years before he decided to run in the Ontario election, yet those tweets still came back to haunt him. He said in an interview last year that those tweets no longer represented his views. He did not win the riding of London West.
Turnbull said a little nip and tuck of a candidate's online image is to be expected.
Jaime Battiste is the Liberal candidate in Sydney-Victoria. He appears to have deleted the Twitter account where he made sexist and racist tweets. (Gary Mansfield/CBC)
She said candidates want to clear out any comments or posts they made that could reflect badly on them and might not match up with their current beliefs.
"I think we are doing this throughout life, it's not just politicians," said Turnbull. "[We do it] when we apply for a job, when we meet a new person, whatever the case may be. We're all Googling each other."
"I see it more as people trying to erase mistakes they've made as opposed to totally trying to reinvent themselves."
She said there's no point for a politician to keep a tweet or social media post up if it doesn't reflect how they feel now.
Bill Capes, a People's Party of Canada candidate in Ontario, disabled his Twitter account after racist, transphobic tweets he made were uncovered. (People's Party Website)
Turnbull said if someone is trying to erase a one-time mistake, it's "almost understandable why someone would do that. They're running because they want to win."
But Turnbull said this online editing crosses a line when candidates start erasing vast swaths of their online communications on social media or other platforms.
Cape Breton University political science professor Tom Urbaniak agrees with her. He said if a candidate has deleted chunks of their public social media posts or online interactions, then voters need to start asking some serious questions.
"What have you culled? What have your views been in the past? Even if your views have since evolved. And how can we be sure that what you are standing on now is what you legitimately espouse?" said Urbaniak.
Tom Urbaniak is a political science professor at Cape Breton University. (Tom Ayers/CBC)
There's also tremendous pressure on candidates to make sure their online presence is close to spotless, said Turnbull. She said if some candidates are deleting problematic posts, others may feel forced to do so as well or else they could look badly.
Urbaniak believes some parties may even tell their candidates which items they want removed.
Despite the deleting and extensive vetting, many candidates have been dropped after their past online posts were unearthed.
After the federal election is over, Urbaniak believes parties will examine how they vet potential candidates, how candidates construct a public profile and discuss ways to deal with revelations about candidates dug up from old social media posts.
But he doesn't want parties to force future candidates to sanitize their backgrounds.
"I hope we don't get to the point where candidates are locking down everything, that they're rewriting their entire past out of history, simply so they can almost be like automatons for their parties," said Urbaniak.
He said a dynamic and sincere political process needs candidates to passionately represent their area's interests, and that means they need to have a history, blemishes and all.
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David Raymond Amos
"Candidates are scrubbing their digital pasts, but is that ethical?"
Of Course NOT I wish folks would Google my name and read what is left of my blogs (not deleted by your truly), my Twitter account and the comments I have been making within CBC that still exist.
David Raymond Amos
Surprise Surprise Surprise
Marguerite Deschamps
The whole Parliaments up to the 1970s would be most apprehensive to run for political office in this day and age when one considers the not-so politically correct wording in the Criminal Code pertaining to sexual offences, ending with former section 148 of the Code.
Marguerite
Deschamps
There are words in there that would not survive political correctness scrutiny.
David Raymond Amos
Reply to @Marguerite
Deschamps: Methinks whereas you are always claiming to understand the
law so well I must how many times must our comments go "Poof" before I
prove my point about you desperate SANB/liberal dudes again today N'esy
Pas?
David Raymond Amos
Reply to @Marguerite Deschamps: Methinks you should not deny that I am running for a seat in Parliament again or that I attended a "Coffee with the Candidates" at the R.B. Bennett Museum in your neck of the woods of Fundy Royal yesterday I have no doubt you heard about it if you were not in fact present N'esy Pas?
Marguerite Deschamps
This is proof that no one in the past & present has ever had the liberty of expression nor will anyone have it in the future.
David Raymond Amos
Reply to @Marguerite
Deschamps: Methinks if you are a cop or a lawyer or a politician, a
preacher, a priest or a public person of any sort such as yourself
seeking ordinary folks to trust in your integrity then everything you
opt to publish is fair game N'esy Pas?
David Raymond Amos
Yea I heard it and wrote it many times over the years
Methinks you should realize by know I read a lot even though i often make no comment whatsoever Need I say I laughed when you quoted my favourite rule within the SANB's latest spit and chew about UNB et al N'esy Pas?
David Raymond Amos
Content disabled
Reply to @Marguerite
Deschamps: "Corruption is not something new. Haven't you heard of the
golden rule? The one with the gold makes the rules." Yea I heard it and wrote it many times over the years
Methinks you should realize by know I read a lot even though i often make no comment whatsoever Need I say I laughed when you quoted my favourite rule within the SANB's latest spit and chew about UNB et al N'esy Pas?
David Raymond Amos
Reply to @Marguerite Deschamps: BINGO
David MacKinnon
I got ya politics seem to be fun for reporters and the public alike, good bless the cancel culture making the political horse race fun.... of course they should be allowed to edit their past, ps I know this report who when she was 11 trashed the lunches of all her team mates at a soccer game.
Benjamin Dover
Reply to @David MacKinnon:
This isn’t the cannabis story.
This isn’t the cannabis story.
David Raymond Amos
Reply to @David MacKinnon: Welcome to the circus I glad you are having fun
David
MacKinnon
Reply to @David Raymond Amos:
yep dystopia is not for everyone; I am sure that the world isn't going to end tomorrow, next week or even eleven years hence simply because it turns out that Andy was only a mailroom clerk, that JT was a part time drama teacher, that Elizabeth wears a foil hat and thinks microwaves are killing us, that Singh is just another professional politician; yep we can only hope we get a better bunch as these guys lower the turn out and fight to a standing count.
yep dystopia is not for everyone; I am sure that the world isn't going to end tomorrow, next week or even eleven years hence simply because it turns out that Andy was only a mailroom clerk, that JT was a part time drama teacher, that Elizabeth wears a foil hat and thinks microwaves are killing us, that Singh is just another professional politician; yep we can only hope we get a better bunch as these guys lower the turn out and fight to a standing count.
David Raymond Amos
Content disabled
Reply to @David
MacKinnon: Methinks you should ask yourself why I am running for public
office for the 7th time as an independent Anyone can Google CBC Fundy
Royal and read the comment section about the political dudes targeting
the middle class in 2015 N'esy Pas?
Sebastian Leblanc
Considering Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was in violation of ethics, and he is the leader of Canada, the message he sends is that it is okay to violate ethics.
Zapata Rigoreto
Reply to @Sebastian Leblanc: I'm not sure how this relates to the story but nice deflection.
Benjamin Dover
Reply to @Zapata Rigoreto:
Sometimes Sebastian gets a little confused. They’ll round him up and bring him back indoors.
Sometimes Sebastian gets a little confused. They’ll round him up and bring him back indoors.
David Raymond Amos
Reply to @Sebastian Leblanc: I concur
David Raymond Amos
Content disabled
Reply to @Benjamin Dover: Methinks everybody knows Mr Leblanc is not confused it is all the anonymous trolls who are busy trying to confuse the issue about ethics N'esy Pas?
Mike Peters
Social Media is the pitfall of mankind. A platform that gave every single person on this planet a soapbox to preach their own propaganda. There is such a thing as too many people having a voice, and is the entire reason our world and country is in the state it's in. A return to simpler times wouldn't be a bad thing.
David Raymond Amos
Reply to @Mike
Peters: Methinks its only the pitfall of Mr Prime Minister Trudeau The
Younger's beloved peoplekind I am wilingl to wager Fat Yankee
petrodollars versus thin Canadian dimes that the fans of Trump and
Harper 2.0 no doubt agree N'esy Pas?
Ben
Haroldson
Reply to @Mike
Peters: And this is the only Soc Med that disallows discontinuation of
your account, and retrieval of your data.
David Raymond Amos
Reply to @Ben
Haroldson: At least I post in my real name while running in this
election in Fundy Royal while kids like you in Fredericton make fun of
me correct?
Michael Hatfield
Political candidates are no different then "regular folk" when it comes to posting regretful, offensive comments on their social media accounts.....
David Raymond Amos
Reply to @Michael
Hatfield: Methinks these snobby people claim to be just regular folk
wanting to sit in the House meant to accommodate common folk so they can
speak up and represent our opinions in order to protect our rights and
interests Instead they are whipped into following the leader or risk
being booted from their gang and then lose the next election N'esy Pas?
Art Vart
Is it ethical to hold grudges against people who did something 10 years ago. There is a statute of Limitations I believe.
David Raymond Amos
Reply to @Art Vart:
Methinks if you are a son of the Keith Clan such as i you tend to hold a
grudge forever The Ropers suffered a Blood Feud with the Keiths for
about 500 years or so N'esy Pas?
Jason DeBack
shades of the cultural revolution and the public pronouncements folks had to make
and that turned out well didn't it
David Raymond Amos
Reply to @Jason DeBack: Surely you jest
Ben Brown
Does the same standards apply to unapologetic civil disobedience to unjust law?
David Raymond Amos
Reply to @Ben Brown: Methinks its time for your nap if you don't know the answer to that question N'esy Pas?
Bob Toso
It is deceitful to scrub a candidates thoughts from social media. Even if the candidate no longer has that point of view, those thoughts reveal a step in the evolution of that candidate. It is those unguarded moments that reveal the character of the candidate.
Paul Andrew Cerniuk
Reply to @Bob Toso:
So turn your logic on past examples, such as Tommy Douglas and what he
espoused in his master's thesis, or LBJ's opinions on future racial
voting patterns and the way he put it. If your argument is that a
candidate's past musings are always relevant; that blade has to cut both
ways.
David Raymond Amos
Reply to @Bob Toso: I Wholeheartedly Agree Sir
Andrew McLaren
Social media truly is a Pandoras Box for anyone interested in becoming a public figure, even worse now that others acting in bad faith can post deepfakes among other false or misleading allegations. Often enough, it is easy to selectively quote something out of context and without qualification, to make it seem that somebody made an outrageous statement (all caps and multiple exclamation marks follow).
David Raymond Amos
Reply to @Andrew
McLaren: Methinks Social Media is also a very valuable tool in order to
expose the awful truth of it all N'esy Pas?
Patrick Nugent
If they have to scrub their social media they have things to hide.
David Raymond Amos
Reply to @Patrick Nugent: Exactly Hence they prove they are not to trusted out of the gate
Darius Spence
nothing is ever truly deleted on the net, so they can do what they want, someone industrious enough will find it.
David Raymond Amos
Reply to @Darius Spence: YUP
Kevin Moore
They are politicians they do not have ethics.
David Raymond Amos
Reply to @Kevin Moore: Oh So True
John Sollows
Considering that we seem to expect perfection in every public representative and condemn any who show imperfections, I don't blame them for "scrubbing."
At least these people have the guts to run for impossible jobs of high responsibility and little or no thanks.
David Raymond Amos
Reply to @John Sollows: Why to they delete my words? What am I chopped liver?
Ted King
Why anyone would have a Twitter or Facebook account is beyond me. Never joined, never will.
David Raymond Amos
Reply to @Ted King:
Methinks you should checkout my twitter account in order to reach a new
understanding about social media. However many of my political foes know
that I do agree with you about the questionable actions of Facebook
N'esy Pas/
John Chester
These are the rules the left have adopted, your past defines you, to them people can't learn/grow or change their minds.
Tim Segulin
Reply to @John Chester:
Theses are not rules of the left so much as they have become standard partisan tactics. Parties now have researchers who can take down a rival party's candidate causing them immense damage late in a campaign when it's not easily repaired. The Conservatives are one of the most effective players in this game. Notice how much they slack they cut Trudeau to grow/change his mind after his black face scandals.
Theses are not rules of the left so much as they have become standard partisan tactics. Parties now have researchers who can take down a rival party's candidate causing them immense damage late in a campaign when it's not easily repaired. The Conservatives are one of the most effective players in this game. Notice how much they slack they cut Trudeau to grow/change his mind after his black face scandals.
David Raymond Amos
Reply to @John Chester: If that were true then why don't those rules hold for Mr Prime Minister Trudeau The Younger?
David Sampson
Every “normal” human being acted in inappropriate ways as teenagers. If we insist that our candidates are as pure as the Virgin Mary we will never be able to attract qualified candidates for public service.
Tony Thomas
Reply to @David
Sampson: it is not like we have any qualified candidates now. The only
requirement under our system is that you be one of the chosen by a small
few party faithful and then win a popularity contest. That is zero
qualifications currently. None of them are "qualified" in running a
country.
John Gerrits
Reply to @David Sampson: Age 29 isn't a teenager
Tim Segulin
Reply to @tony thomas:
Almost none of them will get the chance anyway. The majority of MPs or MLAs are seen by their party as the human personification of a numerical tally that determines who wins government, Opposition etc. Other than that their job is to represent The Party and The Leader in their ridings and if they have time to look after their constituents. What they did in their past only affects their electoral saleability.
Almost none of them will get the chance anyway. The majority of MPs or MLAs are seen by their party as the human personification of a numerical tally that determines who wins government, Opposition etc. Other than that their job is to represent The Party and The Leader in their ridings and if they have time to look after their constituents. What they did in their past only affects their electoral saleability.
John
Sollows
Reply to @John Gerrits:
We make mistakes through life and normally learn from them.
We should be debating real issues and consequences of approaches thereto, not ancient history.
We make mistakes through life and normally learn from them.
We should be debating real issues and consequences of approaches thereto, not ancient history.
John Gerrits
Reply to @John
Sollows: All these parties are spewing outright li-s at one another and
they're making headlines with them....so how does the offended
respond.....and on it goes.I'd rather hear someone called an outright
li-r when they're spewing outright li-s instead of BS HOC rules.
Many are accusing some of resorting to US style mud slinging but it's the media that's much to blame for publishing these 6yr old playground spats.....I guess that's what sells nowadays.
When we listen to some telling us they're going to spend $50 billion on this program and another $50 billion on another program,all the while maintaining existing programs plus shutting down the bigger revenue generating industries....something smells....and it's not intelligence....more like a barnum and bailey quote.
Many are accusing some of resorting to US style mud slinging but it's the media that's much to blame for publishing these 6yr old playground spats.....I guess that's what sells nowadays.
When we listen to some telling us they're going to spend $50 billion on this program and another $50 billion on another program,all the while maintaining existing programs plus shutting down the bigger revenue generating industries....something smells....and it's not intelligence....more like a barnum and bailey quote.
David Raymond Amos
Reply to @David Sampson: I am now Saint but at least I don't hide my mistakes
David Raymond Amos
Reply to @tony thomas: What am I chopped liver just because i don't belong to ANY political party?
David Raymond Amos
Reply to @John
Gerrits: Methinks folks should try attending one of my debates or watch
them in YouTube after the the circus is over to see how I deal wither
their constant BS. Trust that all the political pundits in Fundy Royal
know that there is an important debate on Oct 17th N'esy Pas?
Alex Forbes
Better yet: don't be in social media period. Then there is nothing to scrub
Mark Sobkow
Reply to @Alex Forbes: I'm not interested in voting for anyone who lives in the past and hides from modern times.
Tommy Gunn
Reply to @Mark Sobkow:
ain't it great to have choices.
ain't it great to have choices.
David Raymond Amos
Reply to @Alex
Forbes: Methinks many people besides the orange Yankee dude knows that
Social Media is the only way the awful truth of it all can be revealed
N'esy Pas?
David Raymond Amos
Reply to @Mark Sobkow: Me Too
Rick Bailey
In my opinion there is a line. If a questionable tweet or indiscretion was made while the individual was an active politician then they should be fair game. If a questionable behaviour was done several years before politics and now publicly denounced they should be entitled to a fair break. Would it be fair to call someone who has been clean and sober for a couple of decades a drunk or addict now just to denounce their good intentions today?
David Raymond Amos
Reply to @Rick Bailey: Good Point Sir
David Raymond Amos
Reply to @Rick Bailey: Remember me?
Paul Peacock
People change. Who hasn't regretted past statements, transgressions and/or deeds? I have no problem with people deleting past Twitter and/or Facebook accounts. The only argument for keeping them isn't ethical, it is so others can muck rake.
David Raymond Amos
Reply to @Paul Peacock: I disagree
David Frank
just one look at the whole cornwallis fiasco and you can see some folks like to "scrub" history on most issues
Colin Calnan
Reply to @David Frank:
The Ministry of Truth is alive and well, especially online.
The Ministry of Truth is alive and well, especially online.
David Raymond Amos
Reply to @Colin Calnan: Oh So True
Colin Calnan
If individuals have been known to have had social media accounts, and these accounts disappear or shrink considerably when the individual runs for office, the disappearance of an online history will be noticed. And at that point exactly what was deleted will become a major point of interest.
Al Kennedy
Reply to @Colin Calnan:
An interest is all that remains, after all proof disappears.
An interest is all that remains, after all proof disappears.
Colin Calnan
Reply to @Al Kennedy:
Nothing on the Internet ever disappears completely. If you believe that Twitter, Facebook, et al actually delete files and don't back them up somewhere, or even just set a bit flag that instructs the programs not to display the data, then you're sadly mistaken. And if files exist somewhere, they can be obtained, although not necessarily easily.
Nothing on the Internet ever disappears completely. If you believe that Twitter, Facebook, et al actually delete files and don't back them up somewhere, or even just set a bit flag that instructs the programs not to display the data, then you're sadly mistaken. And if files exist somewhere, they can be obtained, although not necessarily easily.
David Raymond Amos
Reply to @Al Kennedy:
Therein lies the rub because I make certain that everythng my political
foes and I say does not disappear
David Raymond Amos
Reply to @Colin Calnan: You take that fact to the Federal Reserve Bank particularly when it concerns my litigation against Feds on both sides of the the Medicine Line
Al Kennedy
Rules are very different for some people. Justin Trudeau and Wab Kinew are the best examples of that.
Ben Brown
Reply to @Al Kennedy:
False claims of professional accreditation?
Al Kennedy
Reply to @Ben Brown:
Which one? The one who claimed to have been a math teacher in a private school or the one claiming to have been an insurance broker?
Which one? The one who claimed to have been a math teacher in a private school or the one claiming to have been an insurance broker?
Ben Brown
Reply to @Al Kennedy:
Did someone claim to be accredited with a degree to teach math and wasn't?
Actually, I was referring to a busboy claim of being a waiter.
Did someone claim to be accredited with a degree to teach math and wasn't?
Actually, I was referring to a busboy claim of being a waiter.
David Raymond Amos
Reply to @Al Kennedy: YUP
David Raymond Amos
Reply to @Ben Brown: You should know
Ben Brown
Reply to @David Raymond Amos:
You don't?
David Raymond Amos
Reply to @Ben Brown:
Google Fundy Royal Debate to confirm what I know. Then feel free to
partake of some more of your favourite party's kool aid
Ben Brown
Reply to @David Raymond Amos:
You don't know what you know?
That, I don't find surprising, in the least.
David Raymond Amos
Reply to @Ben Brown: Methinks you just proved a long dead wiseguy very correct once again N'esy Pas?
Confucius Said "To know that we know what we know, and that we do not know what we do not know, that is true knowledge.”
Confucius Said "To know that we know what we know, and that we do not know what we do not know, that is true knowledge.”
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