Ah the trouble with Twibbons……….Conall McDevitt has launched a Twibbon. A Twibbon is a “ribbon-type graphic” and people who want Conall to win the SDLP Leadership contest can show their support on their Twitter account.
Obviously a bit silly. Juvenile even.
Conall also has a  Facebook “Conall McDevitt….Real Change” Campaign.
80 plus people “like” it……..but maybe the SDLP members should be asking why people who are members of other parties (eg Brian Wilson of the Green Party) are so supportive of him becoming Leader of SDLP. Wilson is not the only non-SDLP or anti-SDLP person who “like” it.

“The Real Change” that the SDLP should be looking for is a Leader who prioritises SDLP voters, members and voices. Basically if your Leader is popular in other parties…its not a very good sign.

I daresay that making a Twibbon is a skill…….but more suited to somebody attending an audition to present childrens cartoons on the Disney Channel rather.than contesting the leadership of the SDLP.
I am a bit skeptical about new media and politics…..but I just cant see how making a Twibbon is cutting edge use of Technology.
All this might get Brian Wilsons 4th preference vote (behind himself, Green and Alliance) in Bangor West DEA but it wont win Liam Logan of the SDLP a seat on North Down Council.
The bigger priority is a couple of hundred first preference votes in Fermanagh-South Tyrone.
Conall has set himself on the wild goose chase of getting votes from those who would not pis……er call the Fire Brigade if the SDLP was on fire.
The better option would be to start asking itself questions about why the SDLP has lost “core” votes rather than having its head petted by pretentious people who are much too “sophisticated” to ever vote for SDLP..
I am all for Respect and Discretion when debating the SDLP Leadership. But Margaret Ritchie is the elephant in this particular room. The plain fact is that there is a certain amount of Denial going on also……..about the past eighteen months.

Alasdair McDonnell and Patsy McGlone can claim to have opposed and exposed the nightmare.
Conall McDevitt and running mate Alex Attwood can claim no such credit. They facilitated and were promoted during the nightmare.
Distancing themselves from the nightmare (but getting the rump votes of people who still think it wasnt a nightmare) and making overtures to the broader SDLP about “listening”, “re-organising” and all that good stuff has no real credibility.
Unfortunately it might work.

I was watching an episode of the satire “The Thick of It” at the weekend. A satire set in the office of a British (Labour) Cabinet Minister who is on the receiving end of “advice” from her advisors including the Chief Spin Doctor, Malcolm Tucker. In this episode Nicola Murray the beleaguered Minister, fears being sacked after just one week…….and is advised that getting the sack after a year would be confirmation that she had screwed up …….but getting the sack after just a week is proof that the Prime Minister who appointed her screwed up.

In February 2010, the SDLP elected Margaret Ritchie as Party Leader. By 222 votes to 187. Her unceremonial dumping  (oops I mean her resignation) after just eighteen months is proof that 222 people screwed up. They need to face that reality.

Twibbons and Facebook. Yet another triumph of Image over Substance.
The SDLP members need to look past the Twibbons.