How does #nzpol do on Facebook?

• Stephanie Rodgers
• 9 years ago
• Categories: david cunliffe, interweb, john key
• Tags: David Cunliffe, facebook, jacinda ardern, john key, populism, social media, winston peters

Feinstein Doak has a post up with the Top Political Facebook Posts of 2014, and the results are interesting:

• John Key, unsurprisingly given that his Facebook page has over 180,000 likes, dominates with 5 of the top 10 posts
• But the top post – with a staggering 14,000 likes and 475 shares – is a lovely, genuine update from Jacinda Ardern about assembling a roadtrip with some other stranded travellers trying to get to Auckland
• At #9, David Cunliffe’s resignation was obviously big news, but no one else from the Left got this level of cut-through
• But the remaining 3? All Winston, baby.

It seems to defy conventional wisdom about (a) the uptake of social media by ~older generations~ and (b) the demographics of Winston’s fanbase. That being said, it thoroughly plays into the idea of Winston as New Zealand’s ultimate populist politician – always saying exactly what people want to hear.