The Finish Line: The Top Three Candidates and Campaigns

Recognizing that as a remote blogger it’s sometimes difficult to convey the on-the ground excitement and ‘feel’ of the 2009 electoral campaign, I took the time to run a short analysis of the online presence of the three main contenders in the race for Romania’s Presidency. Hopefully this will help enlighten some of our readers on the tone and content of the race.

First, a caveat: unlike in the US, where presidential campaigns seem to start ever earlier and cost exponentially more from season to season, in Romania, the campaign per se officially opens one month ahead of the first round of voting. Also unlike the US, Romanian politicians receive equal and free TV and radio ad space. Campaigns are funded with public money. Some analysts estimate that the total cost of this campaign to Romanian taxpayers could be as high as 50 billion euros or roughly 75 billion dollars (including hidden costs and losses incurred because of the government’s paralysis in the aftermath of the no-confidence vote that ousted PM Boc earlier in the fall).

And now, the three campaigns, as promised, in no particular order:

1. Train Basescu, available at www.basescu.ro – The Incumbent

Basescu’s campaign, updates of which are available on Twitter, is centered on the slogan: “Basescu Fights for You!”, using a humorous and slightly-self deprecating tone, playing on Basescu’s perceived authenticity. Orange-heavy design, in line with Basescu’s previous “Orange Revolution.”

Translating freeform from one of his campaign posters, for your enjoyment: “Last time around you voted for a president with one eye bigger than the other and with a rogue lock of hair ruling a bald skull. Looking back, I admit I haven’t been given the best nicknames ever:

‘the one-eyed,’ ‘the sailor,’ ‘baldy,’ and ‘Capt’n’. But I know that I can’t win your trust with pretty eyes or fancy haircuts. It was my realistic vision and my determination that gave me presidential sex-appeal in your eyes….”

On the web site, Basescu also champions his pet cause: a referendum coinciding with the elections to turn Romania’s two-chamber Parliament into a unicameral body. This is his cartoon take on it:

“Why do we need two people to do the same thing?” (on the left – Representatives; on the right – Senators)

2. Mircea Geoana, available at www.mirceageoana.org – the Center-right Contender

Mircea Geoana is running on a platform of “Unity and Trust,” and, surprisingly, uses a white, black and red palettein his design, red being a color that is (or used to be) associated with Communism in my part of the world, hence a no-no in previous elections. Whether that’s savvy or insensitive, we will find out next week. The younger folks definitely don’t seem to be bothered.

The web site is heavy with rich media, and links to a variety of social platforms, including Facebook, Twitter,

YouTube and LinkedIn, offers user polls and features a (very up to date) blog where Geoana (in very strictly controlled language) offers his thoughts on the election and many others.

Most surprising to me, a link to the “BeRed BeCool”(orig.) campaign – by all appearances, Geoana’s young supporters banded together under the name “Red Caravan”, traveling throughout Romania and putting together performances of all sorts all the while campaigning for him. Some of the things young Romanians do to support their favorite candidate:

3.

3. Crin Antonescu, available at www.crinantonescu.ro – the Contender of the Liberal party

This is probably the best moment for a full disclosure: I am a supporter of Crin Antonescu, and if I was in Romania right now I would probably not only vote for him, but also volunteer. That being said, his web site is the least ‘glam’ of all three, and his message – the hardest to translate in English. His main slogan “Hai la Revolutia Bunului Simt” – would translate roughly as “Come to the Common-Sense Revolution,” except that the term he uses is “the good sense”, a combo of notions that encompasses reason, sensitivity, thoughtfulness and a degree of social justice, the antonym of “nesimtit” = boorish , ill-mannered, but also lying and cheating. His slogan is clearly asking voters to revolutionize and sack the lying, cheating, uncouth political class personified by Basescu.

His colors of choice are blue and yellow and I’m more than a little suspicious that his eyes were photoshopped to pop and match the blue background in a few instances (…)

In terms of social media sophistication, Crin is matching the competitors: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Flickr and YouTube are all available and up to date. But no Flash animation. Of course, that might also have something to do with the fact that he didn't get first dibs at taxpayer campaign money.

My favorite part of his campaign web site is the Crin TV channel (by the way Crin means Lily in Romanian) where you can watch streaming live talk shows and news bits featuring Crin Antonescu. I also like the downloadable stickers pairing his electoral message with some very basic rules yet often neglected rules of common sense:

“I don’t block the intersection and I vote Crin Antonescu”

That’s all folks!

Wish me luck – on Sunday I have to drive all the way to Hayward to vote.