Big media’s gone live blog crazy

Last night’s French-language leaders debate was live blogged all over the place and the big Canadian media outlets really jumped on board with the live blog frenzy.

The National Post had online staffers Chris Boutet and Ron Nurwisah commenting on the debate. The Post‘s live blog included polls on how the leaders were doing along the way as well as comments posted from readers following both the debate and the live blog.

Maclean’s went live blog mad, putting nearly its whole politics team on the job, which had six journalists spouting on the same page at the same time. It was, at various times, amusing, juvenile, informative, ridiculous and chaotic. Here’s a brief example from about the mid-way mark, when an audience member at the debate asked each leader what they liked about the person on their left:

• 8:54 PM Chris Selley – I like this say something nice about your neighbour question. I can’t wait for Harper’s.
• 8:54 PM Andrew Coyne – Say something nice about the person to your left?? Where did they FIND these people..
• 8:54 PM Philippe Gohier – Wow, Duceppe’s really making a pitch for May’s affection.
• 8:55 PM Chris Selley – At Hallmark, Andrew. They found them at the Hallmark store.
• 8:55 PM Aaron Wherry – Breaking news! I
  see from the comments that Amir Attaran is a buddy of Michael
  Ignatieff. Just like that dead soldier’s father! It’s a total
  conspiracy!
• 8:56 PM Andrew Coyne – When do they start passing the orange without using their hands?
• 8:56 PM Paul Wells – Next question: Say something libelous about the person to your right.
• 8:56 PM Martin Patriquin – Jesus, what the hell is this? Can they just hug it out and be done with it?
• 8:57 PM Kady O’Malley – Kady O’Malley –
  Aw, poor Jack Layton. I don’t think this is the night when you want the
  Prime Minister forced to say nice things about you.
• 8:58 PM Chris Selley – A good father! HA!
• 8:58 PM Martin Patriquin – This is sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo pointless.
• 8:58 PM Aaron Wherry – “Your kids are lovely.” Family really is everything.
• 8:58 PM Andrew Coyne – You’re a good father? That’s the best she can come up with? And Hitler loved his dog!
• 8:58 PM Andrew Potter – I actually *like* this segment. It’s the logical consequence of having five people at the table.
• 8:58 PM Philippe Gohier – May to Harper: You’re a good father
  but you’re a dangerous fascist.
• 9:01 PM Aaron Wherry – Layton can
  personalize anything. There is not a single occupation or circumstance
  that has not been encountered by someone close to him. He’s a sort of
  genius.
• 9:01 PM Andrew Coyne – A round of ritual denunciations of personal attacks, before resuming the very thing…
• 9:01 PM Kady O’Malley – Kady O’Malley: Elizabeth May just stole Jack Layton’s Broadbent story!
• 9:02 PM Paul Wells – Richard Peregrino! Drink!

Meanwhile, over at The Globe and Mail, Douglas Bell, who is blogging the election campaign, also posted his live critique of the debate in his post The Show. Here’s a brief excerpt from the same “say something nice about another leader” part of the evening:

• 8:54 New question from a guy who looks like he just
  got off the Red Green show: “What do you like about the leader to your
  left?” Now they’re all praising each other. Harper’s really loving Jack
  Layton.
• 8:58 Now Dion’s loving Duceppe. May’s got to say something nice about Harper. Calls him an autocrat like it’s a good thing.
• 9:00 Now Layton’s talking about the need for civility.
• 9:02 Hang on – Harper just agreed with Dion. Did
  hell just freeze over? Dion’s now hammering away at harper for
  partisanship. It’s a real showdown between the two. Harper is keeping
  his cool.
• 9:05 Harper’s coming off as the soul of reason.
  Layton is running a close second. Layton talks about Harper’s failure
  to respect parliament. Next topic: crime.