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Hot: Debate by the numbers and the new way of consuming politics

The Globe and Mail's Leaders' debate on Thursday night so far has had more than 300,000 views on YouTube. And it was all over Twitter: There were more than 94,000 usages of #GlobeDebate during the 90-minute event. Cam Gordon, senior communications manager at Twitter Canada, says these are significant numbers, given the short period in which so many people were tweeting using that hashtag. And that number does not capture the other people tweeting about the debate without using the hashtag.

According to Twitter, as of Friday morning there had been more than 1,300 tweets mentioning #GlobeDebate and either "bell" or "ding" since the debate. The bell was used to signal the end of a leader's speaking time, and has been a humorous topic of discussion by pundits and on Twitter – compared to everything from a kid's bike bell to an egg timer.

"For a large portion of Canadians, they are far more interested in seeing the reaction to an event on Twitter and social media than seeing the event itself," Mr. Gordon wrote in an e-mail. "Last night's debate is a great example of this trend that we've also seen in sports, entertainment and other areas of the culture. The commentary, analysis and humour is what people truly crave and we've seen this on Twitter throughout this entire campaign."

Then there was the reaction to the "old stock" comment by Conservative Leader Stephen Harper. In an exchange over refugee health care, Mr. Harper used the somewhat controversial term "old-stock Canadians," saying they were supportive of his refugee health measures. That lit up Twitter – more than 11,000 tweets used the hashtag "OldStockCanadians."

Not: Nenshi's battery

Speaking of Twitter, Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi, a superstar on social media, was live-tweeting the debate from the audience: "Ok, it's actually super-awkward to live-tweet #globedebate from the front row, since the leaders are only a few metres away. I'll still try," he wrote. He was on a roll, making some insightful points until about 49 minutes into the debate when his battery was about to die: "Battery will be gone soon and i left the backup in the car. So if I stop you know why. :-)"

Hot: The tale of the ties and the colour purple

Federal election leaders' debates are not all about policy and performance. Leaders can channel subtle messages through their fashion decisions. Take the all-important tie and the significance of NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair's choice on Thursday night. The three party leaders all showed up in dark suits, which contrasted best against the dramatic rendering of the Parliament Buildings that provided the debate stage backdrop.

True to form, Mr. Harper wore a Tory-blue tie – colour experts note that blue is a cool, calming and inspirational colour.

Justin Trudeau, the Liberal leader, wore a Liberal red tie; red, say the experts, is fiery and warm, chosen by extroverts.

Then there was Mr. Mulcair's purple tie, which raised some eyebrows among those expecting NDP orange. Did the colour purple, which, according to colour experts, represents good judgment and peace of mind, also represent Mr. Mulcair's new approach to the NDP, and the view among pundits that he is taking the party more to the centre? His promise to balance the budget is proving controversial within his own ranks, as he is sounding much like Mr. Harper and the Conservatives on that point.

The Liberals, meanwhile, have provided the contrast, saying they will run three modest deficits in order to spend on infrastructure to stimulate the economy.

This week, some NDP supporters on the left of the party released a manifesto calling for the restructuring of the country's economy, disagreeing with Mr. Mulcair's more cautious approach. As for his tie – his officials are raving about the colour, saying it went well with the background. It had nothing to do with what kind of NDP he wants to lead, they say. In fact, one official noted that former leader Jack Layton didn't wear orange ties to debates. And, if you looked closely, Mr. Mulcair's tie did have a hint of orange – a pattern of flower-like circles with orange centres.

Not: Trudeau talk

During the post-debate reception, the parties' arm-chair analysts were out spinning, giving reporters their take. NDP officials, pleased with their leader's performance, were especially critical of Mr. Trudeau. He was so passionate and at times aggressive, interrupting the others leaders, that he could have played the role of the "fast-talker" on a Seinfeld episode. Some NDPers joked that Mr. Trudeau was "on Red Bull," the popular Austrian energy drink.

Hot: Finding balance on the campaign trail

The youngest and the fittest of the three party leaders, Mr. Trudeau, was canoeing on Alberta's Bow River Thursday morning as part of his preparation for the debate on the economy. No surprise that a picture of him looking serene and pensive paddling the canoe was tweeted out.

The other leaders, Mr. Harper and Mr. Mulcair, were not as visible during the day. Meanwhile, Laureen Harper, who has little chance to visit their home in Calgary as the family lives at 24 Sussex Dr., was raking leaves, vacuuming and dusting. It's all good therapy.

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