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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Justin Trudeau, Politician and Star of His Own Viral Universe | Justin Trudeau, Politician and Star of His Own Viral Universe |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| Within the past two weeks, nearly a million and a half people have watched a YouTube video clip featuring an explanation of quantum computing. Such an esoteric subject may not generally attract intense interest, but when Canada’s new prime minister, Justin Trudeau, is involved, these things have a tendency to go viral. | Within the past two weeks, nearly a million and a half people have watched a YouTube video clip featuring an explanation of quantum computing. Such an esoteric subject may not generally attract intense interest, but when Canada’s new prime minister, Justin Trudeau, is involved, these things have a tendency to go viral. |
| Mr. Trudeau has become a digital star many times over since his election in October. Videos of the leader explaining his brand of feminism or hugging baby pandas have become a near-weekly staple of social media feeds. | Mr. Trudeau has become a digital star many times over since his election in October. Videos of the leader explaining his brand of feminism or hugging baby pandas have become a near-weekly staple of social media feeds. |
| The clip of Mr. Trudeau, 44, excitedly breaking down quantum computing during a visit to the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Waterloo, Ontario, this month prompted admiring write-ups from both Canadian and American news media outlets. | The clip of Mr. Trudeau, 44, excitedly breaking down quantum computing during a visit to the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Waterloo, Ontario, this month prompted admiring write-ups from both Canadian and American news media outlets. |
| The Toronto Star: “The man who has been called Canada’s new heartthrob, yoga hotshot, feminist PM — apparently eager to show he’s more than a now globally recognized pretty face — promptly showed he has computer-geek talents previously little known.” | The Toronto Star: “The man who has been called Canada’s new heartthrob, yoga hotshot, feminist PM — apparently eager to show he’s more than a now globally recognized pretty face — promptly showed he has computer-geek talents previously little known.” |
| The Washington Post: “The Internet’s love of Justin Trudeau knows no bounds. And it grows greater still.” | The Washington Post: “The Internet’s love of Justin Trudeau knows no bounds. And it grows greater still.” |
| Writing in the Canadian newsmagazine Maclean’s last month, the political analyst Evan Solomon called the prime minister “our first ‘Viral PM,’ creating political ‘moments’ specifically so they become shareable.” | Writing in the Canadian newsmagazine Maclean’s last month, the political analyst Evan Solomon called the prime minister “our first ‘Viral PM,’ creating political ‘moments’ specifically so they become shareable.” |
| Mr. Solomon also compared Mr. Trudeau’s political skills to those of Donald J. Trump: “If Trump has taught the world anything, it is that celebrity is a political currency that is valued very highly. Trudeau’s image isn’t a two-bit coin; it’s political bullion.” | Mr. Solomon also compared Mr. Trudeau’s political skills to those of Donald J. Trump: “If Trump has taught the world anything, it is that celebrity is a political currency that is valued very highly. Trudeau’s image isn’t a two-bit coin; it’s political bullion.” |
| Experts say that politicians like Mr. Trudeau, Mr. Trump and President Obama have been ahead of the curve in harnessing social media’s paradigm-changing power. Their ability to shine in bite-size media is reminiscent of John F. Kennedy’s prowess compared with Richard M. Nixon’s in the first televised presidential debate in 1960. And tools including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have given these politicians a significant portion of control in disseminating their own messages. | Experts say that politicians like Mr. Trudeau, Mr. Trump and President Obama have been ahead of the curve in harnessing social media’s paradigm-changing power. Their ability to shine in bite-size media is reminiscent of John F. Kennedy’s prowess compared with Richard M. Nixon’s in the first televised presidential debate in 1960. And tools including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have given these politicians a significant portion of control in disseminating their own messages. |
| Laura Olin, who ran social media strategy for the Obama campaign in 2012, said that politicians’ most viral moments have become so easy to identify that “at this point the digital media company machine has learned to do a lot of this work for social media campaigners.” | Laura Olin, who ran social media strategy for the Obama campaign in 2012, said that politicians’ most viral moments have become so easy to identify that “at this point the digital media company machine has learned to do a lot of this work for social media campaigners.” |
| “It is another way of showing that politicians who are able to act like normal human beings are the ones who are going to attract mass followings,” she added. | “It is another way of showing that politicians who are able to act like normal human beings are the ones who are going to attract mass followings,” she added. |
| Mr. Trudeau and his Liberal Party’s digital fluency during the election helped them attract the support of an unusually large group of young voters. A study commissioned by a students’ association and released last week by the Canadian public opinion firm Abacus Data found that voter turnout among 18- to 25-year-olds “likely increased by about 12 points in 2015,” and that 66 percent of young Canadians said they could relate to Mr. Trudeau. | Mr. Trudeau and his Liberal Party’s digital fluency during the election helped them attract the support of an unusually large group of young voters. A study commissioned by a students’ association and released last week by the Canadian public opinion firm Abacus Data found that voter turnout among 18- to 25-year-olds “likely increased by about 12 points in 2015,” and that 66 percent of young Canadians said they could relate to Mr. Trudeau. |
| Abacus’s chief executive, David Coletto, said that the Liberals understood social media and that Mr. Trudeau understood it “unlike any leader we’ve had in Canada.” | Abacus’s chief executive, David Coletto, said that the Liberals understood social media and that Mr. Trudeau understood it “unlike any leader we’ve had in Canada.” |
| Mr. Trudeau’s political opposition has not taken kindly to his online success, criticizing the prime minister as superficial. His answer on quantum computing was used as fodder for a Conservative Facebook video, which claimed that he had staged the moment to avoid answering a question about fighting terrorism. | Mr. Trudeau’s political opposition has not taken kindly to his online success, criticizing the prime minister as superficial. His answer on quantum computing was used as fodder for a Conservative Facebook video, which claimed that he had staged the moment to avoid answering a question about fighting terrorism. |
| “Sorry, Mr. Trudeau. Serious questions need serious answers,” the ad said. | “Sorry, Mr. Trudeau. Serious questions need serious answers,” the ad said. |
| Some digital outlets have also been critical of the quantum computing video. Gawker suggested in a headline that it was most “likely staged.” The Washington Post quibbled that the explanation “was actually not quite right.” | Some digital outlets have also been critical of the quantum computing video. Gawker suggested in a headline that it was most “likely staged.” The Washington Post quibbled that the explanation “was actually not quite right.” |
| A spokesman for the prime minister, Cameron Ahmad, rejected any suggestion that occasions like the one on quantum computing were staged purely for the purposes of publicity. He also pointed out that Mr. Trudeau had returned to answer the reporter’s question about terrorism at length after tackling quantum computing. | A spokesman for the prime minister, Cameron Ahmad, rejected any suggestion that occasions like the one on quantum computing were staged purely for the purposes of publicity. He also pointed out that Mr. Trudeau had returned to answer the reporter’s question about terrorism at length after tackling quantum computing. |
| “The prime minister has a tendency to make genuine comments that you wouldn’t necessarily expect from most politicians, and I think that gives Canadians and people around the world the opportunity to see genuine reactions and statements from a political leader,” Mr. Ahmad said. | “The prime minister has a tendency to make genuine comments that you wouldn’t necessarily expect from most politicians, and I think that gives Canadians and people around the world the opportunity to see genuine reactions and statements from a political leader,” Mr. Ahmad said. |
| Ms. Olin, the social media strategist for the Obama campaign, said that social media tools might allow adept politicians in the future to paper over nuance or even obscure their beliefs, instead favoring moments that would most likely take off on social media. (She said she did not believe that Mr. Trudeau was such an example.) | |
| “I think that’s definitely a danger,” she said. “I’m guessing that there will be someone who will come along who is both completely full of it and also good at hiding the fact that they’re completely full of it.” | “I think that’s definitely a danger,” she said. “I’m guessing that there will be someone who will come along who is both completely full of it and also good at hiding the fact that they’re completely full of it.” |