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About.
“Candigato Morris” is the nickname given to a black and white cat put forward for mexican city Xalapa mayor in a parodical campaign, gaining fast popularity in Facebook and Twitter, as of many media coverage, causing also some controversy and concern about electoral abstencionism.
Origin.
The owners of the cat set up a Facebook fan page “candigatomorris” in May 4th, 2013 starting the fake candidacy. According to a Mural interview[1], one of the owners who works as a graphic designer used the fanpage to publish some propaganda for the campaign, including some stickers actually pasted in citizens cars. The objective of this propaganda was to mock mexican politicians and their campaigns, comparing their lazyness and distance, and pointing that anybody can make the vague promises they make.
the campaign is using slogans like:
“Due the high amount of rats seeking for these charges, only a cat can bring order”
“Got enough of voting for a rat? Vote for a cat”
“Xalapa suits to vote for a different animal”
“The cat-idate doesn’t promise to do more than all other candidates will do: Rest and play”
“I do nothing too”
“When I make a c&4p, I actually burry it”
The fan page is sometimes used also to promote campaigns against animal cruelty, or spread public denounces about current goverment actings.
Time later, a fan of this page created an account in Twitter for the cat (&atsign;CandiGato), and the owner reacted proposing the hashtag #ElCandiGatoMorris for the campaign, he also asked to the creator of the Twitter account to contact him, but as he didn’t, created another account to be the official one (&atsign;OfficialMorris). More recently they proposed the hashtag #yeswecat
The owners also registered a domain and created a webpage (elcandigato.com) with works made by themselves and posted by fans in the Facebook page
Spread
The page was initally promoted among a circle of friends, but it quickly called the attention from more Facebook users in the city.
The authors claimed they hoped to get 1000 likes, but that amount was easily reached, and ironicaly, the page overtook by far oficial candidates fan pages, because the attention and sympathy it got from people around other cities and countries.
Media coverage
The unexpected case got the attention of several local and national media that reported the begining and rise in the campaign fame in articles and political caricatures. Among the news portal that reported the event are SDPNoticas[2], Milenio[3], El Universal[3], Yahoo Mexico[4], Univision[5] and Proceso[6].
There are report even in media from other languages, like CNN[7], and The Huffington Post[8] in English. And www.lexpress.fr[9] in French.
Notable examples.
More cat-didates
In response of this phenomena, more ‘cat-idates’ have been appearing from cities that are going to hold election this July in the same country, they haven’t got the attention Morris got though[10][11].
Antecesor.
Stubbes the cat mayor in Alaska
Since campaign first days the case resembled another different case occured in 1997, when citizens in the town of Talkeetna, Alaska, declared a tabby cat named Stubbs as honorary mayor[12]. The cat has been since then a turistic attraction.
The administrator of the Stubbs fan page got notice about the existence of Morris campaign and wrote a message supporting and congratulating the idea in the ‘cat-didate’ fan page[13].
Controversy.
Electoral abstinence in Mexico.
The campaign has been accused of promoting the electoral abstinence, a constant problematic in mexican politics.
In all elections in Mexico the ballots include a special space for write-in candidates which are legally elegible. But this space of often used to cast votes for celebrities or fictional characters. Many other people don’t even go to vote.
Official candidates and autorithies response.
Official candidates has reacted to Morris campaign[14]. The candidate for the PAN (National Action Party) confessed he suspect the campaign was begun by his adversary, the PRI (Institutional and Revolutionary Party) in order to encourage free electors to nullify their votes and keep bought votes advantage[15]. The candidate for the PRI has confessed that these events are symptom of the lack of inspiration from candiates and politians to the citizens[16].
Also the authorities concluded that this events will convince a large amount of people to really cast votes for the cat, and publically called the population to abstain voting for the cat[17].
The fan page responded it is not promoting abstention, it is promoting the protest instead, and that nullifing a vote and abstaining to vote are different acts and they have different consequences[18].
Search Interest
Twitter Feeds
External References.
[1]Milenio – Interview / Posted on 6-6-2013
[2]SDPNoticias – SDPNoticias
[3]Universal – El Universal Veracruz
[4]Mexico – Yahoo Mexico
[7]CNN– City in Mexico postulates a cat as candidate for mayor
[8]The Huffington Post Morris The Cat For Mayor: Xalapa, Mexico Candidate Promises To Sleep And Do Nothing
[9]L’Express Morris le chat qui a gagné l’admiration de la plus part des habitants à Xalapa
[10]SDPNoticias Cat-didate in Sinaloa
[11]ADNPolitico The Morris effect multiplies
[12]Wikipedia Stubb the cat
[13]Stubbs Facebook Post in Morris Page
[14]Frontenet Official candidates react to Morris campaign
[15]E-Veracruz Morris posible distractor from PRI
[16]Milenio Votes for Morris deserve respect
[17]Diario de Mexico They got cat-idate to calm down
[18]Morris fan page About abstencionism promotion accusations