Lynch: One more video coming before election

By George P. Hassett

The candidate challenging Ward 5 Alderman Sean T. O’Donovan released a video campaign advertisement last week accusing O’Donovan of putting his own business interests and real estate deals ahead of the neighborhood’s needs.

Joe Lynch’s slickly produced campaign video looks more like a television advertisement for a candidate running for statewide or even national office than what it actually is —- a video posted online for a candidate trying to reach approximately 2,400 voters in Ward 5.

Lynch said his campaign spot, which can be found at www.lynchforalderman.com, is the first time video has been used in a Somerville campaign. And, he said, it is working.

“The video piece is hitting people who were never engaged in politics before and has spread through networks of friends who are telling each other about it,” he said.

He said Boston Mayor Tom Menino is the only other Boston-area candidate for municipal office to use online video to reach voters.

O’Donovan did not return a phone call seeking a comment for this story.

In the 2 minute 36 second video, Lynch said O’Donovan, “has done little more than pursue his own personal gain, using his elected office to green light developments which would be almost impossible otherwise.” While Lynch speaks, a list of properties O’Donovan has purchased since becoming ward alderman in 1995 appear on screen. According to the ad, he has purchased properties on Warwick Street, Craigie Street, Laurel Street, Ash Avenue, Newman Place and Rogers Avenue and developed some of those into multi-unit condo buildings.

Text then appears on screen that reads, ‚ÄúIt‚Äôs a bad idea for our alderman to be a developer.‚Äù Lynch speaks directly to the viewer throughout the video while walking through the ward. 

Lynch would not say how much the video cost or who specifically helped him produce it. But he did say producing online campaign videos is a new way to reach voters busy with family and work concerns.

“I had a targeted audience for the video,” he said. “I wanted to reach people who were out of the house by 7 a.m. taking the kids to school, working late and helping the kids with homework at night. People who may not have time to chat with a candidate. [The video] was about making politics convenient for people.”

After finishing the video, Lynch said he showed it to a focus group of 12 Somerville residents, 10 from Ward 5. He said the response has been overwhelmingly positive.

Lynch said his user friendly approach to the Ward 5 race is in sharp contrast to O’Donovan’s “old ward boss style” of campaigning. Lynch said O’Donovan’s campaign has used “old tactics like intimidation and veiled threats. Just a lot of the old bullying tactics,” to influence voters.

“It still astounds me my opponent doesn’t even have a Web site up let alone video,” he said.

Lynch said he expects to see more local campaign videos pop up online as digital recording costs go down. And, he said, he has one more video of his own coming before the election on Nov. 6. ‚ÄúIt will be about the priorities of Ward 5,‚Äù he said.