Kellie Leitch is often in the news for the wrong reasons.The Conservative leadership hopeful's otherwise forgettable campaign has been covered extensively because of her desire to screen immigrants for "Canadian values."Last week, Leitch released a painfully awkward, eight-minute video in which she chatted about her controversial (racist?) immigrant vetting proposal. Thing is, it's unlikely anyone could take in a word she said, so transfixed were we on the low-budget cinematography, the extended pauses, the strange camera angles highlighting the sides of Leitch's face, and so on. Needless to say the video went viral because it's a surreal viewing experience.
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In an interview with the CBC Thursday, Leitch didn't seem to grasp why her video became so popular. Asked by Calgary Eyeopener host David Gray if she was concerned she wasn't getting endorsements because of her ideas on immigration, Leitch responded "Let's be clear. I published a video just a few days ago. Over half a million Canadians have watched it. Over one million Facebook impressions in Canada. I can tell you that two-thirds of Canadians support my policy idea, 90 percent of Conservatives."Gray then said, "That video you mention it did get a lot of views and you think it's because of the content of your video? Because a lot of people picked up on the fact that frankly it seems a little awkwardly staged and even delivered according to some. You're being ridiculed on social media for that."Seemingly unfazed, Leitch replied, "Well that's what the media loves to do, you guys love to ridicule me. And so I'm delighted that now, unfiltered, the Canadian public can see what I'm talking about."She is right about all of that.
Screenshot via Twitter
But Leitch isn't alone in her poor grasp of internet-related things. Fellow Tory candidate Kevin O'Leary just last week tried to tweet a couple of photos from the leadership debate at the Manning Centre in Ottawa. Both now-deleted pictures were upside down and, moreover, they pretty much just showed the backs of people's heads.At least Donald Trump knows how to use Twitter.Follow Manisha Krishnan on Twitter.