Here’s Canwest News Service in early 2007, 20 months before the Stephane Dion-led Liberals lost 18 seats and the federal election:
“Negative Tory ads could backfire, say experts.”
Here’s The Canadian Press on March 2nd, 2009, before the Conservatives’ attack ads against Michael Ignatieff were released:
“Any attempt by the Tories to smear rookie Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff would backfire with recession-ravaged Canadians, Liberals say.”
Canadian Press headline in May, 2009, after the ads were released and two years before the Ignatieff-led Liberals were decimated in the federal election:
“Tory attack ads find audience, but could backfire: poll.”
The Star, June 1, 2009:
“Tory attack ads backfiring…”
Now, the Justin Trudeau era. An editorial in today’s Star —
“Conservative attacks on Justin Trudeau backfire on Harper”.
A CTV report published today, with the byline “CTVNews.ca Staff”, begins —
“Attack ads released hours after Justin Trudeau was named leader of the Liberal party, framing the 41-year-old as being “way over his head,” may backfire on the governing Conservatives, says one public relations expert.”
Ah yes, the experts. In yesterday’s Globe and Mail, in report headlined “Negative ad strategy holds risks for Conservatives, experts say”, Gloria Galloway writes:
“Can the ads backfire, and under what circumstances? All three experts said yes…“
if I were a dipper, fat chance, I would be peeved that CBCpravda always always always runs dipper stories behind the lieberals , like they are the third party not the official opposition , of course CPC stories are run third after that unless tied with the CBCpravda favourite line ” Critics Say”
Just wait until Harper calls the Boston bombing barbaric and Justin says it’s just a cultural event.
I don’t think most of these people understand the word “backfire” meaning you yourself could be hurt by the ads. In this case — how so? They are not even particularly nasty, more amusing than anything, and they introduce an important set of questions around Trudeau’s lack of experience. The ads will or will not be effective based on Justin’s own performance. I remember the same discussion around the Ignatieff ads — not effective, blah, blah (point very well made in EBD’s post. In the end the ads were effective because they had identified a weakness at an early point and when Ignatieff stumbled and looked weak, the ads hit home. Time will tell, but Justine truly does lack experience.
that’s truly humourous
The ad is hardly an ATTACK AD. It merely shows Justin Trudeau being his ‘foppish’ and immature self. (Terry Glavin used the term ‘foppish’ to describe Justin; it fits!)
The Liberals and their echo chamber in the press need to toughen up.
What parts of those ads are false or embellished? Does anyone see this guy facing down the Muslim Brotherhood?
The people who would vote for him are twits anyway and just don’t get that a functioning economy and something like an isolated North Korea aren’t bad things. They must be acquainted with the rotten circumstances of a Stalinist and/or broke state. Air-lift them out of Canadian air space for that particular education.
I think our (Conservative`s) worst problem is not Trudeau, but the CBC who are raising him on a pedestal 24-7. Every news cast starts with negative rhetoric against our CPC government. I`ve made dozens of comments about that on CBC.Ca, they rarely get published. Thank God for this site.
Those are not attack ads. It is simply the Conservative Party leveling the playing field.
They’re attack ads whether you’re honest enough to say admit it or not. Nothing wrong with attack ads.
I don’t really like attack ads, but if the evidence shows they might be effective, then I can’t fault using them.
JT has pondered out loud about the efficacy of PMs from Quebec, among other things, thereby giving the other side plenty of ammunition. And his nutjob lefty brother is a “special advisor” or something.
The masses need to be reminded that elections are not a popularity contest. Government is the only institution in society that has the power to use coercion. The question is how much? Neither individuals nor economies can function under coercion.
We need the coercive State to be rolled back significantly, as quickly as possible (which for some policies at least is not the same thing as “tomorrow”).
Justine will win a minority in the next election- let me tell you why………
He is young and good looking.
When he won the liberal leadership 2 days ago, my 58 year old mother phoned me up and proclaimed ” Now we have a real leader to vote for, what a good looking guy!
So I said, ” Mom, what are his policies? Does he and his party have your best interests in mind? Does he care about Western Canada?
Her response;
” He is just so cute, JUST LIKE HIS DAD!”
Battle cry of the Metamucil Stream Media is, “Remember the Iggy”, not to be confused with the Texan battle cry. As the media try, not so valiantly to prop up another dud lieberal, little Turdo, they become ever more extreme and irrelevant, Canada has moved on, once people grew up and quit believing in the Boogie Arper Man, that doddering Jean used to tell those scary bedtime stories about, Canada realized, a vibrant economy that rewarded all Canadian players, instead of just the owners of Power and their closest relatives, was a benifit to all. Canada will never go back to Idiotmania created by the CBC and the Toronto media.
Well Ryan I hate to break it to you and your Mom but times have changed. The old media no longer has a monopoly on what will or will not be reported and you and your Mom are part of a very small group that bothers to watch the news. IMO electing a person like JT to lead the Liberal party is as contemptuous of the Canadian electorate as the elevation of Mike Iggy.
Canada will never go back to Idiotmania created by the CBC and the Toronto media.
The old media no longer has a monopoly on what will or will not be reported
How adorable.
Ryan, when his dad first ran for PM my brother, sister and I were just like your mom. My mom, an RN and loved politics, asked us what did we know about Trudeau’s history. We didn’t know anything and could have cared less. When she informed us about his love of communism, his friends and heroes Castro, Mao and Stalin, his wartime activities in Quebec driving his motorbike with a German army helmet refusing to fight the “imperialists” war, being asked to be the NDP leader in Quebec and so on we initially disbelieved it and said he is different from the old staid politician and represents us young people. Of course she was right and after Trudeau’s first election none of us ever voted for him again. But the first time…..
I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Liberals back in second place after the next election. The NDP merely replaced the Bloc temporarily,and have no chance of winning much outside the welfare Provinces.
There ARE,unfortunately, far too many uninformed voters who make their decision based on frivolity,sound bites and image,so I do expect Trudeau to place second.
BUT, the thought of this unaccomplished airhead in the PM’s office will,I believe, unite and inspire conservatives and old time liberals like never before,to work our asses off and make damned sure JT never gains power.
And, to repeat myself, Trudeau does NOT have the “white guilt” on his side as Obama, a member of an oppressed minority,(except he wasn’t really)did,nor does Justin have a champion like Oprah and every black actor who ever drew breath,to shill endlessly for him.
And we Conservatives do NOT have a weak compromise candidate, a Mitt Romney, to represent us,we have a damned good,solid leader,who has done a competent job. We will have a fight on our hands,no doubt about it, but once again,the grownups are going to mobilize like we did in 2011,and we are NOT going to let this amateur poser,Trudeau, have a chance to wreck this great Nation!
A number of letters in the newspapers over the last day or so suggest that the ads are an example of “bulling” — the old “Harper’s a bully” silliness. Anti-bullying is in, but the problem with extending this phenomenon into the political arena is that typically “bullying” refers to someone strong going against someone weaker. Politics should be about equals — and yeah, they bully each other. Those attacking Harper on this point (nearly all of them women, I hate to say) is that they inadvertently cast Trudeau as the underdog. I don’t think that is a good political mssg.
Headline in a Calgary paper this morning:
Tory attacks a financial boon for Liberals