Just as in 2006, the Conservatives have earned endorsements from both of Canada’s major daily newspapers (The Globe and Mail & The National Post). We wait with baited breath to see what the Toronto Star will do. (Rumours have it they could endorse the NDP for the first time. Odds have it, they’ll back Dion.)
Fear Begets Panic: Lessons in Credit-Crunch Campaigning
The Economist weighed in on the Canadian election today, with two separate articles offering a lukewarm endorsement of the Conservatives. Specifically, the authors suggest "another minority Conservative government would not be a bad result for Canada: neither of the main party leaders has done enough to persuade Canadians that they deserve untrammelled power."
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Harper’s Balancing Act: Confidence & Uncertainty
A lot has been made of Stephen Harper’s inability to empathize with "the average Canadian" during the present economic downturn. To be certain, Mr. Harper has done little to help his cause. Last night on The National, he made an off-hand comment about how the stock market decline has opened "opportunities" for Canadians to invest at bargain prices. Earlier in the day, instead of releasing his platform in a more ‘grassroots’ setting, he opted for a business audience at the Canadian Club. (No sweater vests allowed.) In Harper’s defence, however, he faces a unique set of challenges — distinct from those facing opposition party leaders and the two presidential candidates in the United States.
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Why Attack Ads? Because They Work.
A reporter from our university newspaper once asked me, "Why do parties run attack ads? Don’t they just turn people off?" A friend offered a similar comment in reaction to the Conservatives’ latest round of ‘Weak Dion’ ads: "I wasn’t voting Conservative before I saw them," he said. "Now, I’m really not voting for them. Why would they run these ads?" My response: Because they work…. but not in the way most people think.
Alternatives for the Divided Left: A Short-List of Strategies
These days, we hear a lot about the divided left in Canada. The Harper Conservatives are poised to win a number of close seats by virtue of vote-splitting among Greens, New Democrats and Liberals. In Alberta, the Provincial Liberal Party is debating the same issue: how to unite a fractured, left-leaning opposition to defeat the 36-year Conservative dynasty. If the history of Prairie provincial politics is any guide, below is a short-list of the options available to these opposition parties:
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The Politics of Hope vs. the Politics of Uncertainty
I’m not sure whether many people noticed, but Barack Obama’s speech this afternoon marked a major shift in the American presidential campaign: It’s become a little more like Canada’s.
The second line in Obama’s statement — "This is a time of uncertainty" — officially shifts his campaign from one emphasizing "hope" to one focusing on "ambiguity" and "instability" (at least for the time being). It’s the same theme Stephen Harper has been stressing for the past two weeks.
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