Attack Ads

[August1991]

This is the Liberal/Herle anti-Harper ad:

Liberal ad (it's the top one)

This is the NDP anti-Tory, anti-Liberal ad:

NDP ad

Note that both use a female narrator.

[Dennis]

Remember when Jack Layton started the campaign claiming his party would be the only one offering positive ideas for the country?

Now, all of a sudden, once he sees his party stalled in the polls (and it's been that way for a year, btw) his campaign of 'positive ideas' has turned into bashing Bush and the other party leaders.

Stephen Harper is the only leader who has yet to go negative. Yet he never promised it, like Jack did - who called Paul Martin a killer too.

The NDP's slogan is New Energy, A Positive Choice (something like that, it's not very catchy). Don't think so.

[August1991]

Something bothered me about the style of the Liberal ad. It's the rhetorical question at the end. The "And you know what?" question. It's superfluous, and it speaks down to the viewer. The ad works better if it were cut out.

For such a risky ad, I would have thought the Liberals would have crafted it more carefully.

Nonetheless, one has to admire the dissolving flag at the end. It is easy to imagine it turning into an American flag.

The next Liberal attack ad will apparently get into the hypotheticals of a Harper cabinet.

[Bionic Antboy]

Stephen Harper is the only leader who has yet to go negative. Yet he never promised it, like Jack did - who called Paul Martin a killer too.

I haven't seen anybody bring up the Conservative ad showing someone who's supposed to be Martin crumpling up money and throwing it in the garbage.

Why the media isn't saying the Conservatives aren't going negative is beyond me, as that ad doesn't strike me as a positive one.

[maplesyrup]

Actually the ads seem fine.

This is part of politics to run ads, isn't it?

The Liberals are just emulating ads that Bush ran quite successfully in his election campaign.

[Bionic Antboy]

Actually the ads seem fine.

This is part of politics to run ads, isn't it?

The Liberals are just emulating ads that Bush ran quite successfully in his election campaign.

I don't have a problem with attack ads, as long as they're not mudslinging.

I was more expanding on what caesar mentioned about media bias. City-TV, Global and CTV all ran some kind of piece about how the Liberals were coming out with their new attack ad, and Harper's response, in which he suggested that isn't a route that his party would go.

Meanwhile, I had just seen the Conservative ad moments before (on the CBC IIRC) with a Martin-like figure throwing money in the garbage.

The reporting suggested that the Liberals were sinking into the negative campaigning, and the Conservatives were above it all, which is only half true at the most. Shoddy journalism or deliberate bias? Either way, it was inaccurate reporting.

Maybe I'll move this to another thread, so it doesn't interfere with the poll reporting.

[August1991]

The Liberal anti-BQ attack ad in French is here.

It's interesting because the last line had to be changed apparently. The first version left Canada to Harper. Then, the Libs realized that no one in Quebec would care about that so it was changed to "Voter pour le Bloc, c'est laisser le Québec à Harper" which somehow defies logic.

[maplesyrup]

Makes sense to me as the Conservatives have been musing about a Conservative-Bloc Alliance. Strange that it was Duceppe who rejected the idea .

I believe we will see a Liberal-Conservative alliance. Makes the most sense.

[August1991]

I believe we will see a Liberal-Conservative alliance.

WTF?

[maplesyrup]

Other Party Leaders Protest Liberal Attack Ads

Responding to recent Liberal attack ads against Stephen Harper, leaders of Canada's other major parties are protesting.

Why would Gilles Duceppe be outraged about Liberal attack ads against the Conservatives?

[willy]

Thanks for the link maplesyrup,

I am a little confused by Layton’s response. He seems jealous that he was not attacked. Kind of Bart Simpson like (look at me, look at me). Jack even loves negative attention.

They should be outraged, because the ads are not based on facts. Can you imagine Canada buying a 20 billion dollar aircraft carrier? This stuff should only play up the fact you can't trust a Fiberal.

[takeanumber]

A Con-Lib alliance on a bill by bill basis could work until budget time.

It keeps Harper from humiliating himself with an alliance with the Bloc.

[idealisttotheend]

A Con-Lib alliance would either mean a true one party state for our fine country or that the NDP would be seen as electable for the first time in it's history as the only opposition to such an alliance. A Bloc-Con would be more likely (something I didn't see until August pointed out) but would be historically interesting also. After all, the Western Cons have held nothing but derision for Quebec seperatists for a long time. To join with them.... well that would be very interesting and could lead to the end of our fine federation as "refederation" becomes the norm.

What to do but pine for Tredeau and hate Mulroney (for helping create the Bloc) all the more.

[August1991]

A Con-Lib alliance on a bill by bill basis could work until budget time.

There are two critical questions:

ONE: Who gets to go first to the House?

TWO: What happens on the first confidence vote?

I go Harper on one, and BQ support on two.

Once your virginity is lost, there's no big deal involved. It might even be fun.