Tory candidates told to avoid debates, media during campaign

[G Huxley]

http://www.thestar.com/news/federal-election/2015/08/26/tory-candidates-told-to-avoid-debates-media-during-campaign.html

We just had an all candidates meeting here in Victoria. The Conservative Candidate had an empty chair with a teddy bear sitting in it and a microphone in front of it.

Has this happened in other poster's ridings?

Edited September 24, 2015 by G Huxley

[jazzer]

It happened here for our first debate. The fact that the Conservative candidate showed up for the second one shows the desperation of their party. Normally their candidates don't show up here in Conservative rich south Alberta, but she is slated for all of them now.

[G Huxley]

Oh oh stepping out of party line by showing up for the second debate. Heaven forbid.

[Topaz]

I guess the Tory's can't handle the truth.. most Canadians want them gone.

[Smallc]

I guess the Tory's can't handle the truth.. most Canadians want them gone.

So what? Most Canadians never wanted them.

Edited September 24, 2015 by Smallc

[PIK]

Cant blame them when you can't trust the media to correctly report on what they are saying. Come on hux , you know that I am right.

[PIK]

So what? Most Canadians never wanted them.

The same old shit about the 60%, do you think we are stupid.

[G Huxley]

Cant blame them when you can't trust the media to correctly report on what they are saying. Come on hux , you know that I am right.

You can't justify not taking part in Democracy by whining that the media is unfair to you.

[On Guard for Thee]

You can't justify not taking part in Democracy by whining that the media is unfair to you.

I guess they shy away because it seems when they do they quite often put their foot in their mouth. Look what Moore just did with regard to the Terry Fox vote bribe, and that wasn't even a debate. Plus we have likely heard every mindless talking point over and over, already anyway.

[Topaz]

Well IF they can't defend themselves who can? Just like in the past the PC and the Liberals, its was time to go and its time for the Alliance/Conservative to go, its just part of life.

[ToadBrother]

I guess they shy away because it seems when they do they quite often put their foot in their mouth. Look what Moore just did with regard to the Terry Fox vote bribe, and that wasn't even a debate. Plus we have likely heard every mindless talking point over and over, already anyway.

The Terry Fox stunt doesn't even make sense to me. Moore isn't running, so why is he the one doling out campaign presents? The whole thing seemed so bizarrely tone deaf.

[ToadBrother]

You can't justify not taking part in Democracy by whining that the media is unfair to you.

"For a politician to complain about the press is like a ship's captain complaining about the sea."

- Enoch Powell

[On Guard for Thee]

The Terry Fox stunt doesn't even make sense to me. Moore isn't running, so why is he the one doling out campaign presents? The whole thing seemed so bizarrely tone deaf.

Actually I had forgotten he was't running, but when I was reminded by a news report, I wondered if they picked him just in case the whole thing backfired, which of course it did. That way you cannot not vote for someone who is not on the ballot. I wouldn't put that type of strategising past them.

[ToadBrother]

Actually I had forgotten he was't running, but when I was reminded by a news report, I wondered if they picked him just in case the whole thing backfired, which of course it did. That way you cannot not vote for someone who is not on the ballot. I wouldn't put that type of strategising past them.

But it didn't make Moore look bad, it really made the Tories look kind of shabby. Trying to politicize something like the Terry Fox cancer fundraising is so off base that it really makes me wonder at the quality of some of the Tories' strategists. It's one thing to say "The next Tory government will up cancer research by x amount of dollars", that's perfectly legitimate, but to directly target a specific charity in that way, and particularly one like Terry Fox, is so obviously crass.

Stay classy, Tory campaign.

[On Guard for Thee]

But it didn't make Moore look bad, it really made the Tories look kind of shabby. Trying to politicize something like the Terry Fox cancer fundraising is so off base that it really makes me wonder at the quality of some of the Tories' strategists. It's one thing to say "The next Tory government will up cancer research by x amount of dollars", that's perfectly legitimate, but to directly target a specific charity in that way, and particularly one like Terry Fox, is so obviously crass.

Stay classy, Tory campaign.

Oh I didn't say it was good strategy, although I guess that's an understatement in light of the outcome. I just wonder if it wasn't aimed at their so called base, who they thought may not get how crass it was. But in any case I suspect there are some of those strategists you speak of being taken to the woodshed now.

[G Huxley]

Who came up with this idea anyway? Is it the Aussie guy or the same guy who said that Harper should refuse to take part in the traditional debates?

Edited September 25, 2015 by G Huxley

[SpankyMcFarland]

What is the point of candidates if they won't debate? Wouldn't we all save money if inflatable substitutes were used instead?

[G Huxley]

Well we didn't use an inflatable substitute, but someone put a teddy bear in front of the mike on the conservative candidate's empty seat.

Edited September 25, 2015 by G Huxley

[ToadBrother]

Who came up with this idea anyway? Is it the Aussie guy or the same guy who said that Harper should refuse to take part in the traditional debates?

There were rumors that this was a directive during the 2011 election, although it apparently only applied to new Conservative candidates, and not to incumbents.

[G Huxley]

Yeah it doesn't seem to be the Aussie guy, because it seems to have been by the same strategist which suggested Harper shouldn't participate in the consortium debate.