When the Liberals first unleashed their dreaded attack ads I predicted they would not be effective.
Specifically, I suggested the Liberal strategy to attack former Ontario Premier Mike Harris and the Common Sense Revolution would backfire.
It looks like I was right.
Writing in today’s Globe and Mail, John Ibbitson examines the Tory surge in Ontario and says:
“The Harper Conservatives are achieving this seismic electoral realignment by promising to lower taxes, get tough on crime and put an end to entitlements --- exactly the same message that the Harris Conservatives used. Once again, the Liberal strategy has had a result diametrically the opposite of its intent.”
Remember you read it here first.
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5 comments:
A MOMENT PLEASE MR. PRESIDENT,
Attacking Harris' two strong majorities is like criticising Pat Gillick for building two back-to-back World series Champions.
What's more...how does Brunhilda Stronach reconcile such a hypocritical barrage against her mentor? How many times have prominent liberal cabinet ministers had their positions compromised by the evolving and contradictory liberal message?
How does Stronach reconcile such hypocritical barrage against her mentor? Buy more shoes. Failing that buy everything, and everyone else.
I think the main reason for backfiring is two fold
1. It made the Liberals look desperate
2. The military ad took away all credibility so people simply ignored the other ads. Had they not run the military ad, there may have been a different reaction.
Mike Harris is quite popular in the 905 belt where it probably didn't help at all, but unpopular in Southwestern Ontario where the Tories are ahead. He is also quite unpopular in Toronto, but that still remains an island of Liberal red regardless of how the rest of Ontario goes.
Mike Harris unpopular in Toronto ??
Unlike NDP Rae and the Liberal before Rae ...you know the good looking guy ...I think he might sit on the Magna Board ??
Give me a break ! Ontario voted for the Common Sense Revolution because they were sick to death of big spending Liberals and NDP [ Pink Floyd was going to spend us out of a recession , remember ]
Thank God for Mike Harris ...I may not agree with his personal life , but I sure admired his political will power .....and so did much of the rest of Canada .
It was Ralph Klein and Mike Harris that provided the political stability so lacking during the Chretien chaos.
Stop rewriting history to make the Conservatives look bad .
Ed Hardison, I think Mike Harris was a very good premier, but I am simply pointing out that many people in Ontario disliked him. Lets remember a large chunk of Canadians do support the big government ideology. He won back to back majorities since the NDP had left Ontario in a mess and people wanted it cleaned up, but if you look at all the polls taken since 2000, most show his disapproval rating higher than his approval rating. Besides Toronto (I mean the 416 area code, not 905) is generally pretty left leaning so Mike Harris being unpopular there is really meaningless. The 416 won't ever go for a party that is on the right side of the political spectrum.
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