Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Details and politics don't mix

The Toronto Sun editorially scolds Toronto Mayoralty candidates Rob Ford and George Smitherman for not having detailed budgetary plans for the city.

Writes the Sun: “Either Rob Ford or George Smitherman, it appears, will be our next mayor and neither has a fiscal plan worth warm spit.”

And I guess, if an election was akin to some sort of academic exercise the Sun would be right.

However, elections are about politics. And in politics the last thing you want to do is talk about details.

The more details you divulge the more likely you are to drive away potential voters.

That’s why the secret to success in politics is vagueness: all voters need to hear is that you have some sort of “Plan” to fix the budget.

Besides, it isn’t budget projections that win elections – it’s who has the most compelling narrative or story – Ford or Smitherman?

2 comments:

Hoarfrost said...

Smitherman should become even more vague on his policy of continuing to Kow Tow to the City Unions. As soon as I heard him making that statement the sooner I dismissed him as a candidate who is listening to the people.

To be elected it would have been better if he had said nothing on the subject.

Anonymous said...

What a joke, did the Sun chain have a detailed plan on how to get SunTV through the CRTC meat grinder? Errr.. no, but we have to tell them how. (real conservative)