Monday, June 09, 2008

Go With Your Gut

Last night, I was thinking about these attacks ads, set to run at gas stations. I had this idea about a boycott, and even went to post on it, but stopped myself, thinking it might be a stupid suggestion. Today, I click on the computer and find, I was not alone, maybe not stupid afterall. So, with that in mind, here is my two cents on the matter.

The Conservatives have their rapid response people, do the Liberals have the capability to get the message out to riding members in a hurry? If someone becomes aware of a gas station running these ads, then the local riding should be made aware, with an instant mass email to all Liberals in that area. Include the phone number, the address and suggestions to "protest" the running of these ads. You send out an email to 3 or 4 hundred party members, I suspect a few will make a call, show up at said gas station, whatever.

These ads are apparently targetting Ontario, not exactly Conservative country. How much pressure would it really take for an individual gas station to conclude the ads aren't worth the hassle? Couple that with possible media involvement, and running those ads would like economic suicide. If the Liberals could network some kind of co-ordinated response, it is sure to get noticed, with the potential to have these cheesy ads blow up in the Conservatives faces. I'm sure I could get together a few local Liberals, some placards, give the local paper a call and head down to the gas station. "I want gas, not hot air", "Harper in bed with big oil", "Boycott the propaganda pumps". Sounds like fun.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Easier -- print a label "Harper Lies!" and stick it to the pump.

Steve V said...

That's vandalism :) Although, I thought of that ;)

sassy said...

Conservatives flout sign laws via Kady at Macleans.

bigcitylib said...

Yeah, this whole scheme of theirs seems to be falling apart pretty quick. As sassy notes, a scheme like theirs would probably be illegal in TO.

ij said...

Easier still --- Buy a minimum of gas, if this is what activates the message, proceed to pay and declare you will never buy gas at this particular station again. This can be done relatively politely and framed as a message for those higher-ups who decided to have these political messages displayed.

Anonymous said...

My husband was going to get me to find out which stations were carrying the ads so he could avoid them, but he's so angry at being insulted by a bunch of 12 year old IQ's he wants to go personally - if they have the ads - he's going to tell the owner - I will not buy gas here today or ever and he's going to tell the man/woman behind him he's not buying here because these ads are paid for the "oil companies" by the Conservative party - and he refuses to give big oil more money.....hopefully the man/woman behind that one will follow.

Anonymous said...

Earned media look up the term liberals. Your doing a good job.

Plus love how your oh, so smart leader brought this up in QP today.

Who the heck is advising liberals?

Steve V said...

"Who the heck is advising liberals?"

I wonder if it's the same guy who told Flaherty it would be a good idea to attack Ontario?

Steve V said...

Or, maybe it was that guy that devised the closed door meeting with reporters before the Elections Canada search warrant was released? Now, that guy is a keeper!

Möbius said...

Where do you think all of the fuel you pour into your SUV comes from?

You can't really screw Big Oil, cuz they refine it all.

Steve V said...

mobius

How enlightening. I didn't know that. Geez.

Möbius said...

How enlightening. I didn't know that. Geez.

Apparently not, if you want to boycott some poor sap selling gas for the evil Big Oil companies. If you want to hurt them, use less oil.

Steve V said...

Doesn't that hurt the poor sap too? Nice logic.

Monkey Loves to Fight said...

The ads seemed a bit over the top. If I was filling up my pump and saw such an ad, I would make me less likely to vote for that party not more likely. Besides if I were a gas attendant I would refuse to run them as they are so annoying I could see someone smashing them. Besides, I highly doubt they will run them in the Downtown Toronto area near where I live. They will probably place them in ridings they either narrowly won or narrowly lost.

Steve V said...

"If I was filling up my pump and saw such an ad, I would make me less likely to vote for that party not more likely."

Miles, there is also the danger of becoming the "tacky" party. I mean, sure the first ads worked, but the last few have basically gotten lost (Kyoto's dog blog?), and you start to see a pattern, which ultimately doesn't really reflect postively on the messenger. We've already seen that voters, particularly women, view the Cons as aggressive, bullying and mean-spirited. I fail to see how this approach helps them in addressing their own weaknesses. At best, it's really a draw, whatever "damage" the inflict, is offset by a cementing. I don't think they get it, I think they believe this is all brilliant.

Möbius said...

If I was filling up my pump and saw such an ad, I would make me less likely to vote for that party not more likely.

But would you drive less, walk more, and use less oil?

Not likely.

Möbius said...

Doesn't that hurt the poor sap too? Nice logic.

The saps make their money on the Timmie's coffee and groceries, not the gas.

Have you never worked in retail?