It's the latest in a series of gaffes involving the Tory campaign.
The party has already had to backtrack three times this week: first after opposing the participation of Green Leader Elizabeth May in the leaders debates; then by editing an ad on its website showing a bird pooping on Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion; and then damping the flames after a Halifax candidate had to resign after it was learned she had a criminal record.
A series of gaffes? But, come on guys, look at the way the party has handled those gaffes, clearly a sign of a maturing Harper and professional campaign- wait for it. Oh, found it already, courtesy of CTV's Bob Fife:
Just shows you how different they've been reacting to issues in this election campaign thanthey did in 2006 and 2004, when they didn't apologize right away, when the -- a thing happened earlier this week as you well know the prime minister apologized right away.
Actually, it would seem to show that the Conservative campaign team is full of juveniles and nasty partisans.
I do like the "series of gaffes", has a nice ring to it, not to mention the simple fact IT'S TRUE.
UPDATE
Nothing say's going according to plan, like being off message everyday. Playing chess I say, and playing well.
UPDATE II
CTV's Robert Fife, reports that being "on message" has always been over-rated in a campaign and "damage control" isn't necessarily a sign of trouble. Fife also said Dion had a bad day, but couldn't provide any factual basis for the assessment.
14 comments:
Wow. Harper apologized.
Cannot say I am surprised. When Ralph Klein walked into a homeless shelter, drunk, and called people there
bums", the story quickly became how wonderful it was that Klein was able to admit his drinking problem and seek help.
It's rare, but I do have to give G&M a nod.
They quickly released an article to point out that Harper's blustery performance this morning - "Green Shift threatens recession and national unity (just in case recession wasn't scary enough)" - was based on old data.
The article also pointed out that Harper just ignored any positive benefit of the tax cuts "because he thinks they won't implement them."
In other words, the whole appearance was just a bunch of bull put out for media consumption.
It will be interesting to see if any of that gets reported tonight, aside from Duffy pointing out how disciplined one has to be to spew crap with a straight face.
I noticed Harper dropped the sweater for the appearance as well as it didn't fit the "end of life as we know it" message of the day.
I realize that the Cons are no whwere near as tight as the media narrative claims, but no one, save Mike Puffy...er...Duffy is reporting about this poll.
Seems to me the media is a confused hodge-podge at the moment...
5 weeks to go.
mike - they referred to it somewhere last night, could have been Duffy, but the pundits pretty much dismissed it, as I think most people will.
Anyone notice how Layton has started going after Dion now? Maybe he thinks that whole "I want to be PM" is not working?
Worst thing about this is that it's setting the tone for the campaign.
Yes, the media has been desperate to build a "steely-eyed Harper" vs. "gaffe-prone Dion" narrative, since it's simply and reinforces pre-existing expectations. But they're hitting the point where absurdity of it all can no longer be denied, and a new story is starting to emerge.
In some respects, they might even welcome it. Harper tripping up is an interesting-enough story that it might distract from CNN's psychodrama for a bit.
joseph
When I first read that article it was like the goose laid the golden egg.
If the LPC jumps on this one every time the other parties attack the green shift they will eventually force them to stop lieing. The Goebbels principle of tell a lie often enough till it becomes the truth only works if the truth can't be heard.
On a bigger note just the fact Harper said he dismisses the income tax cuts because he doesn't believe the Liberals will actually do that leaves him wide open to all his past lies. Only a liar doesn't trust anyone else to tell the truth!
By the way, here at Global is the story I have been looking for...
http://www.globaltv.com/globaltv/national/story.html?id=784747
gayle
Thanks for that, we should be on the offensive.
It is the first article that I think accurately sets out what Dion is saying about Harper's comments (it really is disgusting to make this about national unity).
It also comments on how Harper has not released any of the costs associated with his so-called plan, something the LPC have been saying but the media has not been reporting on.
As for FIfe, he was pretty upset earlier when it appeared he was being frozen out (I could almost hear the tears), but they seem to have kissed and made up (Fife being prepared to accept someone else was to blame), and the love in is back on track.
A little birdie says the Conservatives are starting to dismantle the "not a leader" website...stay tuned.
Mike, Bozo Duff is out to lunch most of the time. He hasn't yet figured it out that online voting is mostly from the under 50 age group including children. He forgets that baby boomers & beyond that don't even have PC's so their votes don't come into the equasion of online polls.
As for the media, they are nothing but bunch of scared to loose their jobs brown nosed un-trained wanna be journalists including their editors.
Maybe I'm being a little hard on those Bozo's but IMO, they deserve some crap heading their way.
Harper using the RCMP to keep reporters away. But, but Stephen, what about the new accessible guy??
Conservative strategist Jeff Norquay becoming unglued on CTV, at the speculation of the RCMP keeping reporters away from Harper. Yes, yes, things are clearly going according to script in Tory land. A gaffe a day, helps keep the majority at bay.
And Mike Duffy leads with the carbon tax today, what a disgrace!
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