Monday, April 25, 2011

Two For One

New Liberal ad- which I think is a more effective attack ad than the last- takes on both the Conservatives and NDP:



I like that this ad ends with a slightly positive, white backdrop, as opposed to those earlier "end of days" ads attacking the Conservatives. Good vibe for an attack ad, hits some solid points, well done....

41 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Dipper, Tory, same old story." Cue the batshit crazy mouth foaming, righteous indignation. The hue and cry of "No fair... but it's okay when we do it." So yeah...to all that... this ad says it better than I could... "Bite me."

Steve V said...

I think this "career politician" angle is a good one.

Jim Parrett said...

I liked the last ad but this one hits the mark even more sharply. Problem is the Conservative ads will be shown 10X the amount of times as any Liberal ad, which more than negates any positive gains from this one. Watching the NHL playoffs yesterday, I did not see a single Liberal ad but I did see scores of Conservative ads. Same old story.

Steve V said...

I think this is better ad, no question. It has a slightly different tone, as opposed to the "Dark Knight" trailer feel.

Greg said...

Who is this ad aimed at? I came away with the impression the Liberals are scared on both flanks. It makes the Liberals' message seem to be "Hey we are Orange. No, we are Blue!"

Steve V said...

You know what kills me, every time the Cons release an attack ad, it's "oh they work", every time we do it's "sure that will work". To funny.

Dame said...

oh Shut Up greg and all "gregs "... we played it clean and fair while your brand of supids are all were in the mud...
the ad is great and calls aspade a spade ...finally.

Unknown said...

If you look at the Nanos tracking poll this morning the CPC is polling at 47% and the Libs are tanking down to 29%

Layton and the NDP are having the reverse Midas touch in Ontario. It is fear of having Layton and the NDP anywhere near Government that has voters fleeing to the CPC.

The NDP are also starting to run more ads on Igantieff's attendance record again.

Layton just may get to be leader of the Official Opposition which is what he has been aiming for all along.

The sad thing is if Harper does mange to get a majority it really doesn't matter who the Leader of the Official opposition leader is. Layton will not be able to stop Harper from doing anything.

The NDP may win this battle but the long term implications for the NDP are hugh.

In the end Layton will have done his part to aid and abet a Harper majority.

I really don't know what the Liberals could have done any differently.

Maybe a Harper majority will be the best thing for NDP voters. It will also enable the Liberals to do the proper rebuilding without having the burden of having to be a responsible opposition.

ch said...

Interesting question as to who this ad is aimed at. It seems to be aimed at the politically aware. The NDP makes some off-platform choices in trying to get to the position of official opposition. That's what leads to them doing things like blocking the AG report or working with Harper to keep May out of the debates in 2008 or trying to straddle both sides on gun control.

It is this type of behavior that turned me off the NDP, and I know it continues to turn some off. But I'm not sure most people pay that much attention. If people pay attention, they will notice that Layton is not very concerned with having a Harper government, as long as he can be official opposition. Ignatieff clearly does not want a Harper government.

The question is are people paying attention to the type of government they want or is the center-left completely focussed on the type of opposition it wants.

Steve V said...

dame

No, attack ads only work if the Libs don't do. I just laugh my ass of at the bias.

mike

That's a fair read, although I'd caution, Ont can swing back, very volatile as the polls have shown.

Tof KW said...

Maybe a Harper majority will be the best thing for NDP voters.

Yes, because Harper gutting every social program the Dippers hold dear will remind them who exactly their real enemy is.

I really don't know what the Liberals could have done any differently.

They could have run attack ads for 2 years outside the writ period, and blatantly misrepresent their opponent's statements while lying about their own record ...you know, like the Reformatories do.

Steve V said...

That last paragraph is a testament to why a grassroots, willing to pony up steady cash, is essential.

sharonapple88 said...

If you look at the Nanos tracking poll this morning the CPC is polling at 47% and the Libs are tanking down to 29%

Holy crap. The big swing may be within the margin of error (5.6%), but the trend isn't good. The numbers -- 39.2% for the Conservatives and 33.8% for the Liberals were what the Liberals got in the last election. They need to start campaigning like mad in the province.

Steve V said...

Apart from a couple exceptions, Ignatieff is scheduled to live in Ontario until the end of the campaign.

sharonapple88 said...

Apart from a couple exceptions, Ignatieff is scheduled to live in Ontario until the end of the campaign.

Thank God.

One thing that's ticking me off is the NDP attack ads mentioned in this article. The numbers for the NDP haven't appeared to moved in Ontario from them -- no surprise since all attack ads do is make voters not vote for the other guy you're attacking -- but they have hurt the Liberals. Great. We need more anti-Conservative ads at this point.

Greg said...

oh Shut Up greg and all "gregs "... we played it clean and fair while your brand of supids are all were in the mud...
the ad is great and calls aspade a spade ...finally.

The problem is not in calling a spade a spade, but in looking like your party is divided between a progressive vision and a low taxes uber alles vision. I mean what is one to make of an ad that calls for raising the corporate tax rate back up to 18% and then castigating the NDP for raising taxes. It is a bit of a muddle. Carry on though.

Tof KW said...

Hey Steve, that kinda was my point with that post. That and the Libs have to stop taking the high-road, because Harper has confirmed Jacques Parizeau's words from almost 30 years ago...

"We are elected by idiots. In Quebec, 40% are Separatists, and 40% are Federalists, and 20% don't know who is Prime Minister of Canada. And it's that 20% that makes and breaks governments."

Tof KW said...

Greg wrote:
I mean what is one to make of an ad that calls for raising the corporate tax rate back up to 18% and then castigating the NDP for raising taxes. It is a bit of a muddle. Carry on though.

Duh! Unlike the NDP, the Liberals are not against lowering business taxes. Just that it's stupid to lower taxes now - like the Reformatories have done - when we're $56 billion in the red, on top of being in a structural deficit before the recession even began.

We can afford to keep corporate taxes at 2010 levels as our competitors in the G7 all have higher tax rates - and with staggering deficits of their own they're unlikely to lower them. Meanwhile the Liberals are happy to lower the corp taxes again once our finances are turned around.

In contrast - the friggin' NDP never met a tax they didn't like - especially when it's on businesses. They'd raise corporate taxes, and keep raising them.

It's the difference between being fiscal responsible and acting like social-democratic automatons.

I know you're probably too full of Harper's Kool-Aid to be objective, but do you see a hint of a difference now?

Greg said...

K-W you are proving my point. You had to spend several paragraphs (I don't include the gratuitous insults)defending your stance. If you have to do that, you are in trouble.

Tof KW said...

Greg, so Harper's minions don't understand anything if it goes beyond 114-characters? Likewise, you're proving a point of mine.

Unknown said...

It has always been Jack Layton's goal to supplant the Liberals and to make himself Official Opposition Leader. Not to advance any NDP principles.

I am sorry to say that I think we are headed towards a Harper majority and at that point whoever is the Official opposition leader is will be moot.

Harper will have four unfettered years to wreak havoc on our Institutions and our democracy, and the very fabric of our nation even further.

He will have complete control over the HOC and the senate and will be able to appoint extreme right wingers to the SCOC with extreme views far outside the mainstream views of most Canadians.

Our finances will be in the toilet and our International reputation while already bruised will be further damaged.

We will have an F-35 debacle on our hands as well as more asinine policy decisions such as the census.

We will go down the road to following the failed crime policies of the US.

If I sound bitter it is because I am. I also believe that Harper will weaken pour single payer Universal health care which he was never an advocate of despite his claims to the contrary.

It is a high price to pay for Jack Layton's desperate need for attention.

Harper was brought down on a contempt of Parliament citation and that should have been the focus of ALL opposition attacks.

The unintended consequence of this election will be the worst nugatory NDP supporters could ever imagine.

I did have respect for the Federal NDP at one point but now I just see them as Harper's useful idiots.

Unknown said...

Jack Layton's goal has always been to supplant the Liberals and make himself the Leader of the Official opposition not to advance any NDP principles.

Here we are with one week to go and the NDP is running those silly ads on Ignatieff's attendance records which are disingenuous at best and outright fabrications at worst.

I am sorry to say that I believe we are headed towards a Harper majority and whomever is the Official Opposition leader at that point will be moot.

Harper will have four unfettered years to weaken our institutions, democracy, and the very fabric of our nation even further. He will have complete control over the HOC and the senate and will have the ability to appoint judges to the SCOC with extreme views far outside the mainstream.

We will have an F-35 debacle on our hands as well as going down the path to following the failed crime policies of the US.

Our finances will be in the toilet and our International reputation while already bruised will be further damaged.

I also believe Harper will weaken our single payer Universal health care which he was never an advocate despite his current claims to the contrary.

Harper was brought down on a contempt of Parliament citation which should have been the focus of Opposition attacks including the NDP.

It will be a high price for Canada to pay and after four years of Harper I don't know if we will ever be able to recover or find our way back.

I used to respect the Federal NDP but now I just find them a party of useful idiots that helped deliver Harper in the first place and are now helping to deliver a Harper majority.

It is a heavy price to pay for Jack Layton's desperate need for attention. If I sound bitter it is because I most certainly am.

A Harper majority is an NDP supporters worst nightmare and a betrayal by their party of everything they ever stood for.

Gayle said...

"You had to spend several paragraphs (I don't include the gratuitous insults)defending your stance. If you have to do that, you are in trouble."

You're right. It is easier to lie in 114 characters or less than it is to tell the truth.

Harper's great strategy in the debates was to lie and then remain calm while the other leaders were justifiable irritated by his lies. Their mistake was to let him get away with that. Their mistake was to think, after all this time, Harper would not simply repeat the same lies over and over again.

Harper will be defeated when the opposition finds a way to explain his lies in 114 characters or less. Until then we are stuck with him.

Anonymous said...

Voters expect to get lied to, so, I'm not sure how that becomes an issue anymore. We see with Layton that people tend to vote more for the leader then the local candidate, so, trying to deflect this really isnt helping. Harper is holding the cons back from attaining a large majority, Layton is propelling the NDP into uncharted territory, and, Ignatief, well, do the judging yourself.

Gayle said...

"Voters expect to get lied to, so, I'm not sure how that becomes an issue anymore."

Seriously?

It is an issue when voters believe the lies and do not believe the truth. The point is not to out Harper as a liar. The point is to get the truth to Canadians.

leftdog said...

That ad is SO funny! So are BC Lib street tactics. I mean ... stealing pamphlets out of mailboxes from GREEN candidates???

Anonymous said...

Not sure where you've been the past 30 years Gayle, but, I can go back to Trudeau's era and find campaigns of lies all the way up to Harper. The surge in the NDP has put their platform under scrutiny and caused them to back down from a few campaign "lies".
So, ya, campaigns are about telling lies that are wrapped up in pretty packages. The voters know they are lies and vote for the package of lies they consider to be the make the most sense. There are no more Diefenbakers or Pearsons Gayle.

Steve V said...

leftdog

Almost as funny as your platform! Bahahaha.

Steve V said...

william

That's utter crap, sorry to say.

Anonymous said...

You may think its utter crap, but, its the truth. Go back the past 30 years and look at what Canadians have been told on the campaign trails...you'll see a grocery list of promises that were never intended to be kept, then, ask yourself why nothing seems to stick to Harper.

Tof KW said...

gwilliamjr - so you admit that Harper's 2006 pledge to clean up government and become more accountable were just lies to get him elected. Thank you for being honest. It is a sign of maturity to admit the Harper-Conservatives are slime.

Gayle said...

Sure william - and then go ask his voters whether they BELIEVE him.

Anonymous said...

Jeezus. Sorry I stopped in.
Politicians lie. Trudeau lied "zap, your frozen". Chretien lied.."I'll cancel the GST". Harper lied.."my mandate is to clean up government". Dig a hole and burry your heads up to your necks for all I care. Lies work, Attack Ads work...where the hell you guys been? 300,000$ in cash ruined Brian Mulroney, the fact that his govts were sleazy and underhanded didnt seem to bother voters. Cash in brown envelopes has tainted the Libs, not HRDC, not a Gun Registry on steroids and not even the GST reversal...cash in brown envelopes. Im just not sure what your not understanding.

Steve V said...

Yes the lie, but people don't vote thinking they will lie. Do you think people voted for Chretien because they thought he wouldn't follow through? Give your head a shake, we are forever searching for honesty, why the hell do you think new and shiny Layton is surging in Quebec, because people think he's lying to them? Sheesh.

Anonymous said...

"Do you think people voted for Chretien because they thought he wouldn't follow through?"
No, but that was not my point, my point was, that the very next election, the campaign after the GST campaign lie, voters handed him another majority, because lies dont really matter when people feel govt is being run properly.
As far as Layton in Quebec, you got me there...

Steve V said...

Actually no, it was because the Libs OWNED Ontario, there was no viable center option. It was default really, not your theory. It's a very tortured blanket argument you are making, and it simply doesn't fit neatly like you're keep trying to demonstrate.

Gayle said...

I see where William is going wrong. He is confusing lies with broken promises.

"I will never run a deficit" = broken promise.

"The country is in good economic shape due to Harper's fiscal management" = lie.

Anonymous said...

Maybe, but, I think they all lie, tehy'll say whatever they have to say to get into power, then, hope to govern well and keep people employed and win again on a good record. Been observing it for 35 years now and its not going to change anytime soon. Has Obama canceled GITMO yet? He knew he couldnt, yet, man the applause he got when he said he could. They all lie Steve, the ones who get elected just tell believable ones.

Anonymous said...

Gayle...did you miss the part where I said all the way up to Harper? They all lie Gayle, its pretty much the only way to win an election.

Steve V said...

Obama has also held to many of his promises, so if you can play selective game forever, it doesn't make is so. I'll give you this, the Liberal failure primarily comes from the inability to convince voters that our brand is truly renewed. People look around, say "I don't really like Harper", but they see same old elsewhere so no sense changing course. It really boils down to this consideration, it isn't affection, more resignation.

Gayle said...

"did you miss the part where I said all the way up to Harper?"

Nope.

Did you miss my point? Seems you did.