Here’s Canwest News Service in early 2007, 20 months before the Stephane Dion-led Liberals lost 18 seats and the federal election:
“Negative Tory ads could backfire, say experts.”
Here’s The Canadian Press on March 2nd, 2009, before the Conservatives’ attack ads against Michael Ignatieff were released:
“Any attempt by the Tories to smear rookie Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff would backfire with recession-ravaged Canadians, Liberals say.”
Canadian Press headline in May, 2009, after the ads were released and two years before the Ignatieff-led Liberals were decimated in the federal election:
“Tory attack ads find audience, but could backfire: poll.”
The Star, June 1, 2009:
“Tory attack ads backfiring…”
Now, the Justin Trudeau era. An editorial in today’s Star —
“Conservative attacks on Justin Trudeau backfire on Harper”.
A CTV report published today, with the byline “CTVNews.ca Staff”, begins —
“Attack ads released hours after Justin Trudeau was named leader of the Liberal party, framing the 41-year-old as being “way over his head,” may backfire on the governing Conservatives, says one public relations expert.”
Ah yes, the experts. In yesterday’s Globe and Mail, in report headlined “Negative ad strategy holds risks for Conservatives, experts say”, Gloria Galloway writes:
“Can the ads backfire, and under what circumstances? All three experts said yes…“
The last time I saw this kind of accuracy by paid pundits, it was Ezra Levant calling election results. (polite cough)
If all these Grits (including Mark Dunn’s wife) think it’s bad, it must be goon
Let’s see Sen. Patrick Brazeau stepped into the ring with Trudeau and took it on the beak.
So now Trudeau wants to step into the political ring with PMSH; but the Media Party paparazzi won’t take one on the beak for his inflammatory political commentary.
That is not the way politics work and JT and the Media Party, of all people should know better than to complain about his inconsistencies being pointed out.
Wasn’t it too long ago that the LIEberals were threatening ‘soldiers with guns, in your streets, in Canada. Choose your Canada.”
Well Canada chose to put the Liberals in 3rd place out of even official opposition; notwithstanding the ‘wise regurgitations’ of the Media Party prognosticators.
Cheers
Hans Rupprecht, Commander in Chief
1st Saint Nicolaas Army
Army Group “True North”
It reminds me of the description by Truong Nhu Tang in his book, “A Viet Cong Memoir” of the B-52 raids on the Ho Chi Minh trail. They got the lefties in the west to pooh pooh the raids precisely because they were so utterly devastating and terrifying to the VC and NVA. If your enemy says it isn’t working, keep it up.
Attack ads are effective since sham media like CBC continue to portray the “leaders” of the NDP and the liberals as honest and competent. Something they have proven themselves never to be.
Electing an elitist empty tuque with a tarnished name may backfire on the tards.
This is so unexpectedly unexpected!!! 😉
From the linked-to “backfire” news story published today with the byline “CTVNews.ca Staff”, Patrick Gossage, “public relations expert” and chair of public relations firm Media Profile, is quoted as saying about the ad campaign —
Yeah, I wonder why the Conservatives didn’t focus on that.
“Experts say” second only to “critics say” — both popular ways for the Media Party to indulge in wishful thinking in support of their fanciful narratives, as opposed to real objective analysis. The examples given by EBD also show us how they use the findings of others to advance their own political bent at the same time, while disguising themselves as journalists. Pathetic.
Professional student with (in)famous last name becomes professional Liberal with (in)famous last name. Pointing this out is an ‘attack’. Unaltered video of your own actions and quotes are an ‘attack’ as well.
A real attack would be suggesting the Liberal party is treating the position of leader as a hereditary title passed along as though it is the title of vassal lord in some godforsaken medieval society. Wait… it probably is.
I would say after Shiny Pony puts his hoof in his mouth ten times in the first week its time to be humane and pull the attack ads
So let’s see here, the sum of “experts” among CTV and the Globe are one Liberal Party hack and three university professors, the latter of which have probably never been in an election campaign in their lives. What this means is that Galloway and her fellow Liberal water-carriers couldn’t find anyone more credible to go with the mandated theme.
If this is the best they’ve got then Doug Finley must be smiling.
Have any of you actually seen the CPC’s latest attack ad on JT? It’s lame. They aren’t going to forestall let alone stop the rise of Trudeau with these clunkers. He’s Teflon Armoured.
Macleans has even thrown in it’s two bits as well. Nice of them to leave ‘like’ boxes to choose which comment u desire the most.
U can guess which one i picked – it’s a little further down the list – at present ahem…..
http://www2.macleans.ca/2013/04/16/how-i-would-respond-to-the-attack-ads/
Yeah, LAS, most of us have seen the ads because we, you know, click the links, something you have a long history of not doing before you comment.
Robert recently posted one of the vids, eh?
I think they’re great ads, and spot-on. You think they’re clunkers because you’re a one-note, cynical, humourless, repetitious, anti-Conservative commenter.
I think these ads are fundamentally different than the two previous campaigns enacted against Dion & Ignatieff in really interesting ways. Obviously this effort has been focus-tested for maximum impact, and at 124,000 plus views in a little more than a day, the media wailing about a backfire is nonsense.
However, I don’t think the primary objective of this round of ads is to frame the general public’s perception of Trudeau. My belief is that these ads are targeted squarely at Tory party members (be they MPs or voters) who are in the mid-term doldrums. We suddenly have a reason to get riled-up. These ads are about getting our focus back, driving donations to the party, re-connecting with the people who will be the door-knockers and volunteers during the next election.
During the GOP leadership campaign, Gingrich had a brief blip of popularity due almost entirely to his combative stance towards the media. If one looks at the http://www.justinoverhishead.ca/ website, there’s a similarly aggressive stance towards the media that we haven’t seen quite so clearly laid out before. Not trusting the media must have focus-tested through the roof. From the website:
“These journalists are entitled to their opinions, and to carefully select whatever facts they think best advance their views.
But, since all news passes through their journalistic filter, we need your help to get our message directly to Canadians. No filter. Just the facts. Without their snark and spin.”
That’s new kids. These ads aren’t about framing the perception about Trudeau so much as they’re the opening salvo that’s going to frame the public perception of the media. And if it works, the only way the media can respond is to eventually throw all sorts of curve-balls at Trudeau. This is cleverness writ large.
Yes, I’m sure JT has his cheerleading section…but Teflon Armoured is stretching.
And what is that green stuff behind his ears or is that some sort of environmental statement?
Cheers
Hans Rupprecht, Commander in Chief
1st Saint Nicolaas Army
Army Group “True North”
The ads won’t “backfire” so much as they might cause “commercial fatigue”, which I suffer every NHL or CFL playoff season. The same ads are repeated SO often,I almost want to puke whenever I see one.
Let JT carry on as the bi-polar know-nothing he actually is,don’t endlessly attack the guy and gain sympathy for him from old ladies and others suffering A-F.
If left alone,Justin will become less wary and will utter many more of his famous outbursts,some of which will make “you piece of shit!”, seem tame.
Give him the rope, he’ll hang himself,without the CPC or NDP spending a cent.
The whole “backfire” obsession makes sense when you consider that the pundits make a living blowing smoke out their asses.
Dr. Freud, please call your office.
don, if what you posted was true then Obumbles would not be POTUS today, the media will run interference for shiny pony and dress him up as being the “BEST” choice!!
Respectfully, don morris, I’ve met a few women who – remarkably – think Justin is just peachy and that he would make a great PM, and I think these ads are going to be effective in a social setting (communal tv-watching) sense because they do, IMO, highly effectively point out what a shallow, vain, unqualified, self-important twit he is.
The sort of people who would vote for a shallow, unqualified total airhead must be mocked and embarrassed, and, if seen in a social setting, such as a family setting, these ads kinda set them up for it. I see these ads as kind of the precursor to social pressure within the great electorate.
We kept hearing ad nauseum a few years ago that the Conservatives’ attack ads against Dion and Ignatieff would “backfire” by creating sympathy for the two, but it sure didn’t work out that way, did it?
When it comes to Justin Trudeau, if some people don’t have the obvious, massive, dangling truth pointed out to them in the most straightforward terms they’re never going to get it. They’re certainly not going to hear it from CTV, CBC, The G&M, the Star, etc. etc.
The reason the CPC is running these so-called “attack ads” is to point out the obvious things that the Media Party refuses to address. The Liberals and NDP do not need to run ads attacking PMSH and Co. because the CBC and CTV are doing it for them. Nightly. The only difference is that the CPC ads have for years shown things that Liberal leaders have actually said and done, as opposed to the CBC/CTV attack stories which have focused on unsubstantiated rumours (Wafergate, Robocalls) and the musings of unnamed “expert sources” which should probably read “ideological opponents”.
The reason the CPC has run these so-called “attack ads” is to point out the obvious facts that the Media Party has refused to address. The Liberals do not need to run attack ads against PMSH and CO. The CBC and CTV do that for them. Nightly. The main difference is that the CPC ads point out things that the Liberal leaders have actually said and done. The Media Party attack stories have focused on unsubstantiated rumors (Wafergate, Robocalls, etc.) and the musings of unidentified “expert opinions”, which should read “ideological opponents”.
The mistake we all make when pointing fingers at Pony boy’s obvious shallowness and rock star airheaded bearing, is assuming that the voting majority are interested in substance or policy or even integrity – the cult of personality is strong in the young voter demographic and frankly most youth voters and urban progressives are zombies when it comes to politics and leadership issues – they have no ideal people – they wait to be told who is best, and Pony Kid has all the media working for him.
It is the height of wishful thinking to believe Pony Boy is not a very serious contender for PM. Like it or not. Personally I think the CPC?Harperites better reconnect with their base in a hurry – what with their dismal financial policies and shooting firearms owners in the back with increased fees and shutting them out of the policy talks, and telling cultural conservatives to shut up and it down when the abortion issue is raised – Harper has a lot of burning bridges to put out before he an even consider the next election. I would even go so far as to say the CPC needs a leadership review on their track record of implementing party policy resolution.
In respect of your last point, have a look at Andrew Coyne’s column of yesterday in the NP: he goes into considerable depth on this very subject to salutary effect.
I found the Canadian Liver Foundation’s reaction a bit odd (the “strip tease” footage in the CPC ads is apparently from a CLF fundraising event; someone at the CLF evidently tweeted some critical remarks about the CPC ads, which was the source of the “backfire” assessment in the media story I read today).
So let me get this straight: despite your being a (supposedly) non-partisan, federal-government-registered charity, you nevertheless engage a high-profile politician of a particular partisan persuasion in a high-profile event to help fill your coffers; the partisan opponents of your “helper” then use event video footage (which is evidently in the public domain and the source of which is not identified in the advertisements in question so as to insulate you from any embarrassment and/or other disadvantage arising from your original mistake), and you get offended and want to make an issue out of it? Have I got that right?
I’m not just sure what’s ridiculous: the CLF’s reaction, the media’s use of the CLF’s reaction to bolster their claim of “backfire”, or the spectacle of somebody who might become prime minister of my country one day engaging in a “strip tease” on camera. Where’s the judgment? (Which, as it happens, I think is the opening line of the first released CPC advertisement).
to (the other) James @ 6:29 – Bingo. I just hope it works. P.S. Sorry for the double post earlier. I thought I had cancelled the first one in time.
Absolutely right. A lot of people who listen to the Media Party haven’t heard a bad word about Justin,they just get fluff and giggles.
“People certainly aren’t worried about Justin’s ability to do fun things, to be lively, to be accessible, to do a bit of crazy things like his father did.”
So these are the qualities that a Prime Minister should possess? Who knew? Based on these criteria, Bozo the Clown would be a more than suitable candidate.
On top of that the so called victim here attacks Harper using his various straw man arguments ALL THE TIME. He did it in his acceptance speech the other night in fact. So cry me a river Justin, welcome to the big boys club.
MSM heads are getting really cooked these days… I LOVE it.
“Experts say” and “critics say”, are just as meaningless as “Some say”. THEY ALL MEAN “THIS IS WHAT I – the media Nut-bar “journalist” “think” this.
Ad’s that attack anyone personally are a bad idea.
Ads that attack specific Party positions are an excellent idea.
apostrophes that get stuck in the wrong words are always a bad idea
these ads are targeted squarely at Tory party members (be they MPs or voters) who are in the mid-term doldrums. We suddenly have a reason to get riled-up.
And that reason is…? That there’s a guy whose (vague and sparse) positions are almost identical to ‘your’ guy’s positions? Another mind turned to mush by partisanship.
I would even go so far as to say the CPC needs a leadership review on their track record of implementing party policy resolution.
They need it SO BAD. And that’s not all. They need to develop some bench strength. Harper has been so effective in turning the CPC into a hivemind that there’s basically no one left. Harper is nearing his end as a useful leader (for the CPC. Not freedom. He was never good for freedom). The CPC (and the rest of Canada’s right) has been hollowed out for Father Steve and they will suffer for it in the long term.
What Trudeau has is what Obama had. The youth movement and the air heads. That should be enough to worry Mulcair but I doubt if Harper is losing any sleep.
“We’ve blurred opponent with enemy,”
“Belonging matters more than confidence, expertise or trustworthiness.”
“unfairly tarring him as a dangerously right-wing, American-style political extremist, bent on undoing cherished Canadian values.”
That is Michael Ignatieff talking. I despise the Liberals and was never a fan of Ignatieff,to me he was uncomfortable in the skin he chose,but he does speak well in this article about attack ads.
This may help the above comment.
http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/03/14/michael-ignatieff-admits-mistakes-and-airs-grievances-he-and-harper-both-denied-standing-during-election/
What the experts and pundits don’t realize is that most people in the country don’t follow politics like they do.
Remember 40 percent of people don’t even vote WHEN there is an election.
The 60 percent who do are not political junkies to the extent found on smalldeadanimals or twitter poli feeds.
My 65 year old Mom is a good barometer for the pulse of the nation.
I asked her about Michael Ignatieff in 2011 and she couldn’t stand him. He seemed creepy and had a weird name. I asked her about the U.S. election last year and she thought Romney was creepy and unlikable. I asked her about the Saskatchewan election and she thought Lingenfelter was a scumbag. I asked her about Justin Trudeau and she doesn’t like “that affected voice” and his “melodramatic way”. He thinks he’s so good. There’s another vote for Harper in 2015.
My girlfriend has trouble distinguishing between provincial politics and Federal politics.
I used to be a cameraman for t.v. news and during elections we’d be forced to go out on the street and ask people what issues mattered to them in this election.
The responses were always appalling to the point where you’d question democracy. People had no idea. People didn’t know when an election was taking place. People would cite municipal issues during Federal elections (ie. traffic and stuff) People would stare blankly at the question and search for ANY answer that SOUNDED informed. This is why so many people say Healthcare and the Environment matter to them. They’re buzz words they’ve heard before. They don’t really care unless they need healthcare and nobody really cares about Canada’s pristine environment “at risk” except green fascists.
My point?
These attack ads will work. Every couple of million dollars dropped on these ads will push Trudeau back 1% in the polls. Most people don’t know who Justin Trudeau is and when they are exposed to these ads over and over and over and over again everytime they watch a hockey game or an episode of The Office or Ellen or The Walking Dead or they sit in their car on the way to work and the ad pops up……THAT is when their opinions will form.
Money talks. Repetition instructs the mouth breathers opinions. Harper will win a second majority.
That’s quite an astute comment, with which I entirely agree: you don’t need all the votes, just enough of them.
And since the Liberals, in choosing Mr. Trudeau, Jr., have made a deliberate, if implied, strategic choice, akin to Adolf Hitler’s decision to attack his natural and already-agreed ally, thereby opening up a two-front war to the death, the first thing for us to do is to rally our base, which is what Winston did.
The reality of the situation is quite simple: as sure as God made little green apples, as Mr. Mulroney used to say, the Liberals will never enter into an alliance or coalition that they cannot control. The reason for that is also very simple: they have an addiction to rent-seeking patronage and the only way they can feed that addiction is to dominate the process, which obviously wouldn’t happen if they were the junior partner in all of that. What do we know about the Liberals?: lie to get into office, do exactly as the Tories would have done, and, at the end of it, there’s a whole lot of money missing. The Liberals’ schtick is, frankly, way too old — just like, as my wife noted yesterday after watching Question Period, the Liberal caucus that sits behind Justin.
If you were Tom Mulcair, what would you do? Cave, or tell them, implicitly, to GFY and fight? This has got to be a real-life derivative case of Prisoner’s Dilemma — brought to you courtesy of the Liberal Party of Canada: it may well work for them, for a while, just like it worked for Hitler, for a while. But the Liberals, like “The Flying Wallendas”, are on the high-wire now, facing a series of conundra, any one of which could send them crashing.
I would say after Shiny Pony puts his hoof in his mouth ten times in the first week its time to be humane and pull the attack ads
Posted by: Brian Mouland
Riiiiigggghhtt. As if the commie,socialtwit and fascist leftards who make up the left are going to be humane. Back under the bridge with LAS,troll.
Attack me once, shame on you!
Attack me twice, shame on Texas {smirk}
Attack me three times…aw shucks…
Canada’s got their own anointed one now.
Sorry, but Bozo the Clown seems to have already usurped the office of POTUS!
The Conservatives do these ads because they work. If none of them did the left would be laughing instead of crying. Besides Harper & company is only doing what Liberals have done since Confederation. What they really complain about, is they are much better at it than the now liberals in disgrace.
There is so much to do ads about Shiny Pony, its a treasure of stupid.
Liberals are always looking for clay gods, to bad they got a clay pigeon in Trudeau.
” Cave, or tell them, implicitly, to GFY and fight?”
That is why I changed hos in midstream and went to Joyce Murray. Her premise that the NDP would chance their ‘never before attained heights’ to benefit the Liberals was ludricous. Can you imagine the NDP dismissing their opposition status to help the Liberals? No way,the NDP are in their version of heaven now.They have reached their pinnacle.They can only go down,they realize that,Tommy dying will not help them.
Mulcair will not be cutting deals that may resize his tiara to fit Justin in anyone’s lifetime,or wildest dreams,excepting Joyce. The NDP will rip Justin to shreds at every opportunity. PMSH should repeat,unless they blunder badly. They will and have staggered some,but I don’t think they will fall down.
Sounds like “backfire” is the meme du jour on the Canadian Journolist. They didn’t ALL seize upon that word by accident, you know.
No need to worry about JT being PM unless he attends a Bilderberg meeting. Hasn’t yet, but might occur between now and the next election, in which case we know what’s up.
The only way a political ad will backfire is if the party that airs them makes Kim Campbell’s mistake of apologizing for them.
Once you do that, you legitimize the meme that it was a mistake to run the ad and you end up playing defense for ever after.
Nope, this won’t backfire because the pony didn’t define himself, instead he’s trying to be what the liberal base wants,pierre. And no matter how hard he tries to fit that narrative it will always look like he’s just acting.
I know you’re a serious liberal, LAS, but they’re hilarious. So much so, I was laughing out loud, and in a good way.
Once you see these first ones, you realize what an easy target he is to attack with humour.
If you thought you had to take him seriously, hanging would be my first choice (for me, not for him).
a part time snowboard instuctor for PM.
the only lower credential would be a community organizer
oh wait.
to think bambam got the same office as Thomas Jefferson , the mind boggles.
It wouldn’t matter what the Conservatives put out as an ad. The media would say they could backfire because the media constantly carries the Liberal water.
That being said, I think we can do better and hopefully more and better ads are on the way.