04.06.2013 07:58 AM

In Sunday’s Sun: the hockey Dad vs. the aliens

The news that the Conservatives are planning attack ads against Justin Trudeau isn’t news. It’s what Stephen Harper’s party does, and they do it well.

If the Harper Conservatives are to be remembered for anything, it will be their brutal efficiency in dispatching Liberal opponents. In 2006, 2008 and 2011, the Conservatives haven’t won as much as they have beaten Liberals. It’s a critical distinction.

While each of the Conservatives’ anti-Liberal ad campaigns are qualitatively different in some way, there is a thread that runs through all of them. It is the notion that Harper is the Tim Hortons-loving hockey dad, the everyman.

While his Liberal adversaries are out-of-touch elitists and (quite literally, in one case) aliens.

Paul Martin? Conservative campaign advertising suggested Martin, a multi-millionaire who owned ships flying Liberian flags, was indifferent to serial scandals, and — most critically — wasn’t at all “like them.”

Stephane Dion? Martin’s successor was a weakling and “not worth the risk.” (The fact he possessed French citizenship, and an inability to speak English well, was an unexpected bonus.)

Michael Ignatieff? A geeky foreigner. The Conservative barrage reminded viewers that Ignatieff, like Dion, was a pointy-headed academic — and that he had spent decades abroad and was “just visiting” Canada. “He didn’t come back for you,” either, they hissed.

Past political behaviour is the best predictor of future political behaviour. If it worked once, it could work again. So we can reasonably expect the forthcoming anti-Trudeau smears will focus on his other-worldliness: His privileged background, his perceived dilettantism, his unfamiliarity with the everyday lives of everyday Canadians.

The “not like you” theme is as simple as it is effective. Thus, Conservatives have been busily scrutinizing focus group data for months, zeroing in on one or two things about Justin Trudeau’s personality that can be exaggerated into gaping fatal flaws.

But two can play that game. If the Trudeau Liberals are smart — and if they figure out how to get Trudeau to rescind his recent foolish “no negative ads” pledge — they will quickly familiarize themselves with the Conservative advertising playbook.

Developing a campaign that suggests Harper isn’t an all-Canadian regular guy is a waste of time.

After nearly a decade, Harper’s persona is familiar to millions of Canadians. They feel he is the leader most likely to understand their lives.

But that doesn’t mean they like him, however. Polls reveal vulnerabilities in the Conservative leader’s populist armour. A recent Angus Reid poll, for instance, found nearly 70% of all Canadians still feel he has a hidden agenda.

An earlier Angus Reid poll found that almost a third of Canadians feel he has been the worst prime minister in decades, and fully half of them “dislike” Harper.

An Ipsos poll at the start of the year found that, outside Alberta, most Canadians do not feel a kinship with Harper’s values. Indeed, the same poll found about 60% of them don’t even want him to run again in 2015. On the policy front, Harper is vulnerable on the economy, taxes, the environment and (particularly) health care.

Successive polls have shown Canadians feel their lives have worsened during Harper’s reign – and that he harbours a not-so-secret desire to gut the environment and privatize health care.

To offset the coming anti-Trudeau torrent, then, the Liberals need to put together ads that turn the tables on Harper. He, in fact, is the one who is “just visiting” — he’s angry, he’s aloof and his values are un-Canadian. And, however much he runs the country, he still does not seem to like the country.

The Conservative attack ads are coming. Will Justin Trudeau turn the other cheek, or respond in kind?

If they are to have any hope at all, Liberals should pray it’s the latter.

78 Comments

  1. Cynical says:

    Where’s GritGirl when we need him/her/it?
    Go Neg, Go NOW.

    • Bill Case says:

      Warren writes: “The Conservative attack ads are coming. Will Justin Trudeau turn the other cheek, or respond in kind?”

      In hardcore politics if you turn the other cheek you’ll get kicked in the ass!

  2. Theresa says:

    “nearly 70% of all Canadians still feel he has a hidden agenda”

    I’d say that two massive omnibus bills with no debate pretty much screams “hidden agenda”

  3. Michael Bussiere says:

    There’ one big difference this time around. I didn’t really react when they went after Dion or Ignatieff. I thought is was dirty and rotten, and I got sick of the ads, but I didn’t have a visceral reaction to them. With Justin, it will feel like an outsider attacking a member of the family. I love the man, I love his family, I loved his father. Attacking him is going to raise the ire of alot of us this time around. I have no doubt he’ll stand up for his family name, and will go negative with the truth.

    • Well the plan won’t be to turn off die-hard Trudeau lovin Liberals, so it won’t much matter if YOU reject the Ads. It is how the not so solidly Liberal voters react

      • Michael Bussiere says:

        Thank you anonymous commentator. My point is that there will be alot of support for pushback this time.

        • Bill Case says:

          Canadians will not vote to elect Trudeau or Mulcair, both from Quebec, as their next prime minister. Mulcair a citoyen of France and Trudeau who declared he would think about making Quebec a country if Canadians re-elected Harper again. These are indisputable truths on which both will be attacked by informing Canadians what their voting choice will mean to Canada.

          Do you think Quebec sovereigntists will argue that Quebec should separate from Canada since Canadians reject two sons of Quebec as their prime minister? Is that the challenge to Canadians?

          • Michael Bussiere says:

            Firstly, both Mulcair and Trudeau were born in Ottawa. Secondly, they both have more non-francophone ancestry than francophone. Thirdly, some Canadians elected Harper in spite of his clear, build-a-firewall-around Alberta statements in the past, and his fixation on the Alberta oilpatch.

            Hey pal, I know an anti-francophone bigot when I see one, and I’m replying to one right now!

          • I hereby do dispute your ‘indisputable truths’, they are indisputably hogwash.

          • Michael Bussiere says:

            Here’s the quote, Bill:

            “I always say, if at a certain point, I believe that Canada was really the Canada of Stephen Harper – that we were going against abortion, and we were going against gay marriage and we were going backwards in 10,000 different ways – maybe I would think about wanting to make Quebec a country.”

            So, Bill, would you like to live in a Canada where abortion and homosexuality were illegal? Be honest, now. Women and gays hauled off to jail? Read the quote and tell us all if you’d like to live in that kind of Canada.

          • Bill Case says:

            Michael Bussiere says: Firstly, both Mulcair and Trudeau were born in Ottawa.

            But Trudeau begins his Hope and Hard Work speech with the following:

            I stand before you a son of Quebec.
            A grandson of British Columbia.
            And a servant of Canada.

            I think Justin identifies himself more with Quebec than with Ottawa, unless it’s 24 Sussex.

          • Brian Busby says:

            Really, Bill Case?

            Look, the man’s father was from Quebec, his maternal grandparents were British Columbians.

            Simple enough.

          • Ted B says:

            Canadians voted in someone who wanted to build a firewall around Canada, thinks his own country is a “northern European socialist state of the worst kind”, said a whole region of Canadians lived in a culture of defeat, and said he didn’t care if Canada was one country or 10.

            Anything Trudeau has said pales in comparison.

        • Well, let’s just hope that the support translates into lots of $donations. Then pushback may be feasible

    • Carole says:

      Agreed!

  4. Curtis Joynt says:

    This is the most salient point and, I believe, his greatest vulnerability (his cabinet notwithstanding) “{H}owever much he runs the country, he still does not seem to like the country.”

    On the street, Harper is not really perceived as one of us. There’s something missing and that is because, at best, he’s an awkward, wooden academic that pretends he likes hockey and Tim Horton’s. I say pretend because, as anyone who knows/knew him (and I’m not one of those but many of my U of C colleagues did) will tell you, he NEVER liked sports and that includes hockey. It’s a thin veneer.

  5. Swervin' Merv says:

    Harper has now been given ample time to demonstrate that his agenda is to dismantle as many public services as he can get away with. Why would Canadians want to go to (vote for) a doctor who didn’t want to be a doctor?

  6. CM says:

    Here’s an ad campaign against PMSH

    Why Stephen Harper’s time is up:

    Because sometimes even comfy old sweaters need to be boxed up and moved to the attic

    Because you stopped believing that times are good while still living in your parents’ basement

    Because the economy ain’t great now is it?

    Because he needs to devote all his time to finishing his hockey book

    Because even he needs a break from hiding the right wing freak show in his caucus

    So many kittens to pet and not enough time in a day to do it

    Because he needs to get started on his epic twitter feed #dayinthelifeofaformerPM

    Because it’s about time he actually got a job in the private sector and received a pay cheque without the Government of Canada logo on it

    Because all those bottles of hot sauce in his pantry aren’t going to finish themselves

    Because he just received the complete box set of Murdoch Mysteries and he’s got some quality TV to catch up on

  7. Elizabeth says:

    Justin is a fighter, and he hasn’t led a sheltered life. Like Kevin Page says, he is “out of range” due to enormous personal losses. It makes you see the world differently.

    Notice that he says he won’t respond “in kind”; meaning he’s not going to climb down into the barrel to scrape the bottom. He will have his own way of fighting back, and it might just be more effective. Personally, I can’t wait.

  8. Elizabeth says:

    Justin is a fighter, and he hasn’t led a sheltered life. Just my opinion, but – like Kevin Page says, he is “out of range” due to enormous personal losses. It makes you see the world differently.

    Notice that he says he won’t respond “in kind”; meaning he’s not going to climb down into the barrel to scrape the bottom. He will have his own way of fighting back, and it might just be more effective. Personally, I can’t wait.

  9. Elizabeth says:

    Delete one of those . .

  10. Bill Case says:

    But look at the opposition to Harper — Trudeau & Mulcair — both a couple of Quebecers. Quebec defines these two leaders and the question will be will Canadians elect a leader and prime minister from Quebec because they “dislike” Harper and the Conservatives?

    The Alberta devil you know and have elected and re-elected three times, or, the French Quebec leaders who may be perceived as having split and compromised loyalties. Will Canadians overlook those glaring negatives against Trudeau & Mulcair?

    • Michael Bussiere says:

      2013 and there is still an anti-Québec/francophone bigotry in the country.

      • Ronald O'Dowd says:

        No Michael, that is not their game plan: the seeds being planted are that Trudeau and Mulcair (notice how it isn’t Mulcair and Trudeau) aren’t REAL Canadians. For Conservatives, Quebec and Quebecers are an eternal question mark — who can’t be counted on when the crunch comes.

        Under the Conservative narrative, Harper is the REAL THING, the genuine Canadian article, and by extension, Conservative supporters are the epitome of REAL Canadians!

      • Bill Case says:

        Quebecers elected an anti-Canada/anglophone bigotry PQ government which is intent on destroying English in Quebec! Where do Trudeau and Mulcair stand on this situation? So far nothing!

        Trudeau exposed his anti-Harper anti-Canada feelings when he said he doesn’t want to live in a Harper Canada, only a Quebec country. That’s on the record and there is no mitigation possible. No amount of “I love Canada” will wipe out what he said in Quebec and what he says outside of Quebec. We will see how Canadians react to that when informative attack ads emerge.

        • Ronald O'Dowd says:

          Bill Case,

          Talk about a news flash — Justin Trudeau doesn’t want to live in a Harper Canada. Well, I’ll be! Must be getting crowded out there what with about 66% of Canadians feeling exactly the same way. Too bad many of them did not get off their asses and actually vote in previous elections. Just think of it — Stephen Harper would be a lot richer, already working for some time for the oil and gas industry earning the big payoff, albeit a bit earlier than he had planned.

        • Michael Bussiere says:

          Here’s the quote, Bill:

          “I always say, if at a certain point, I believe that Canada was really the Canada of Stephen Harper – that we were going against abortion, and we were going against gay marriage and we were going backwards in 10,000 different ways – maybe I would think about wanting to make Quebec a country.”

          So, Bill, would you like to live in a Canada where abortion and homosexuality were illegal? Be honest, now. Women and gays hauled off to jail? Read the quote and tell us all if you’d like to live in that kind of Canada.

        • tf says:

          If I had a choice between Harper Canada and a Quebec country, I’d choose Quebec too.
          I think that was the point.

          • Michael Bussiere says:

            Hi Bill. Can’t answer the question, eh?

          • Bill Case says:

            Michael, abortion and gay marriage are non-issues for most Canadians, and besides, Harper has unequivocally stated that the Conservative government will not make abortion or gay marriage an election or governmental issues under his leadership and he has been true to his word. In fact, Harper has squelched any of his MPs if they dare try to make them issues, and he does it with an iron fist. Of course, you will accuse Harper of being a controlling bully over these issues.

            You and Justin are only fearmongering by trying to raise the issues of abortion and gay marriage when the economy is the number one issue for most Canadians, and Harper is solid on that. What can Justin offer Canadians on the economy other than dramatic Hope & Hard Work?

            What you should fear is a CPC attack ad that starts off with “.. if I believed that Canada was really the Canada of Stephen Harper: ….I would think about wanting to make Quebec a country.:” and him speaking in French as well, with English subtitles of course. Is that the hate that Quebec Justin harbours for Canadian Harper? That should make you shudder!

    • !o! says:

      I think they’re already aware of this, and have been mitigating that possibility, i.e. “”For far too long we’ve tried to buy Quebec, to buy them off rather than to get them involved”

    • Michael Bussiere says:

      Abortion and gay marriage are not issues as long as Harper is leader of the Conservative Party. Jason Kenney is another matter. Perhaps Trudeau should have referred to the Reform Party Canada, of which Harper was part of the vision, but who was wiley enough to combat. That will not last forever.

      So, would you live in a Canada where abortion and gay marriage were illegal?

  11. John says:

    He already solved that third last one , now he gives cheques to himself “Harper Government”

  12. frmr disgruntled Con now Happy Lib says:

    The first thing M. Trudeau should do upon winning the leadership is to engage your services, Mr. Kinsella…….Im hoping and praying he does…..

  13. Joe Harrington says:

    As much as I despise negative ads and the folks that use them, it will be the ONLY way to fight PMSH and the conservatives. Sad but true.

    • Bill Case says:

      Agreed! You don’t come to a political fight with a pea shooter. There are negative attack ads and truthful attack ads. The former is based on half-truths and muckraking while the latter is based on factual comments made by the victim of the ad and condemns them. “We didn’t get it done! and, Priorities are hard to make!” Also, “I love this Republic!” If “negative” is something you don’t like to hear then your standard is based on hurt feelings and in politics and war your feelings are meaningless.

  14. !o! says:

    I wonder about how effective ads will be this time around.

    One thing about attack ads is that they need to confirm peoples expectations. There are two things that to me will limit the effectiveness of a CPC attack on Trudeau

    1) He is already in the media, people have somewhat already made up their minds about him. The attempts to label him as elitist have been coming out of the cracks for months now, and they’re just not sticking. He has a larger media presence than the attempts to define him do, and they’re not gaining traction.

    2) People are predisposed to think of Harper et al as nasty to begin with. Attack ads in this sense may possibly backfire if they create dissonance with how people already see Trudeau. Plus people don’t like attack ads.

    I think Trudeau’s team realizes this, and is strategizing with it in mind.

    • !o! says:

      (sorry, hit submit before I was done)

      —> The implication I guess is that a clever campaign by team Trudeau will have the effect of causing CPC attempts to attack Trudeau backfire and end up making them look bad by confirming peoples expectations that they’re nasty to begin with (nastiness is a compelling narrative– they’re nasty to compensate for policy failings, they’re secretive because they have stuff to hide, etc etc)

      It’s kind of like the BC NDP anti-attack ad they released recently. It was negative without being negative, in that sense, and a really clever bit of maneuvreing.

  15. Ronald O'Dowd says:

    Warren,

    Watching the speeches! You know, it’s a good thing some people don’t speak for the Liberal Party otherwise we might just drop ten points in the polls.

    So, it’s Crazy Uncle Paul, is it? Well, after watching the two “Crazy Uncles” give their respective eloquent and straight-from-the-heart speeches, I have never been prouder of being a Liberal.

  16. Ronald O'Dowd says:

    Warren,

    I will begin this comment by saying ONE nice thing about Stephen Harper: this Prime Minister loves Canada as much as the rest of us — but you wondered whether he actually likes this country. I would say he sure does if we are talking about the Canada he is in the process of creating by stealth…the Canada most progressives, including many Red Tories reject.

    Now, to the serious matter of how we should handle the next campaign. Were I in the same room with Butts I would be pushing for the Lincoln approach. To wit in the words of Daniel Day-Lewis: “I am the President of the United States of America, clothed in immense power!”

    And there you have it, in my opinion. I don’t give two shits about who is actually running the day-to-day operations of the war room but what strikes me as essential is the naming of an Attack Czar — that person would be second only to the leader in power, authority and influence. In other words, in matters of strategic attack and defence, Butts and the others would have to defer entirely to the Attack Czar.

    And you will forgive me if I have a pretty good idea who is the only person truly qualified for that job.

    • !o! says:

      “I will begin this comment by saying ONE nice thing about Stephen Harper: this Prime Minister loves Canada as much as the rest of us ”

      Not saying that the man is a Nazi, and I’m not trying to be hyperbolic here, but the Nazis cared very much about Germany as well. Care for a country is not enough.

      That said, one wonders how much of what he does is motivated by love of Canada, and how much hatred for progressives and liberals, and how much favours for powerful friends, and so on…

      One can love a country and still have screwed up ideas about what is best for it. I don’t think hatred for the man is at all useful, I’m sure he’s a decent human being, but there’s very few days that go by where I’m not confirmed and reconfirmed in my belief that this country can’t survive much more of this ‘love’ of his.

      • Bill Case says:

        So, you equate Harper with the Nazis, do you? Your hateful bashing is disgusting!

        You vicious Harper haters think you are the only ones who care about anything and you are the same ones that do the most hateful bashing, yet you can’t justify your hatred because you are emotional head cases.

        All Trudeau does is bash Harper and offer pie-in-the-sky visions of Liberal revival. When will Justin actually make a policy stand? The irrational Harper haters are the worst when it comes to bashing and you personify that perfectly.

  17. Derek says:

    The absolute worst thing JT could do is not respond. In fact, it would be an adroit move to use some of those dollars raised- and fast. Burn through the money and fight like hell against what is a skillful-if extraordinarily cynical- attack machine on the other side. And while they’re at it, that should be extended to Mulcair, who is no milquetoast and a formidable opponent.

    Any Liberal who is writing off Mulcair and the NDP is either a) crazy or b) full of hubris and/or a steady dose of shit. If people think that JT is going to usher in an era of nice and skate through with no counter-punch, they are simply dreaming.

    The worst thing to do would be to sit idly by and let campaign workers and prospective staffers get cocky and start apartment hunting in Ottawa. One need only look at moribund FLA’s and abysmal totals from the last election (especially in parts of Ontario) to get a stiff reality check. Moreover, while Iggy and Dion were perhaps two of the most unelectable and unpalatable retail politicians of the modern era- and while JT is certainly poised to eclipse their performances, the road ahead will be a lot rockier than people think. Liberals need to treat the battle over the next two years as one that is near-impossible, and fight for every single vote at every door to stand even a chance at a major seat gain.

    • Bill Case says:

      The Liberal challenge will be to get those who contributed the $1+ Million to contribute again and again and again until 2015 to build up the LPC war chest to run the party and to get election ready. That will be Trudeau’s biggest task in the months ahead. If the contributions dry out the Cons will steamroller Justin and Liberals into the ground and you better believe it.

      Justin is offering the LPC “Hope and Hard Work”; hope for the future and hard work to keep the party together and growing. Can he do it and still be an effective parliamentarian in the HOCs? It will virtually be a 24 hour per day job and no time to be a full time father and husband. I feel sorry for his wife and young children who will need much support from both families.

      • Bill Case says:

        p.s. Forgot to mention the per-vote-subsidy which I believe will be drying out in 2015. With only 2.8 million Liberal votes in the last election, fund raising will make or break the Liberal party. It’s not going to be a walk in the park for Justin and the Liberal team and they know it.

        • frmr disgruntled Con now Happy Lib says:

          The man is a veritable walking cash cow for the party……with M. Trudeau as Leader, the financial woes of the party,( which have been improving), will be a thing of the past……What M. Trudeau will need to ensure is that every riding in Canada has a viable Liberal Riding Assn…..to ensure there are enough boots on the ground to get our candidates elected….the days of “making a few phonecalls” no longer exist…….M. Trudeau, aside from his personal appeal and charisma, can help encourage ordinary Canadians to get involved at the riding level, by continuing to make the party more open and accessible……Mr. Rae made a good start, but much, much more work needs to be done if we want to have any hope of unseating Mr. Harper and his cabal in 2015……..”Titleitis” and personal fiefdoms still run rampant in the party….and if party big wigs don’t get back to the idea of serving Canada as opposed to self-interest, all of M. Trudeau’s good intentions will be for naught.

          • Bill Case says:

            Good points, frmr, and if you read Justin’s Hope & Hard Work speech you will read this:

            “We need to be a party of community leaders, devoted to community service. That’s why I am calling for open nominations for all Liberal candidates in every single riding in the next election.”

            Does that mean the 33 Liberal caucus MPs do not have their nominations protected? Does that mean Justin intends to clean house and bring in new faces into the Liberal party? Happy Days!!

  18. Bill Case says:

    Warren, will you be analyzing Justin’s speech and provide your comments on your website? I see some gaping holes where negative attack ads can exploit Trudeau. The text of his speech entitled Hope and Hard Work is here:

    https://justin.ca/hope-and-hard-work/

    • Bill Case says:

      Electoral co-operation with the NDP to unite the progressive left? Not according to Trudeau.

      It would create a “… Frankenstein’s monster, at war with itself over fundamental issues… It would fail in it’s primary goal: it would extend and not end Harper’s career.” Trudeau said in his Hope and Hard Work speech.

      Looks like Trudeau doesn’t agree with your Fight the Right thesis, Warren.

    • Bill Case says:

      Everybody is blathering copiously about Justin, but few have bothered to read and study his seminal speech to Liberals — Hope & Hard Work — and some of it is quite shocking!

  19. Tim says:

    White Riot

  20. frmr disgruntled Con now Happy Lib says:

    After listening to M. Trudeau’s speech tonight…..a few words to my former Con colleagues and friends: “Be afraid….be very afraid”…….

    • billg says:

      After listening to M. Martins / M. Dion / M. Ignatief’ / M. Trudeau speech tonight….
      There is no doubt in my mind that if given the chance young Justin Trudeau will be PM one day, but, it will probably be in 7 years. The question is, after eating up and throwing out the last 3 leaders that should have made Conservatives “very afraid” will the LPC members give young Mr Trudeau the time he needs? Reading commments such as the ones that are on this board I’m not so sure. Justin Trudeau has “it”, there is no denying it, but, he needs to win over Ontario and western Canada and thats going to take more then a coronation, its going to take a few election.
      This is the 4rth time we’ve been told to “be afraid”, it gets old.

  21. Bruce A says:

    Here’s something Trudeau can use to whack the Cons with and see what response he gets from Jimbo and Steve.

    If Harper’s got any balls, he’d put a stop to his right now. I can’t believe the gall of the banksters. What a bunch of bas … well, I won’t say it.

    http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2013/04/05/bc-rbc-foreign-workers.html?cmp=rss

    • frmr disgruntled Con now Happy Lib says:

      Thanks for posting this…..angry email off to PM, Labour Minister Raitt, and my good for nothing Conservative MP…….
      The unemployment situation for UK youth has become so bad, the govt and the opposition is thinking of banning foreign workers……
      Its the thin edge of the wedge here…..

    • que sera sera says:

      Poor RBC – with their shit earnings last year (even I can’t keep a straight face on that one) no wonder they have to outsource! [sarcasm off]

      “Royal Bank profit jumps to record $7.5 billion” http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/story/2012/11/29/rbc-profit-earnings.html

      I wonder how many RBC employees, families, and bank account holders, voted Conservative last election? Enjoying the view from the Harper/Kenney/Finley orchestrated dystopia?

    • Windsurfer says:

      Simple, start a Boycott RBC Campaign.

      I wonder how many cancelled bank accounts it would take for the greed bastards to relent?

    • Ed Frink says:

      I think we should take it easy on the attacks against foreign workers.

      Let’s not forget that Canada is a land of immigrants and diversity, and foreign workers help make Canada more diverse and inclusive.

      We should welcome them with open arms.

      Immigration is wonderful.

  22. Darren Kelly says:

    This is far to common these days, and while it would be nice to blame the conservatives, it’s business in general that needs to take the blame.

    When Free trade was implemented under, yes, the conservative Mulroney government, we lost thousands of jobs. The continued signing of Free trade agreements, now with the 3rd world nations will just continue to drive labour intensive tasks out of our contry and on to low wage nations.

    As to Justin Trudeau not wanting to use negative advertising, I’m glad. Don’t you think that form of political fighting should be over? I can name more campaigns that lost than won using that style of advertising.

    It’s time again to get excited about what we and our country can do. It’s time to support a positive thinker who uses positive people, and a positive campaign to motivate Canadians to get back to the solid business of being canadians.

    I’d really love to work with the Trudeau Liberals to bring them back to government. I’d be thrilled to produce video and do commercials that will make a POSITIVE difference.

    I will watch for the results this week. I hope Trudeau wins. I hope we can see a return to Trudeaumania from the 60’s.

    Do you remember Warren when we went to The Kingston Airport as grade 8 students to shake Pierre Trudeau’s hand? I remember we were at the front of the line, and then ran to the back of the line to do it again. It’s a great memory for me.

    • Bill Case says:

      Darren, I too know Pierre Trudeau, and I can assure you that Justin is no Pierre.

      Pierre was a strong and independent leader and a decisive prime minister. Justin is just a glitzy front for those pulling the strings in the Liberal party. Justin cannot lead because he doesn’t have proven leadership chops. Those slavishly following him are just immature pop star groupies. The man has no political vision nor leadership characteristics. He’s intellectually vacuous.

      The only thing he can do is lead the remnants of the LPC into the NDP fold.

  23. Ridiculosity says:

    I absolutely abhor the concept of recycling creative, but the TV spot is sitting right there: all the Liberal Party needs to do is ask Canadians one simple question: Are you better off today than you were four years ago?

    • Bill Case says:

      All the Liberal voters would then flock to the NDP if they felt they were disadvantaged economically.

      Liberals can try to campaign on the left and then tend to govern on the right, but it’s the NDP who would benefit from that kind of “simple question”, if you check recent provincial pollings. The NDP is rising in the polls and Liberals and Cons are sinking. Of course, if you want a PM Mulcair from Quebec, vote NDP in 2015 and see what happens to Canada.

      • Ridiculosity says:

        WTF? Seriously? LIberals are going to flock to the NDP if they don’t believe they’re better off than they were four years ago? Bullshit. How does voting NDP improve anyone’s financial position? Canadians – Liberals included – understand that the reason MOST of us aren’t better off is because of the small-minded, short term thinking of Harper’s so-called Government (we all know it’s a One Man Show). As for the polls saying the NDP are rising? Claptrap, as my mom used to say.

        • Bill Case says:

          Well, we know Justin was better off 4 years ago than today cashing in on his appearance fees to spin some stories while he was collecting his MP salary courtesy of the Canadian taxpayer.

          Wonder if he charged the LPC his usual $20,000 appearance fee for delivering his Hope & Hard Work speech last weekend. He deserves something because he raised over a million$$$ for the LPC and a $20K fee would be less than a 2% charge.

          So go ahead with that “simple question”: “Are you better off today than you were four years ago?”… but make sure Justin isn’t asking the question!

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