11.30.2013 09:03 AM

When is negative not negative?

Raj, who I think is one of the best political reporters around, caught the contradiction (along with a colleague): here. That is, Justin Trudeau has said he will not go negative. In paid media, he has kept his promise.

But on social/non-traditional media, he sure hasn’t.

I would argue that Trudeau’s guys are more aggressive and critical on social media than any other political tribe. They are very, very tough.

Some might call that a contradiction, but I call it welcome news. As you all know, I thought Justin had made a huge mistake in pledging never to go negative.

So far, on paid, he has kept his promise. In the meantime, however, I’m glad to see that he and his team are being super-aggressive on social/other media. It’s needed.

10 Comments

  1. Dennis Hollingsworth says:

    Bravo your Wisdom + Brilliance Here … W.K. … BRAVO !!

  2. Sezme says:

    Any links to these online ads for those of us who are not so plugged in?

  3. Lance says:

    Now why would he ever need to utilize traditional media when the PPG and the MSM are already doing it for him?

  4. old QP staffer says:

    That’s in line with what we used to do at QP though, Warren. Let the P look near saintly, while the rest of us rip em apart online and at the doors with some muck that the boys in the leg basement found. But never let the P or candidate get dirty, just let him draw some contrasts. They’re just following our old path!

  5. William says:

    Do what Obama did, stay above it yourself, let your surrogates rip opponent’s throats out.

    Ya don’t bring a knife to a gun fight.

  6. Jamie says:

    Oh goody. We’re going to be tough on Twitter as the Cons bury us beneath an avalanche of tough TV and radio ads. Glad we’ll be getting the right message out to all those 18-34 year olds who don’t show up to vote.

    This “negative” word is a media-constructed pile of rubbish. You need to be tough to lead a nation and way you campaign alerts the electorate to whether or not you have sufficient metal to be Prime Minister. The only people who hate “negative campaigns” are the supporters of whatever politician is being skewered.

    A word of advice to Mr. Trudeau. Flush the word “negative” from your vocabulary. This is about being tough and honest and not pulling punches.

  7. !o! says:

    This precise mix of aggressive/positive ads at different scales (more positive national campaign, mix of both at regional/local levels) is, in this context, really really intelligent for a variety of reasons that I don’t quite want to get into here.

    I’ve been coloured impressed, which I can’t claim all that often.

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