— Feature, Musings —10.28.2025 09:46 AM
Why Doug Ford’s anti-Trump ad worked, big time
Doug Ford clearly subscribes to Adlai Stevenson’s maxim: “If they will stop telling lies about us, I will stop telling the truth about them.”
It’s unlikely Ontario’s Premier and one-time U.S. Presidential nominee ever met: Stevenson slipped the mortal coil when Ford was still in nappies, somewhere in deepest Etobicoke. But has Ford ever had a late-night encounter with the waifish ghost of Stevenson in the stately halls of Queen’s Park? Likely. Almost certain.
Ford’s ad featuring Ronald Reagan tilting against tariffs, in his modulated, resonate baritone, is straight out of the Adlai Stevenson ad playbook: it tells the truth, and nothing but the truth, and it works.
Ford scrummed about it the other day, and he told my colleague Brian Lilley his 60-second spot was “the most successful ad in the history of North America.” That may be a bit of an overstatement, but not by much. The resulting Lilley-Ford exchange is one for the ages, like Ali-Holmes, but with less bloodshed.
“If this is the most successful ad in North American history, what does failure look like?” a bemused Lilley hollered at Ford after Question Period.
“I’ll tell you, Brian, that we had over a billion impressions around the world, and what we did, we generated a conversation that wasn’t happening in the U.S.,” Ford said, without breaking stride.
“Now, every single local media, every large media, medium-sized media, in the U.S. is talking about it. So is every governor, senator and congressman and woman, not only nationally, but statewide. And the message was very clear, protectionism does not work.”
Not everyone agreed. Ontario Liberal MPP John Fraser, now in contention for the Stupidest Political Critique of 2025, said Ford concocted the now-legendary ad to “make him look good,” and that it was “doing damage.”
But that’s the point of political advertising, Johnny: to do damage. Trust me on this – I’ve actually written a book about political advertising (The War Room, now in its third printing and helpfully available at all fine booksellers near you, etc. Remember Christmas/Hanukkah is coming, folks.).
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Warren,
Now, Ford needs to go nuclear and cut off electricity exports to the neighbouring American states. That’s the next step in a winner’s playbook. Legault should do the same. Unfortunately, the Trump boot licker will not do the same with oil and gas.
Ronald,
Trump absorbed a sharp jab to the snout, and he didn’t like it.
If only others, around the world, would do the same.
Put him on his heels, and he doesn’t respond well.
If only folks would take heed.
That would require a spine; few have it
The problem, unfortunately, is the passage of time and the general historical and policy ignorance of people. Those of us who were alive when Reagan was President and politically aware/active know that Reagan was in general a very committed free-trader and of course oversaw the implementation of the original Canada-US Free Trade Agreement.
The problem is that that stuff occurred over 35 years ago. A lot of people today weren’t even alive or politically sentient then. So it’s easy for dishonest scum like Trump and his enablers to lie to their gullible, pliable supporters and claim that Reagan wasn’t a free-trade advocate. All made worse by the ideological information silos that people inhabit these days.
Doc,
And how did POS get to the Reagan Foundation and Institute?
Wasn’t Adlai Stevenson a two-time U.S. Presidential nominee (1952 & 1956)?
He didn’t fare well against Ike
I’m not sure that Canadians who are struggling are convinced the ad worked. I want to know why it cost 75 million. Where did the money go?
The US networks. They charge by the second and are free to charge whatever they like.