Monday, August 04, 2008

Here We Go Again


Last week I heard more than one Conservative claim that the town halls being held across the country were going poorly. They kind of shrugged and implied therefore that they weren't worried about the plan.
Uh huh. I guess that is why they've planned more attack ad's to start airing in Atlantic Canada tomorrow.
Conservatives will start running anti-Dion radio advertisements Tuesday in Nova Scotia, with particular emphasis in the riding of Scott Brison.
Brison is hosting a meeting of Atlantic Liberal MPs in Digby, N.S. this week.
Liberals and Conservatives are statistically tied when it comes to voter support in Atlantic Canada, according to the latest Ipsos Reid poll done exclusively for Canwest News Service and Global National.
The Conservatives now believe they have the means to break that logjam by hammering Dion and Atlantic Canada Liberals on the costs of the green shift.
"We wouldn't be advertising if it wasn't politically important and relevant," said Kory Teneycke, the prime minister's director of communications.
What's intriguing to me is that they are doing this to increase their numbers in the polls, but that certainly hasn't worked thus far. In fact it could be argued that their negative attacks have hurt them. One wonders why they intend to continue?
While we don't know what these ad's will contain, this sentence gives us an idea.
Conservatives say that Liberal MPs from the region, such as Brison, Wayne Easter, and Dominic Leblanc have been soft-pedalling the costs of their party's green plan.
Really? Once again the Con's seem to be projecting here. The Lib's have laid out the costs, but guess who hasn't? Dion's plan has been costed has the price of carbon at $40.00 per tonne by year 4. The Con plan is estimated at $65.00/tonne. have you ever heard them say that?
I hope the Lib's in Atlantic Canada are prepared to hit back quickly. I don't know that we can afford advertising, but I'd sure be on the radio and in newspapers hitting back as soon as the Con campaign is on the airwaves.
I wouldn't attack though, I'd take the high road, establish the facts and denounce the Con plan for what it is. Leave the negativity to Harper. It's doing him no favours.
If anyone in Atlantic Canada hears the ad and/or could provide a link, please pass it along, though it may be up beside Oily on their website by tomorrow.

21 comments:

Steve V said...

Man, for such a crazy plan that will screw everyone, the Cons sure seem to waste a lot of energy on it. I smell concern, and given the previous attacks in other provinces, it seems like their wasting their ample funds. Plus, I think all of this negativity just reinforces their own liabilities. I mean, if you are seen as mean spirited and are losing key demographics because of this, it's actually stupid to keep on the same path. God forbid a positive ad, highlighting all these achievements.

Karen said...

Agreed Steve. To be honest, I'm fine with them following this strategy. Women hate it and reasonable former PC's distance themselves from it.

In the long run, I think it will hurt them.

You have to believe that May will also be out in addition to the Lib's denouncing them.

Anonymous said...

It has nothing to do if the Conservatives are worried or not. It has everything to do with keeping the liberals on the defence period.

If you want to know who are really worried I think are the liberals.

Let me explain why in my opinion.
The liberals are the ones who have goining in a election style campaign not the Conservatives. Sure periodically you here something in the news that the Conservatives have been criticizing their so called Green Shift. Yet the liberal numbers haven't moved one iota. Now if you can't move your numbers in a election style campaign then I don't know when.

The Conservatives have had their retreat in the Quebec City area where about 2000 people attended that tells me something. I would love to see a local boy from Quebec Mr.Dion having the same crowd numbers in the Quebec City area. Now that would be a small miracle,but don't hold your breath on that one.

So you want to know who are the ones worried here? Just take at look this article.

Omar said...

Unless the Conservatives finagle their ads on to the CBC Radio 1 airwaves I wont be hearing them, but if I happen to stumble across them I'll let you know. Brison is hosting in Digby is he? I would imagine they are lounging here. The pampered little darlings..

Karen said...

Right, Angelo Persichilli
is a Conservative digging up dirt with the malcontents.

As for the 2000 people, they were partisans. It was a Con love-in nothing more, just as a Liberal meeting would be.

But hey, if you're fine with all the attack and negativity coming from your party, live it up.

I think it's going to hurt you guys.

Anonymous said...

Omar . . . Keep that head of yours firmly planted in the sand with both hands over your ears going la la la la la!!!!

No wonder you have such a stilted view of the world. It wouldn't hurt you to read or hear something from the other side once in a while.

Karen said...

Unless the Conservatives finagle their ads on to the CBC Radio 1 airwaves

lol

Nice dig's. The last time I was in Digby, we stayed at a B&B.

Is there an am talk radio station out there? If so let me know the name/number and I'll see if I can stream it.

Hmmm. I wonder if my doctor will prescribe me some valium for the day over the phone?

Karen said...

Oh come on Prarie Kid. Even a die hard like you can't believe that talk radio provides any substance.

Omar said...

Stilted view of the world? No, I think my view of the world is fine think you very much. As Steve pointed out above, the Con's incessant negativity reinforces their liabilities and the constant barrage of nastiness is more than a little hard to take. I want to be inspired not constantly told how bad the other guy is.

~knb, I am not aware of any talk radio stations here, but I would think the Con ads will likely run on CJLS. A local am station recently turned fm. Glad to hear you've been to Digby where the scallops are so fresh they don't even need to see the fry pan. ;-)

Karen said...

Thanks Omar. Love Digby and I think I ate scallops 3 times a day, ;).

Anonymous said...

"Right, Angelo Persichilli
is a Conservative digging up dirt with the malcontents."

As to Angelo Persichilli digging up dirt maybe,maybe not. But you can't tell me that there is not a snip of truth what he has said in his article. You are not going to tell me that he his actually making it up and out right lying are you?


"As for the 2000 people, they were partisans. It was a Con love-in nothing more, just as a Liberal meeting would be."

Of course they were partisans. I'm not saying that they weren't. My point is that the Conservatives were able to get 2000 people in the Quebec City area Not Calgary. When was the last time that the liberals got 2000 people without being flown in from across the country.

Karen said...

Nope. I don't think he's lying, I just have a hunch who his sources are so I often pay too much attention to his writing. Whether it's in the Hill Times, the Toronto Sun or the Toronto Star.

When was the last time that the liberals got 2000 people without being flown in from across the country.


When was the last time the Lib's flew people into Quebec City?

Hey, nobody is more aware of how tough the fight is going to be in Quebec than a Liberal, but you are deluding yourself if you believe it's going to be a cake walk for the Con's.

Cake walk. I wonder where that expression comes from?

Anonymous said...

"I just have a hunch who his sources"

Jean Lapierre?

Karen said...

Jean Lapierre?

Lol, good guess. He still has some access, but like Frulla, they are mining the fringe.

No, the sources that provide the real rancour are those who should have gone long ago, imo.

LaPierre and Frulla are trying to make themselves relevant. Ego. The elders are trying to make themselves relevant. Ego. Both flanks should be asked politely to go away.

Has anyone noticed that the media do not seek out Dion supporters? They are all about finding dissent in the Liberal party.

The country doesn't deserve this kind of reporting. We deserve some balance, but we're not getting that at the moment.

LaPierre is looking for face time. He found a way to get it. More fool him in the long term. More fool us if we buy it.

Anonymous said...

"Hey, nobody is more aware of how tough the fight is going to be in Quebec than a Liberal, but you are deluding yourself if you believe it's going to be a cake walk for the Con's."

Who is talking about a cake walk?
What Im trying to say is that the Liberals don't have anymore safe seats here in Quebec.

I have seen the links to those vid that you have put on another post jeeez. I sure for hope for the libs sake that Mr.Dion can do a whole lot better job in selling the Liberal party to the people of Canada come the next general election whenever that might be,then those vid that I saw. Because compare to Mr.Harper Mr.Dion is not in the same class when it comes to communication skills. I mean that Mr.Harper is a far better communicator,you know it and everyone reading this post if they are honest knows it too. It's one thing to win the leadership of the party where the vote was split in which they would not vote for any other party but the liberals. It is another kettle of fish to run for the PM's job.

P.S. If you have not seen the new Batman in IMAK I would recommande in doing so it is a ride you would not believe.

wilson said...

''The Con plan is estimated at $65.00/tonne. have you ever heard them say that? ''

Yes, in PMSHs international speech in London;
on the Government website: gc.ca and numerous times on Bloggingtories.
You gotta get out more knb.

People don't like attack ads, but they work.

2 polls came out this week, both showed Cons gaining and Libs losing a couple of points, still within the margin of error, but no bump up from the Green Shift 'tour'.
Very disappointing for those Libs that think the GS if a winner. Not.

Anonymous said...

Here is interesting info on the origin of the word
"cakewalk". It certainly educated me. I had no idea.

http://www.answers.com/topic/cakewalk

Omar said...

At around 11am this morning I flipped over to 'The Wave' and within 20 minutes heard the latest and brainless attack ad from our friends in the Conservative party. It is actually somewhat clever in the sense that it pretends to be someone calling the radio station with their opinions on Dion and the Green Shift. "Hi! I've got Mike on the line and he's just heard about the Liberal Green Shift!" Mike of course is laughing almost uncontrollably and goes through the usual litany of how it is a tax on everything, etc, etc..
As I said it's clever in the sense that it attempts to pass itself as an actual phone call to a local radio station, but other than that it is simple fare for the simple minded, imho.

Karen said...

wilson the poll was basically the status quo, except for the NDP who are taking a hit.

Too early to tell what the GS will give us. The poll also tells us that Harper's rally in Quebec didn't raise his numbers there.

Bottom line, no one is paying attention at the moment.

Karen said...

Thanks penlan. I had no idea.

Karen said...

Omar. Thanks for the info. I was streaming some other station and didn't hear any ads, but Michael Ignatieff was on for the better part of an hour speaking about the plan. Thankfully the host of the show is a supporter so it was great exposure.

From your description, it sounds like the ads they ran out this way, which can be found here.

simple fare for the simple minded

Perfect description!