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Is the big blue machine slowing down?
Stephen Harper has faced many a scandal before, and has weathered each one. In the lead up to the 2011 election, it seemed like something new popped up each day – there was Bev Oda’s orange juice and trouble with “nots”, Bruce Carson’s fraud charges and escorts, Jason Kenney’s use of government resources to target […]
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I Approve This Bill
Like Michael Chong’s QP reforms, which died in parliamentary purgatory, this is a worthwhile bill by Liberal MP Kevin Lamoureux, albeit one unlikely to ever see the light of day: Kevin Lamoureux, a Liberal MP from Winnipeg, wants all political party leaders to be forced to stand by the content of their ads, with U.S.-style […]
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Liberals Respond Justin Time
When the Conservatives launched attack ads against Stephane Dion in January 2007, it took the Liberal Party three months to respond. Never again, they vowed. Next time we’ll fight back! Just Visiting first aired in May 2009, yet we didn’t see a rebuttal until Labour Day . So the first thing you need to know […]
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This Just In: Voters Feel Negative Ads Are “Negative”
Trudeau’s predictable win, followed by predictable attack ads, has been followed by an all-too predictable poll: In an EKOS Research Associates survey, 70 per cent found the ads “unfair” while 74 per cent said the ads were “unhelpful.” Asked to describe the ads, 84 per cent said they were “negative.” “The ads have backfired on […]
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Justin Trudeau: Too Sexy For His Shirt, Too Sexy For Canada?
The only thing more predictable than Justin Trudeau’s win in the Liberal leadership race was that it would be followed by Conservative attack ads. For those curious what the sequel to “Not a Leader” and “Just Visiting” would look like, the wait is over: It should come as no surprise that the ad is repugnant, […]
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Who had June 25th in the pool?
The much-anticipated Thomas Mulcair attack ads have arrived: Other than changing the off-grey colours from red to orange, this doesn’t look to be much more than a recycled anti-Liberal TV spot – torqued policy positions, lots of talk about “risks”, and a cameo by the scary carbon tax. But while the style is reminiscent of […]
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Alberta Votes Day 25: "Fuck it, I’m voting PC"
When you know the PCs are going to take 70% of the vote in your riding and 80% of the seats in the province, there’s not a lot of strategy involved in your vote. You vote your conscience, knowing there is no way your check mark could possibly make a difference. It’s no surprise the […]
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Call me Tom
After the NDP’s French ad last week, we get the English version: The ad features a collection of what I can only assume are average hard working Canadians: guy in pick-up truck with dog, pregnant mom buying groceries, man with tools, young redheaded cyclist, female doctor, and bald jogger. They all seem impressed with Thomas […]
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Meet Mulcair’s Arms
The much-anticipated NDP attempt to define Thomas Mulcair has arrived, en francais at least. In it, we’re treated to close ups of Mulcair’s forearms (so that the Tories won’t dare call him a “weak leader”), then Tom rolls up his sleeves… …cut to Mulcair in a suit. Why was he rolling up his sleeves in […]
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New Tory Ad Blitz
The Tories have launched a pair of ads which they assure us will get plenty of air time. That’s probably true since, after all, they’ve got heaps of money and no election to spend it on. Garnering the most media attention has been the following Bob Rae attack ad: The content is about what you’d […]