Conservatives Set To Launch Attack On Dion

This is the part of politics that I despise. The insecurities that exist in all of us that take over and leave us spending more time trying to undermine our opponent rather than running our own race. If I am in the hundred meter dash, am I going to spend the time running the best race I can? Or am I going to spend my time trying to trip up my opponent? Run your own damn race and win on your own merit. This ad campaign is shining a negative light on the Conservative party, at a time when you would think they could do no wrong.

Tories to launch TV ad campaign against Dion

OTTAWA -- The Conservative party intends to run TV attack ads against new Liberal leader Stephane Dion, CTV News has learned. Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenny will hold a briefing tomorrow in Ottawa to unveil the ads that mock Dion's leadership abilities and his environmental record, sources say.

Party insiders say the Conservatives will buy TV spots during the Super Bowl and other prime time slots for maximum impact. They stress the ads are not part of a strategy to force an early election.

Sources say the party is concerned that Dion is getting a free ride from the mainstream media and the Tories want to go over the heads of the national media in Ottawa to reach ordinary Canadians.

The ads -- which party officials showed to the Conservative caucus on Friday -- cast doubt on Dion's environmental credentials and leadership abilities, according to sources that have seen them. One Conservative insider told CTV News the party "wants to define Dion before the Liberals get the chance to define him with a free ride from the media."

Link To Article

The arrogance in this.

One Conservative insider told CTV News the party "wants to define Dion before the Liberals get the chance to define him with a free ride from the media."

Why do the Conservatives believe they are capable of defining any individual? Let alone their opponent. I can only define one person, and that is myself. It confuses me to think that our government is going to spend so much money in a blatant attempt to undermine the Liberal leader. Any viewer that is watching with one eye closed and mind wandering, may chuckle at the segments. But being naive, I would hope that the majority of viewers see this ploy for what it really is. An insecurity where the government feels they have to "trip up" their opponent rather than running their own lane.

If I were the Liberal party, I would tackle these head on. I would refrain from taking part in the childish tactics, but I would acknowledge them for what they really are. These segments only indicate how much of a growing thread the Liberal party is, and the current administration needs to undermine their position before the public acknowledges what the Liberals already know. Harper has done a lot of good lately. Whether it was political, or just basic human decency, he has been sitting high and mighty. But this just brings him back down to earth and reminds us that he is a politician, and one that is completely insecure in his position.

If he knew he and his party were the right people for the job, they would stand on their own two feet and stand proud. They would be spending these millions of dollars on their own campaign, and their own efforts, rather than using the money to smear the Liberal party.

Liberal Party national director George Young told CTV the attack ads show "how desperate the Tories are" and he predicted "it could hurt them with the public."

Desperation. Now this could not be summed up any more neater than that. This maneuver is clearly one of desperation on behalf of the Conservative government that has acknowledged Mr Dion and the Liberal party is a growing threat.

Again... Run Your Own Race!


Edit: Editing the Article's structure to make it more readable

[edit on 28-1-2007 by chissler]

This is pure smoke and mirrors tactics. Stephane Dion is on the same side as Harper. Harper and Dion are globalists who want to bring down Canada and merge it with the US and Mexico. They are traitors and should go to jail for high treason.

We are in Afghanistan, we're helping a dictatorship, we're helping the opium cultures, we have to get out of Afghanistan, Dion don't want that. Also, our ``only`` boat, the Ottawa, is near Iran, ready to support the US attack against Iran. Another stupid thing. Also, Dion is also a supporter of the North American Union, that will dissolve the canadian constitution and the canadian dollar. We have a little Guantanamo in Northern Canada and Dion/Harper are for it. They don't want the truth about 9/11 because they would lose their allies, the globalists who regrouped in Ottawa back in june.

My point is that Dion and Harper are on the same side, just in a different party, and the ``bitching`` is just for the people who don't know the awful truth.

Originally posted by Vitchilo
This is pure smoke and mirrors tactics.

Well, that I can agree with. The rest of your post seems to be a very strong opinion that is construing the facts in order to substantiate itself. Not to say some of your facts are not inline, but to say they are both deserving of high reason, well, I hardly see how that is fathomable. Whether they are on the same side or not, none of it is relevant. Although it is extremely hypocritical to criticize an individual's stance when it agrees with the message you are trying to portray.

Either way, I really hope this tactic comes back to bite the Conservatives in the butt. And I truly hope that the Liberals will put more of an effort into their own party rather than Conservative-Bashing.

[edit on 28-1-2007 by chissler]

Party insiders say the Conservatives will buy TV spots during the Super Bowl and other prime time slots for maximum impact. They stress the ads are not part of a strategy to force an early election.

I have a rather embarrassing question, but I'm a girl with no interest in football. When is the Super Bowl?

I'm not a big fan of attack ads and if they are going to run them outside of an election, that's just despicable. They are bad enough during election time, but when there is no election? What a bunch of arses with no sense of history. :shk:

I'll show my age just a little bit here. The last time we had a Conservative govt, Kim Campbell was running for PM and she was gaining some ground even though she had the poor luck to be running on Mulroney's record. During the election, they ran a disgusting ad showing pictures of Chretien while talking with voiceovers of people saying things like 'Does this look like a Prime Minister' and "I would be very embarrassed to have him as our Prime Minister'. People were upset because the ads appeared to be making fun of Chretien's face. The man had Bell's Palsy and the Conservatives were making fun of the resulting deformity!

The ads were pulled quickly, but it was too late. They were repeated over and over on the news and everyone got to see them. And then the Conservatives lost.

Some attack ads cross the line and they definitely have no place outside of an election. There is a thin line to walk with them and outside of the diehard Harper supporters, I can't imagine Canadians taking to kindly to this crap.

I'm not going to hold my breath waiting for the Liberals to take the high road, however.

[edit on 28-1-2007 by Duzey]

Originally posted by Duzey
I have a rather embarrassing question, but I'm a girl with no interest in football. When is the Super Bowl?

Next Sunday.

Originally posted by Duzey
I'm not going to hold my breath waiting for the Liberals to take the high road, however.

Ahh I attempt to be forever the optimist so I'll continue to hope.

I do agree completely though. These smearing attempts have no place outside of the election. Even within the election, as you've said, there is a very thin line in which the parties must walk. History tells us that some have over stepped the boundaries, and the results are quite obvious.

Ok, I have seen two of the ads now. The ones I saw, IMO, do not cross the line. I'd love to be able to say they did, but they wouldn't be out of place during an election.

You can watch them on GlobalTV's site under the heading of online extras partway down the page.

I still think it's really tacky to do this, but I'm not their target audience. I would never vote for them under Harper's leadership. If they had a different leader and dropped all their Reform/Canadian Alliance crap, they would probably still be my party of choice.

If the conservative politicians of Canada had my best interests at heart, they would move en masse to the Progressive Canadian Party (they weren't allowed to keep the Progressive Conservative name after the merger). We can file that dream of mine under 'Things That Will Never Happen'.

This isn't an official Liberal ad or anything, but it's pretty clever.



If only they could get that one on the air.

Edited to add this corresponding article:

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty appeared before a Commons finance committee Tuesday, defending the Conservative income trust tax that has come under fire from opposition parties and those affected in the private sector.

"The decision that was taken... is all about fairness for Canadian taxpayers," said Flaherty. "Fairness for Canadian taxpayers and their families who would be asked to pay more and more if we did not implement the Tax Fairness Plan.

Flaherty defends income trust tax before panel

[edit on 30-1-2007 by Duzey]

That video was hillarious Duzey.

As to this ad campaign, just read a little and it becomes clear that this gov. is afraid. Why attack when an election is not on the horizon? Is one? All the Lib's have to do is ignore this smear campaign and it's over. Harper STILL doesn't get it. Southern politics doesn't play north of the 49th. :shk:

Harper. Enjoy the ride out of Ottawa. Via Rail?

I'd like to see Harper out of 24 Sussex Drive, as well. I have to admit that I have a slightly sinking feeling about that. I'm just hoping that he never gets a majority.

It's a strange situation. A lot of people won't vote for the party because of Harper (myself included), but Harper is the only person that can keep the party in line long enough for them to be elected. I miss the good old days where all the politicians were allowed to say what they really believed. It was a lot easier to make fun of them when people like Carol Gallant and Randy White were able to speak their mind.

I am not saying this because I don't believe or do believe in Bush. These are wars to them..All politicians are the same: American, Canadian, UK, whatever. They will pull what ever they need to pull to win. They will go as far as they think we will let them. They say all is fair in love and war, they see it as war. Party vs. Party whatever Country it is. They have been corrupt for so long they know no other way. They had lost their moral compass. When a new guy joins the ranks who is a right or wrong type of guy/gal is shown the ropes. 99.999% of those who don't adapt to their new environment aren't politicians very long.

Its sad and will probably never change. Its funny I don't know if it was like this when I was a kid. I used to believe that most of them did what was right, and had some Integrity. Maybe Its that I know more now or that the world has indeed changed for the worse. I don't know anymore.