With one week remaining before the election, the Conservatives have unleashed their own vicious television ad, but this time the target is Jack Layton and his New Democrat Party. Posted on 01/17/2006 2:30:02 AM PST by Heatseeker
Updated Mon. Jan. 16 2006 11:41 PM ET
With one week remaining before the election, the Conservatives have unleashed their own vicious television ad, but this time the target is Jack Layton and his New Democrat Party.
The Tories have taken aim at Layton in the commercial, charging among other things that he is in favour of higher gas prices and legalizing drugs.
The ad features a Jack Layton-style moustache and mouth digitally placed over the mouths of Canadians, with a male voice speaking.
"I support legalized drugs," says the voice, speaking for a mother with her young child.
"Who needs tax cuts?" asks another man.
"I want higher gas prices," says a man filling his vehicle with fuel.
"Please, tax my estate," says a senior.
The commercial then asks the questions: "He may speak for special interests, but does Jack Layton speak for you?"
The ad concludes with a Conservative Party logo and the message to "Stand up for change. Stand up for Canada."
The as was first released in British Columbia where the Liberals have slumped in the polls. In some key ridings outside of Vancouver, there are tight races between Conservatives and New Democrats.
"I think what this demonstrates is that they view the NDP as real competition there," said CTV's Rosemary Thompson.
Many voters in B.C. tend to swing between one of the two parties, and with Liberal fortunes slipping, the Conservatives appear to be targeting those NDP votes, said Brian Laghi of The Globe and Mail.
"If you recall, a lot of people who vote NDP, when they have a second choice it will be Tory, and vice versa," Laghi told CTV's Mike Duffy Live.
That's an unusual trend in the rest of Canada, where voters seldom swing between the two parties. But in B.C., said Laghi, voters often feel alienated from Ottawa and vote for the party that seems likely to send the boldest message to Parliament Hill.
In the early 1990s, the now defunct Reform Party received many of those votes, which were cast in order to punish the Liberals, said Laghi.
I hope this only runs in a few places in BC because I have a really bad vibe about this ad - visually it seems mildly creepy to me and the overlay of the imitation of Layton's moustache is cutting WAY too close to the disasterous 1993 ads against Chrétien's appearance - also late in the campaign,
I fear a major stumble here at the worst possible time. I hope I'm wrong.
What do you think?
That is a creepy image. I hope they alter the ad or limit its use.
I live in B.C. I think that ad is hilarious. If Jack didn't want to be laughed at, he should have lost the 'stache.
Lord, have mercy. If you think that is an attack ad, I'd hate to see what you'd call some of the ads that run here in the States.
That has to be the the mildest, most milquetoast "attack" ad I've ever seen.
But I have to say the hairs on the back of my neck stood up when I saw it. Not so much for the ad visual itself; but the strong suspicion that the MSM spin on this thing is going to be the comparisons to the 1993 anti-Chrétien ad. Even though I agree this is actually not nearly so bad.
It's not the ad itself, it's how it's going to be spun.
It's the same joke Conan O'Brien uses -- the obviously bogus mouth says things that the person depicted wouldn't say. The ad is truthful in that all the things Jack's mouth says are really things he would think and say, and they are contrasted with ordinary people who obviously don't feel the same way. The elite radical egghead stereotype of the NDP is effective because it contains a lot of truth. The Dippers are always bloviating about "ordinary Canadians" but the rather folksy and downscale approach of the Conservative ads this time appeals to just the kind of voter around here who oscillates between the NDP and the Reform-Alliance-Conservative Party. They're painting Jack as the downtown Toronto windbag he is.
From what I understand, the Chretian ad was pilloried because it was viewed as making fun of the man's disability. That was in poor taste.
Maybe it's just my thicker American skin but I see no parallel with this ad.
We'll see what the reaction is throughout the day.
Good luck to all Canadian conservatives. Your political brethren here in the States will be watching closely and hoping for a friendlier Canadian government come January 24th.
From where I sit I see many similarities between your upcoming vote and the U.S. presidential election of 1980.
Ronald reagan, a mere four years before failed to secure the Republican nomination because many considered him too "scary". But after four years of Jimmy Carter's incompetance, double digit inflation and interest rates, high unemployment, malaise speeches, and 400 consecutive days of seeing Americans held hostage in own own embassy led most Americans to conclude that Ronaldus Maximus wasn't nearly as scary as four more years of Jimmy Carter was.
Canadians seem to be concluding much the same that "scary" Stephen Harper is much less scary than another round of government by corrupt Paul Martin.
ADSCAM: Click the picture-
Go to "comments," go to "last," and work back for the latest links, quotes, quips, charts, and other useful information about the upcoming Canadian elections.
The Canadian Blogs have led the way investigating, exposing, talking about, and keeping before the public the "scandal a day" nature of Canada's corrupt, incestuous, nepotistic ruling class.
You really need to read all of it to see how bad 13 years of "liberal" government can be.
Billions of dollars missing... censorship... gang warfare ( but you can't mention that... ) and corruption, cronyism, and kickbacks that would shame a Mafiosa...
Read it all, get sick, get mad- and if you are Canadian, go vote.
Be sure to visit our Sister Site, Free Dominion:
I agree about the similarity with 1980. I hope the Tories can get a majority.
(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")
One thing that's making me feel slightly better about this is observation noted on another board, which I should have seen myself; that the idea of superimposing the orange moustache over the peoples' faces was to reinforce the idea that Layton claims to be talking for them (but of course really isn't).
As another BCer, I liked the ad!
Folks shouldn't expect Jack to lose the mustache - he needs it for his regular job - bartender at a gay night club.
;^)
(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")
In Canadian politics this ad certainly could be considered an attack ad. Canadian campaigns definately have a bit more decorum that the mud slinging campaigns here in the states... Hopefully this won't backfire up north.
I think you are wrong. I watched the ad at the website and it's not vicious at all. I think one of the reasons conservatives in the States have been successful is our ability to have fun with politics.
Rush Limbaugh's parodies of Democratic politicians are brilliant and the right-of-center websites like Scrappleface, IMAO, etc. add to the fun.
Humor can be devastating and the left is too po-faced to use it effectively.
Update via http://www.ctv.ca/mini/election2006/ , Today's poll on the right.
Does the Conservative ad targeting NDP Leader Jack Layton go too far?
Yes (22 %)
No (78 %)
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