本文发表在 rolia.net 枫下论坛Attack ads target Harper
Ominous TV advertisements accuse Tory leader of just about everything; Conservatives say Liberals 'running scared'
Jan. 10, 2006. 08:47 PM
CANADIAN PRESS
OTTAWA — The federal Liberals, facing a deep shift in public opinion less than two weeks from voting day, have unleashed a dozen ominous TV ads accusing Conservative Leader Stephen Harper of everything from disliking Atlantic Canada to accepting illegal campaign contributions.
The Tories, who predicted the Liberal scorched-earth policy with their own TV ads a week ago, are calling the negative advertisements ``flat-out lies.”
“They’re flying by the seat of their pants, they’re running scared and they don’t care who they damage,” John Reynolds, the retiring B.C. MP and Conservative campaign chairman, said today.
The Tories responded with a negative ad of their own, which ends by asking, “How can we believe anything Paul Martin has to say?”
But the Liberal ads — 11 in all — are certainly the most hard-hitting of what has already been a tough campaign. A 12th ad, stating that Harper would put “soldiers with guns” in Canadian cities, disappeared from the Liberal party website late this afternoon.
They come with polls showing Harper’s Conservatives holding the momentum and opening up a lead of several percentage points over the sliding Liberals.
Starting with grainy, unfocused close-ups of Harper’s eyes and a martial drum beat, the Liberal ads all follow the same format, using past comments by or about Harper — or simply Liberal characterizations — to paint a deeply unflattering portrait as his face comes into focus.
Some of the ads end with the Liberal financing disclaimer stamped across Harper’s upper lip like a Hitler moustache.
Scott Reid, Martin’s communication director, denied the ads are negative.
“Stephen Harper wants to be prime minister but he doesn’t want to answer for the things he’s said or the positions he’s taken,” said Reid.
“These ads aren’t negative — but the views expressed by Mr. Harper are.”
Quoting 10-year-old Harper speeches has been a staple of Martin’s campaign stump speeches for the last two weeks, but the ads go much further.
One resurrects Harper’s 2002 comment about a “culture of defeat” in the Maritimes.
“Maybe we should choose somebody who actually loves Atlantic Canada,” concludes the Liberal pitch.
Another questions who paid for Harper’s “rise to the head of the party” and notes he is popular with American right-wingers.
“They have money. Maybe they helped. We just don’t know,” says the ad. Under the Canada Elections Act, accepting political donations from anyone who is not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident is illegal.
The accusation left the Conservative campaign chairman apoplectic.
“No Americans have funded our campaign or anything we do,” Reynolds said. “It’s an absolute lie and the prime minister should apologize to Canadians for trying to bring Americans into this election.”
Whether the attack ads will be effective political tools at this point is debatable, said some analysts.
“In my mind these ads are intended to staunch the bleeding, but I think the patient might be too far gone,” said Jonathan Rose, a specialist in political communications at Queen’s University in Kingston.
Rose said the ads are “deeply personal” in their use of sound and visuals, yet cleverly use Harper’s own words to justify the attacks.
“Could they backfire? Absolutely. But I think their effect will not be in changing people’s minds, but in getting people talking about how plausible these claims are — in other words, changing the frame of the debate.”
They’re likely to pep up the Liberal campaign troops, but predicting what influence the ads will have on the general public is a crapshoot, said Michael Marzolini of Pollara Research.
The Liberals saw Harper as their best asset and gave him a “free ride,” said Marzolini, the former Liberal party pollster.
“Stephen Harper in August of last year was in a pine box with a stake through his heart. He almost had the word `unelectable’ tattooed on his forehead.”
Now, Harper has redefined himself for the electorate and the Martin campaign is playing a desperate game of catch-up, said Marzolini.
“They’re late in coming to the party.”更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net
Ominous TV advertisements accuse Tory leader of just about everything; Conservatives say Liberals 'running scared'
Jan. 10, 2006. 08:47 PM
CANADIAN PRESS
OTTAWA — The federal Liberals, facing a deep shift in public opinion less than two weeks from voting day, have unleashed a dozen ominous TV ads accusing Conservative Leader Stephen Harper of everything from disliking Atlantic Canada to accepting illegal campaign contributions.
The Tories, who predicted the Liberal scorched-earth policy with their own TV ads a week ago, are calling the negative advertisements ``flat-out lies.”
“They’re flying by the seat of their pants, they’re running scared and they don’t care who they damage,” John Reynolds, the retiring B.C. MP and Conservative campaign chairman, said today.
The Tories responded with a negative ad of their own, which ends by asking, “How can we believe anything Paul Martin has to say?”
But the Liberal ads — 11 in all — are certainly the most hard-hitting of what has already been a tough campaign. A 12th ad, stating that Harper would put “soldiers with guns” in Canadian cities, disappeared from the Liberal party website late this afternoon.
They come with polls showing Harper’s Conservatives holding the momentum and opening up a lead of several percentage points over the sliding Liberals.
Starting with grainy, unfocused close-ups of Harper’s eyes and a martial drum beat, the Liberal ads all follow the same format, using past comments by or about Harper — or simply Liberal characterizations — to paint a deeply unflattering portrait as his face comes into focus.
Some of the ads end with the Liberal financing disclaimer stamped across Harper’s upper lip like a Hitler moustache.
Scott Reid, Martin’s communication director, denied the ads are negative.
“Stephen Harper wants to be prime minister but he doesn’t want to answer for the things he’s said or the positions he’s taken,” said Reid.
“These ads aren’t negative — but the views expressed by Mr. Harper are.”
Quoting 10-year-old Harper speeches has been a staple of Martin’s campaign stump speeches for the last two weeks, but the ads go much further.
One resurrects Harper’s 2002 comment about a “culture of defeat” in the Maritimes.
“Maybe we should choose somebody who actually loves Atlantic Canada,” concludes the Liberal pitch.
Another questions who paid for Harper’s “rise to the head of the party” and notes he is popular with American right-wingers.
“They have money. Maybe they helped. We just don’t know,” says the ad. Under the Canada Elections Act, accepting political donations from anyone who is not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident is illegal.
The accusation left the Conservative campaign chairman apoplectic.
“No Americans have funded our campaign or anything we do,” Reynolds said. “It’s an absolute lie and the prime minister should apologize to Canadians for trying to bring Americans into this election.”
Whether the attack ads will be effective political tools at this point is debatable, said some analysts.
“In my mind these ads are intended to staunch the bleeding, but I think the patient might be too far gone,” said Jonathan Rose, a specialist in political communications at Queen’s University in Kingston.
Rose said the ads are “deeply personal” in their use of sound and visuals, yet cleverly use Harper’s own words to justify the attacks.
“Could they backfire? Absolutely. But I think their effect will not be in changing people’s minds, but in getting people talking about how plausible these claims are — in other words, changing the frame of the debate.”
They’re likely to pep up the Liberal campaign troops, but predicting what influence the ads will have on the general public is a crapshoot, said Michael Marzolini of Pollara Research.
The Liberals saw Harper as their best asset and gave him a “free ride,” said Marzolini, the former Liberal party pollster.
“Stephen Harper in August of last year was in a pine box with a stake through his heart. He almost had the word `unelectable’ tattooed on his forehead.”
Now, Harper has redefined himself for the electorate and the Martin campaign is playing a desperate game of catch-up, said Marzolini.
“They’re late in coming to the party.”更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net