Barely into the federal election and Stephen Harper has clearly decided that the politics of fear is what’s going to give him his coveted majority. And that he’ll do just about anything, including lying, to get it.
There were two whoppers on the campaign trail this week: the lie that the opposition is planning to form a coalition if the Tories don’t get their majority.
Can you say, axis of evil? We’ll be hearing a lot of that. The other big lie: that the budget is what brought his government down, when in fact it was a finding of contempt of parliament against his government that’s sending us to the polls
Tsk. Tsk. The harping from Harp is quite the come down for a guy who’s usually the one Canadians say is the most trustworthy among the federal leaders. At this pace, the PM will have to say a thousand Our Fathers and a couple of million Hail Mary’s to clear wash away his sins by the time this race is over.
For Stevie, there’s a reason he’s coming out of the gates like a cornered, bug-eyed badger. There’s lot on the line. He loses this one and the talk of replacing him as leader will begin in earnest – it already has. And unlike past federal run-offs, the stink of scandal hangs over the Tories this time.
But as a political strategy, seizing on the coalition business is not a bad idea, as cynical as it may be. As one Tory strategist was quoted as saying in the Globe this morning, it sets up a clear choice. Ah, yes. Never mind the policy business. Just set up a false choice for the masses. That’s the ticket.
In this regard, the Tories seem to be taking a page out of Rob Ford’s election playbook and that of the Republicans south of the border.
That, relies on the belief that electoral success is not about being right, or crafting a coherent policy. It’s about simple messaging that can be easily digested by the majority of Canadians who don’t pay attention to politics until it’s time to go to the polls – and even then with little enthusiasm. See gravy train.
Harp’s onto something cuz the last thing Canucks want is a discussion of the issues. Evidence of that was the fact item number one on the news the other day was if we even need an election. The seed has been planted. Call it voter apathy, or call it the rise of fascism in Canada. Either way, Harper wins.
The polls suggest Ontario is ripe for the Tories’ kind of messaging. It’s why Harper’s crew have blown off Quebec and will be concentrating their efforts in Ontario, T.O. and the surrounding areas.
If the Tories’ get their way, the real issues, like the this government’s disdain for democracy and their misguided spending priorities, will be taking a backseat in this runoff. And if it takes a little fibbing about an imaginary coalition to do that, then so be it. It’s just politics, after all, right?
