By Joe Johnson (The Cascade) – Email
Print Edition: December 6, 2011
It’s often been said that going negative in a political campaign works. Really? I’ve always found this to be in quite stark contrast to my own views. Whenever I see a negative or attack ad, it actually does the opposite and turns me against the party that’s putting the message out. In fact, I’m pretty sure if you walked the halls of our campus and talked with most people, they would agree. So then why are we seeing such ugly politicking from those who would like to be, or are, our elected elite? There are a few cases that can be examined to try and validate that old reasoning mantra for going dirty.
Perhaps looking south of the border, above Mexico way, to our friendly trading partners in the Americans, would be a good place to begin. The Republican Party down there is as divisive and contradictory as ever. Now, forgetting the perpetual misinformation and mudslinging machine that is Fox News, the party itself is going through the nomination process for their next presidential candidate. This has been a major source of ridiculous ads, and one of such is a minute-and-a-half long attack on US President Obama. In this video, Texas Governor Rick Perry states that “The United States of America really is the last great hope of mankind,” and also refers to Obama as “President Zero”. This is while—in the tone of a Hollywood movie—they lay out all of the problems caused by Obama in a gritty narrative.
One might think that this video is designed for Perry’s base supporters. It may be, as in this case it’s meant to bolster his image as somebody who will stand above the rest of his GOP counterparts, and Obama, as well. However, this ad isn’t far from what plays on national television during the presidential campaign period. Though, in this case it’s not likely to work as Perry has, in one instant, destroyed his credibility by forgetting a key part of one of his major objectives during a debate.
When turning an eye onto our own federal governing party, I always begin to feel ill. It makes me nauseous just thinking about some of the Conservative’s dirty methods used to turn people off of the Liberals and place them in a one-dimensional box. In this most recent election the Tories tried to paint the Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff as somebody who has an ulterior motive. In one ad it began with “Michael Ignatieff is back in Canada” which then after presenting him out of context, ended with “Ignatieff. He didn’t come back for you.” I’m not backing the Liberals, as they have used negative ads as well, but never to this degree.
This sort of tactic has also permeated the provincial Liberal government. As Premier Christy Clark smiles at photo-ops, the BC Libs have been releasing radio ads and websites which go after BC Conservative leader John Cummins and the NDP’s Adrian Dix. One of the most aggravating devices was used in the Cummins ad in which two people are having a “conversation” about his negative qualities. Yet, the question still remains if these methods will work for the Liberals, as they have only been released in the last few months. But if polling numbers are any indication, this attempt to bring down their opposition isn’t working. The Liberals are still trying to escape the slippery bath water which ex-Premier Gordon Campbell left them in.
Finally, even our municipal elections are not free from this mudslinging ugliness. In Vancouver, Suzanne Anton and the NPA took the low road in going after Mayor Gregor Robertson. While Robertson stayed on his message, Anton couldn’t help but be negative on every account – with one of her main points of attack being over Occupy Vancouver. There were also the “Mayor Moonbeam” cartoons that showed up online, in which Robertson was depicted negatively over issues such as bike lanes and backyard chicken coops. This video, however, never claimed to be from the NPA although it included all of their talking points. The good news is that, in this arena, it appears that quality and character won out. Robertson’s party, Vision Vancouver, took the top seven of 10 councillor positions, leaving only two for the NPA.
Politicians are supposed to be the men and women who lead us. By lowering themselves to these standards in hopes of winning an election, it reflects more on their character and that of the party. It shows weakness. It’s childish. It’s unprofessional. There should be no tolerance for this type of politicking in our own country. Sadly, the question of whether it works has been pretty clear. It can be an effective voter suppression and scare technique. It is my hope, though, that the electorate stands up, learns the issues, and votes based on truth.
