The latest television spot by the B.C. New Democratic Party, titled "Eight Years is Enough," emphasizes what appears to be the central theme of the party's campaign: the notion that Premier Gordon Campbell has ignored social issues. speak to potential swing voters.
The ad looks over the shoulder of an actor dressed as Premier Campbell as a narrator asserts that the B.C. Liberals government has neglected a number of social problems.
"For eight years Gordon Campbell has ignored the growing crisis in hospital emergency rooms," the narrator says, followed by statements about broken promises to seniors and the high rate of children with special needs without support.
The ad also states that Gordon Campbell has spent billions of dollars on "pet projects" while issues such as homelessness have been ignored.
This ad could be effective for moving swing voters, said Dennis Pilon, professor at the University of Victory's Department of Political Science.
"What is good about this ad is that is reminds voters of the issues that NDPers think are important and may motivate people to get out and vote, or change their vote if they are a swing Liberals voter," Pilon said.
"This is what an opposition party needs to do at election time,” he said. “Voter memories are short and oppositions don't get the same focus in the media during the life of a parliament that they get at election time."
Pilon also noted that the ad could have been more effective if the Premier had his back to the running images of the problems, thus implying that he is blind to the issues facing B.C.
"Given the message, one might have expected him to have his back to the problem," said Pilon. "Still, the ad makes the points that the NDP needs to make to be effective, despite the odd composition."
Morgan J. Modjeski reports for The Tyee
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dgiVista.org
3 years ago
the premier's brush off works just fine
actually, i think it works better with his back to us, the viewers, since we're the ones he's neglecting.
this ad will go well with the Liberals' candidate ethical implosions:
http://politicsrespun.org/2009/04/ndp-6-liberals-1-plus-2-doses-of-fear/
realisticman
3 years ago
Well
If Carole James's crew is upset at being accused of negative campaigning this ad should put that suggestion to rest.
This ad is about as negative as they could get. Nothing about their platform, 100% negative!
Rod Smelser
3 years ago
Need a tissue?
realisticman
This ad is about as negative as they could get. Nothing about their platform, 100% negative!
"realistic"man, I sincerely do hope your tender sensitivities weren't too badly jarred. Need a tissue? Maybe a prozac?
RossK
3 years ago
Well, One Thing Is Certain....
...It will certainly give the good Mr. Good further reason to pause if he so 'chooses'.
.
southdeltawalker
3 years ago
it would've been better......
...if he was having a drink.
sailorkris
3 years ago
Where are the facts?
Why is it that each side takes shots at the other without using any stats or outlining how they would fix the problem? There is absolutely no information here. No facts just us vs them. How in the f*** is a voter supposed to form an opinion based on name calling? The only ones outlining their solutions and policies are the Greens.
ladze
3 years ago
We need leadership with vision
The NDP cut social spending dramatically when they were last in power. They restructured and cut back funding to several key programs and services to vulnerable populations including child protective services and welfare. In fact, they played their role in today's rising poverty and homelessness. As I recall, their only significant contribution to infrastructure at that time was to build big Ferries, and this didn't do anything beyond shoring up support from big labour and lightening taxpayer's pockets to the tune of a half billion dollars. If you need to be reminded, the Ferries had to be sold at a loss. We need leadership with vision folks, and the NDP don't appear to be it. More divisive he said, she said ..... blah, blah, boring!
crh
3 years ago
ladze your post
is exactly what you accuse the NDP of. Boring and full of blah, blah. The half a billion spent on the ferries is peanuts in comparison to what the liberals have squandered in their eight years.
There has been numerous news stories about how the social structure of BC is worse under our CEO Campbell. Now you ask for facts?
While I am sure that most citizens in BC do not want to continue down this road, there will always be the likes of those that fit in very well with the puppy kickers of BC.
Frank
3 years ago
ladze
The cuts the NDP made here were dwarfed by the cuts made in other jurisdictions. The federal Liberals slashed the transfers to all provinces so the result was draconian cuts in places like Alberta and Ontario and even in Saskatchewan etc.
In BC some cuts were made but the NDP here chose instead to increase debt and taxes and try to keep the social welfare net intact.
By all means blame the 1990's for a lot of our problems but put the blame where it deserves to be put, at the door of the Chretien-Martin government who fixed Canada's deficits on the backs of the provinces.
The real tragedy is that with transfers restored the provincial Liberals have increased debt by over 3 times what the NDP did and none of it has gone into social programs.
Instead its been for mega-projects and tax cuts.
By the way, you don't recall the Island Highway?
sailorkris
3 years ago
Stuck in the Past
Neither of these parties are concerned with our future. They are mainly concerned with their own present. Anyone out there have the foresight and the balls to support the other alternative??
Skywalker
3 years ago
The ad works
Pilon's comment "that the ad could have been more effective if the Premier had his back to the running images of the problems, thus implying that he is blind to the issues facing B.C" is the kind of petty stuff that silly politiical scientists might argue over.. There was even one political scientist who claimed that Campbell had moved to the center of the political spectrum. Best to ignore all of them.
North of Hope
3 years ago
Day of sentencing
ladze said, 'If you need to be reminded, the Ferries had to be sold at a loss."
The ferries were sold at a loss because Campbell needed a story to distract BCer's and the media from his sentence. The sale of the ferries was on the same day as his sentencing.
politico
3 years ago
Who is Denis Pilon
and how has become some sort of authority on the NDP?
"What the NDP thinks are important to voters?"
He implies health care, crime, job loss, senior care and an ever eroding quality of life and standard of living is some how the NDP's out of touch view of the world!
Bizzare!
This is a good add because it speaks to everybody as there is not one voter who is not concerned about these issues.
Now we simply need an ad that points out how GC's capitulation to the globalists is responsible for bringing our econony to its knees and the picture becomes crystal clear.
realisticman
3 years ago
Rod
Your sincere concerns are appreciated. I cannot say that the negative campaign bothers me. I'm sure that it does turn some people off altogether and that may well be the reason we see increasingly see less voters going to the polls.
Some would suggest that excessive negative campaigning can backfire. Although this style worked well for Vision and there are clearly some in the NDP that think that this is the way to go. The general consensus is that negative political advertising works, so candidates will continue to utilize it until it stops working.
Hang on to the Prozac, you never know, you might need it.
Frank
3 years ago
Its not negative if its true
"Although this style worked well for Vision"
And for the federal Conservatives
realisticman
3 years ago
The truth can hurt
Maybe the Liberals will go negative too. Maybe they'll bring up some old truths from the previous NDP rule:
Nanaimo Commonwealth Holdings Society
Dave Stupich
Fast Ferries
2 Fudgit Budgets
Windy Craggy
Carrier Lumber
50,000 people moved out of BC
BC became Have Not province
Economy First to Worst
BC became leader in business bankruptcies
Highest income tax rates in North America
Plenty of opportunity.
cghzd
3 years ago
Same old crap
The R man is peddling the same old crap piled higher and deeper. we've heard all this bs before.
Tell us about the German uber scows that float too high in the water, guzzel too much fuel and vibrate so bad windows shake a mile from where they are docked.Tell us again whose workers made the wages on these things??
Tell us again about the convention centre money pit that was almost a half a billion over budget or so they say?
Tell us about the big lie " WE WON"T SELL BC RAIL"!?? and the criminal proceedings as a resualt
Tell us about Accenture, the accounting Co.that was instrumental in the Enron debacle,that is banned from doing business in California,
and was just given ( with the help of Gord's buddy Patrick Kensella) a Billion and a half $ contract to help screw over bc hydro.
I could go on all night but the lope eared, flannel mouthed nut bars that support the Liebrels just stick their heads in the sand hoping the truth about these slease bags will go away.
It's beyond me why these flakes would support a monster like this that would probably sell his Grandmother for dog food if he figured he could get away with it.
Have a good look around at what you have now because if these morons get back in it will be all gone over the next four years.
Negative adds work. Why do you think most of the population watch these reality shows that feature the pain and suffering of others.
Negative adds are just an extension of what most people watch already because they enjoy it?