Ontario television viewers saw a new attack advertisement the other day. It looked like another attack advertisement by the Conservatives. And it was. It was just not by the federal Conservatives but by our Conservative Lights in Ontario. Even so, why does it not work the same?
The Ontario Conservatives must have been so impressed with the federal Conservative attack ads that they had the same people do one for provincial politics. The problem is that it is not very creative. All it does is remind viewers that the Ontario Liberals cancelled a couple of gas-fuelled power plants and did not really know how much it cost. The ad forgets to mention that the Conservatives were also supporting the local NIMBY’s who were opposed to the plants. Attack ads are so much easier for people with convenient memories.
However Federal Leader Stephen Harper cannot help Provincial Leader Tiny Tim Hudak. The Ontario Conservative Leader has to help himself. When you look like a loser, act like a loser, voters start to think that maybe you are a loser. And that is Timmy’s problem. He has never seriously looked at how a successful politician handles himself.
Mind you, with a mentor such as former premier Michael Harris setting the bar for him, Tiny Tim was in trouble before he started.
Hudak has been hoping that the voters are so tired of the Liberals that they will elect him. That kind of thinking could elect the Ontario New Democrats under Andrea Horwath.
When you think about it, Hudak has a couple attributes in common with Harper. They both took economics in college. Neither has ever done any work related to economics. And they both have all the charm, personality and warmth of ice sculptures.
There are two facts that are keeping the Liberals in power in Ontario and neither have anything to do with Ontario Liberal Leader Kathleen Wynne. The first of these facts is NDP Leader Andrea Horwath. If that lady had one gram of leadership in her, she would never have supported the Wynne government’s budget. She had a duty to give this province the election it needs to clear the air.
And the other fact keeping Kathleen Wynne in power is the inadequacy of the leadership of the provincial Conservatives. If the Tories intend to keep Timmy around for another election, they might as well get it over with.
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Copyright 2013 © Peter Lowry
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