The reason political campaign buses are so big is that there needs to be enough people to be used as scapegoats when things go wrong. And in all campaigns, winning or losing, things will go wrong. The infamous Murphy of Murphy’s Law rides on every bus.
A critical measure of any party leader is how he or she responds when the inevitable glitch happens. That response can be anything from a quiet word with the malefactor to the screeching halt of the bus to deposit you at the side of the road. At that point you might as well throw yourself under the bus. Your days as a campaign guru are over.
While there is usually a continuing effort to keep spirits up in a collegial atmosphere, a very clear hierarchy is determined early on the bus. And you stay away from the leader’s space unless you have a briefing responsibility. To be called forward to talk to the leader is an honour that is cherished.
But there are tensions and nail biting on that bus to last a lifetime. Those with media responsibilities keep their sanity by often riding in the follow-bus with the news media. There is enough tension there if the media feel you are going too far in spinning the day’s story. They can also be lavish in their ridicule when you try to rescue your guy from the day’s gaff on the platform.
Stephen Harper did Campaign Manager Jenni Byrne a favour sending her back to the Ottawa headquarters this past week. Obviously the spin on the story was not by any of her friends. That is a very soft landing though for a scapegoat. It should also be noted that if she really is the campaign manager, she should be running the campaign from the party headquarters anyway.
The media reported that the prime minister huddled with some pals in Toronto after that to review where the Conservative campaign was at. The first thing that is hard to believe is that Stephen Harper has pals!
What the dinner probably revealed is that the Conservative campaign is tanking. And what really upset these obviously wealthy ‘pals’ is the possibility of the foolish ads about the Liberal’s Trudeau being young helping Mulcair’s NDP, not the Conservatives.
But one of the firmest rules on the bus is the ‘Las Vegas Rule’ that what happens on the bus, stays on the bus. When a bus develops too many leaks, it usually means the entire campaign is about to go under.
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Copyright 2015 © Peter Lowry
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