Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Negative Attack Ads & 2013 BC Election

Update -- Vancouver Sun political columnist Vaughn Palmer looks at this topic here

In his column today - Vancouver Province political columnist Mike Smyth reports that the BC Liberals are intending to continue their TV ads, in light of the recent Angus Reid poll which indicates that the BC Liberals are on the way up even from 2011 while the NDP are starting to come down but still hold a commanding 15 point lead but as Mr. Smyth points out:

Big leads rarely hold up in B.C. politics. It always gets closer.

Even former BC NDP Leader Carole James (Victoria-Beacon Hill) has recently said herself that the current lead over the BC Liberals will come down, in her opinion, as we get closer towards writ day (April 13th)

Read his column here

Mr. Smyth also made mention that the BC Liberals are, according to his sources, looking at the last Manitoba election ad campaign by the Manitoba NDP.  Even though most members of the general public don't like it -- there is plenty of evidence that negative political ads do work.  One example is how long Stephane Dion lasted as Federal Liberal Party Leader after being hounded by negative ads by the Federal Conservatives'

Even though BC NDP Leader Adrian Dix has said his Party will not go negative and he had hoped that his supporters' within the labour movement won't do the same - I expect "Third Parties" to launch ad campaigns in support of their favorite political party.  In the case of the BC Fed of Labour - I firmly expect them to launch negative, pro-NDP ads while the group "Concerned Citizens for BC" will obviously be campaigning to have the BC Liberals' in office for a 4th term

View one such ad by the Manitoba NDP against then-Manitoba Progressive Conservative Leader Hugh McFadyen below:





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