After my disgust over the attacks on Mr. Ignatieff's father abated somewhat I had to ask myself why the Conservative War Room would have taken such a direction.
Surely they really cannot believe it was a good idea. I do not know of anybody who would appreciate it if someone were to attack their dead father or grandfather, particularly if it were for personal gain. So why would they believe that such an attack would resonate with Canadians when it was directed at their chief political opponent?
If they would have done that in the heat of an election campaign I could imagine that it could have become the Harper Conservative's "reptilian kitten eater moment". In short they blundered and badly.
That is the type of blunder political parties make when they begin to feel the pressure of an election campaign that is slipping away from them. We have seen it before, Kim Campbell, Ernie Eves, and Paul Martin, just within the last 20 years.
If the attack was the result of the above it would speak volumes about the state of mind of the Conservatives going into a campaign. After all, if they make such blunders before an election campaign begins just imagine the potential for equally serious blunders if things begin to go awry during an actual campaign.
Stephen Harper won the last two elections because he imposed iron discipline on his party and its apparatus. Then again he was not really challenged during those elections so it was rather easy to do so. If Mr. Ignatieff turns out to be a greater challenge it will be interesting to see if he can maintain that discipline
It is going to be an interesting election campaign I think.
3 comments:
Sounds like you are grasping for anything
It is true that I hope that no-one would attack the legacy of my grandfather for their benefit ... but I surely wouldn't trot him out for my own personal gain either.
Eric that is Bull!!
We all like to talk about the relatives we respect whether dead or alive.
Hell, today I proudly explained something my paternal grandfather did over thirty years ago to a co-worker.
People can relate to others talking proudly about their fathers and grandfather because most of us do it.
They can also relate to Mr. Ignatieff's anger over Conservative attacks on his father because most people would not stand for it if it was their father they were talking about.
Rationalize it and deny it all you want but the Conservative war room made a serious blunder and the only solace Conservatives can take over it is they at least did not do it during the heat of an election campaign.
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