US Republican strategist coaching Conservative Party. Holy S

[proudpegger]

Conservative Party of Canada dancing to tune of Frank Luntz – the USA Republican strategist

Tuesday, 18 July 2006

Is American Frank Luntz's advice the model for the Conservative Party of Canada?
snip

“Massaging the Conservative Message for Voters”

In May 2006 American Republican Strategist Frank Luntz met with Stephen Harper. Shortly after that meeting Preston Manning introduced Luntz to a gathernig of the “Civitas Society”, a powerful Canadian Conservative group that Harpers chief of staff is director of. Luntz gave a speech titled “Massaging the Conservative Message for Voters”, which consisted of communication tips for Conservatives to attain a majority in the next federal election. Among Mr. Luntz's advice: keep kicking at the Liberals. Keep up the accusations of corruption for another year, Luntz said.
Could that explain why the Conservatives can't deal with their current election financing controversy without pointing a finger at the Liberals?

snip

Another example of the Luntzian focus on “images and pictures” being exercised was the gst reduction. PM Stephen Harper used the occasion to attend a Giant Tiger store and flip some color cardboard props to signify the move from 7% gst to 6%. I can’t get that image out of my head, and if there’s anything negative about a 1% consumption tax cut (like how it cost businesses plenty of cash to enact and doesn’t help the poor as much as the rich) I can’t recall it. All I can see is Harper in the Giant Tiger with those pieces of cardboard. He would not answer questions during or afterwards, it was purely a photo opportunity. Journalists were anxious to ask him about the election finance controversy, which had just emerged, but were actually told: “Photo-op only guys, thank you.” by a PMO press aide.

http://allpoliticsnow.com/content/view/28/1 /

Pretty long, but educational. It talks about the Luntz memo to the Bush administration on environmental communication (i.e. don't say "global warming" say "climate change") which I've noticed the CPC seems to be following. Manipulating the message on the environment, nice.

There's also fascinating video interview of Luntz at the end of the article that is kind of spooky. The guy takes a smirking pleasure in his manipulation techniques.

 

[EastSideScotian]

RE: US Republican strateg

OOOOOO NOOOOOO.....That means all conservitives in Canada will be like bush......Oh wait....It means nothing

 

[proudpegger]

Re: RE: US Republican strateg

OOOOOO NOOOOOO.....That means all conservitives in Canada will be like bush......Oh wait....It means nothing

I think it means we're being manipulated like children with techniques developed by Luntz through focus groups and polling.

It doesn't mean the CPC will be just like the Bush admin, but it means they will use the same types of PR techniques.

 

[Kreskin]

RE: US Republican strategist coaching Conservative Party. Ho

Lets refer to the earth "temperature challenged".

 

[gc]

RE: US Republican strateg

Based on some of those "strategies", it would appear that Luntz et al. thinks Canadians & Americans are stupid. How many people are actually going to believe what bush and harper say just because they use repitition and choice words & images? I hope that people will learn the facts and make their own decisions regardless of what is hammered into us. The fact that Luntz thinks this will work on someone like me is insulting my intelligence, and the intelligence of every Canadian & American voter. How about strategizing on the issues and leave the "image" out of it.

 

[Simpleton]

Re: RE: US Republican strateg

OOOOOO NOOOOOO.....That means all conservitives in Canada will be like bush......Oh wait....It means nothing

I think it means we're being manipulated like children with techniques developed by Luntz through focus groups and polling.

It doesn't mean the CPC will be just like the Bush admin, but it means they will use the same types of PR techniques.

I certainly hope that the CPC doesn't resort to the same kind of tactics as American politicians. I don't think that Canadians feel the same level of patriotism as our American cousins, and there definitely isn't the same kind of divisive passion in Canada as there is in the United States.

On the whole, I think most Canadians see through self-serving propaganda and manipulation. I think Canadians are a little more abject in their opinions and on what basis they're willing to form opinions. Let's also remember that Canadians have many more political choices than the Americans do. If the CPC alienates any portion of their conservative base, that base doesn't necessarily have to resort to the Liberals, as Americans must do, to register displeasure.

Canada is an entirely different animal politically...

 

[proudpegger]

Re: RE: US Republican strateg

Based on some of those "strategies", it would appear that Luntz et al. thinks Canadians & Americans are stupid. How many people are actually going to believe what bush and harper say just because they use repitition and choice words & images? I hope that people will learn the facts and make their own decisions regardless of what is hammered into us.

I think you underestimate the evil genious that is Frank Luntz.

It's not a matter of being "stupid", it's a matter of unconscious reaction to words and phrases.

 

[Freethinker]

Re: RE: US Republican strateg

I certainly hope that the CPC doesn't resort to the same kind of tactics as American politicians. I don't think that Canadians feel the same level of patriotism as our American cousins, and there definitely isn't the same kind of divisive passion in Canada as there is in the United States.

The key omitted word here is "Yet". The USA wasn't as divisive in the Clinton era (though still more than Canada). I joined this board in 2006 because of the federal election. In my estimation Harper will win a Majority next election. Harper is very cagey all on his own, he understands the strategies used down south and will duplicate them here. He will go after wedge issues and create divisions where they don't exist today.

Multiple parties are not an advantage for us, only for Stephen Harper. There are multiple center left parties. But only one party covers center-right. So now we have a divided left and a united right.

We never faced political divisions like this before because we had very similar parties before. We never had a real right wing party like this in power before. Get ready for us to emulate the USA in this during the CPC majority government coming soon.

The divisiveness that this government will bring is worse than almost any other damage they will do. I am not looking forward to it.

I think you are being naive if you think you will be looking at other than a Conservative Majority next time around.

Harper is putting on a good show this time around, and he is already using large parts of the Rebublican play book. Keeping media away from most of the party, only giving press interviews on his terms. Throw in the strong economy which has nothing to do with him, but in Canada the party in power goes up from that.

I predict two majority governments for Harper. Canada will look a lot more like the USA after that. A lot more political divisiveness, a lot more government interference in moral issues (abortion, birth control, gay marriage), and increase in corporate rights and a drop in individual rights.

If you wondered how the USA elected Bush twice, it will be just like we elect Harper twice despite being a much more center-left nation.

 

[proudpegger]

Re: RE: US Republican strateg


You win the "off-topic tangent" award.

 

[FiveParadox]

Re: Republican-Conservative Contrasts

proudpegger[/i]]You win the "off-topic tangent" award.

I quite disagree, proudpegger; in a thread such as this, comparing the strategies of the Conservative Party of Canada and the Republic Party of the United States of America, comparisons between election trends would be quite on-topic; and, in fact, I would agree with the premise of the above post (that of freethinker).

 

[BitWhys]

RE: US Republican strategist coaching Conservative Party. Ho

I dunno. Polls have the Cons basically spinning their wheels and they haven't even touched the two most important issues that really matter to people. Or the one that stuffed the coffers. On top of that many among those who would vote for them still don't want a Conservative majority so once the Liberals have their brand name dusted off its a whole new ballgame.

He's hoping Parliament falls in September over the lumber deal. From what I can see its really his only hope. After that he's running on empty.

 

[BitWhys]

RE: US Republican strategist coaching Conservative Party. Ho

oh yeah

and let's not forget there's a Conservative funding scandal in the works.

 

[Simpleton]

Re: RE: US Republican strateg

I certainly hope that the CPC doesn't resort to the same kind of tactics as American politicians. I don't think that Canadians feel the same level of patriotism as our American cousins, and there definitely isn't the same kind of divisive passion in Canada as there is in the United States.

The key omitted word here is "Yet". The USA wasn't as divisive in the Clinton era (though still more than Canada). I joined this board in 2006 because of the federal election. In my estimation Harper will win a Majority next election. Harper is very cagey all on his own, he understands the strategies used down south and will duplicate them here. He will go after wedge issues and create divisions where they don't exist today.

Multiple parties are not an advantage for us, only for Stephen Harper. There are multiple center left parties. But only one party covers center-right. So now we have a divided left and a united right.

We never faced political divisions like this before because we had very similar parties before. We never had a real right wing party like this in power before. Get ready for us to emulate the USA in this during the CPC majority government coming soon.

The divisiveness that this government will bring is worse than almost any other damage they will do. I am not looking forward to it.

I think you are being naive if you think you will be looking at other than a Conservative Majority next time around.

Harper is putting on a good show this time around, and he is already using large parts of the Rebublican play book. Keeping media away from most of the party, only giving press interviews on his terms. Throw in the strong economy which has nothing to do with him, but in Canada the party in power goes up from that.

I predict two majority governments for Harper. Canada will look a lot more like the USA after that. A lot more political divisiveness, a lot more government interference in moral issues (abortion, birth control, gay marriage), and increase in corporate rights and a drop in individual rights.

If you wondered how the USA elected Bush twice, it will be just like we elect Harper twice despite being a much more center-left nation.

I don't see it happening. I think the only way Canada is going to see a majority Conservative government on the next ballot, is if the Liberal party selects a really awful leader. Personally, I'm expecting one of two possibilities in the next election:

1) The Conservative party will receive another minority government.

2) The pendulum will swing back to the Liberal party, who will form another minority government.

I don't see the Green party as gaining any real traction in Canada. The NDP will always be a fringe party federally. The Bloc is not going to endure too much erosion in Quebec. And the Liberal Party will remain the only real viable alternative to the "so-called" Conservative experiment.

After a long-serving corrupt Liberal government, Canadians are not going to be too trusting of a cagey Conservative government that keeps secrets and shuns the media. On the contrary, they would only be feeding the Liberal spin doctors in their allegations of a "hidden agenda."

Canada is not at war, like the USA is. Canadians realize that Canada was not attacked, and has no need to defend itself against any foreign country. Harper will never have the national defense card to play -- a card that was probably most responsible for President Bush's second win.

The lack of a national defense card, makes it difficult for Harper's government to play the secrecy game. Canadians are already overly weary and sketical of governments playing the secrecy game; secrecy means corruption.

I guess that's about all I have to offer on this topic for the time being.

 

[Freethinker]

RE: US Republican strategist coaching Conservative Party. Ho

Simpleton,

I sincerely hope you are the correct one. Because I don't want to see the kind of divisiveness of the USA in Canada. Not to mention increasing corporate power (already too high).

Let's pick up during the next election.

 

[BitWhys]

RE: US Republican strategist coaching Conservative Party. Ho

I LIKE minority governments. At least this one turning the Accountability Act into something reasonable. I don't even mind having the right at the helm for now but so far all we've managed to do in abandon a dithering PM for a grandstanding one.

I'm not worried out Luntz. His big advice to them was to keep contrasting themselves with the Liberals but that's already starting to come off as if the Cons can't stand on their own two feet.

 

[gc]

RE: US Republican strateg

I pretty much agree with Simpleton. I don't see a majority government in the near future, unless the liberals choose a real lousy leader. Whether it is a minority or a majority will probably depend on who the liberals choose as their leader. If they choose bob rae, god help us because they will loose seats in Ontario and the conservatives could get a majority. If the liberals are smart and choose Kennedy, I think it's quite possible that the liberals will win at least a minority. I sure hope that Simpleton is right and Freethinker is wrong (no offense Freethinker).

 

[BitWhys]

RE: US Republican strategist coaching Conservative Party. Ho

You're right about Rae. I don't live in Ontario which means so far its none of my business and I don't know the details but from all the way over in Manitoba and a few thousand pages of theory later he really doesn't look all that bad.

he chairs a good research group. haven't got the link handy.

 

[Finder]

Re: RE: US Republican strateg

I certainly hope that the CPC doesn't resort to the same kind of tactics as American politicians. I don't think that Canadians feel the same level of patriotism as our American cousins, and there definitely isn't the same kind of divisive passion in Canada as there is in the United States.

The key omitted word here is "Yet". The USA wasn't as divisive in the Clinton era (though still more than Canada). I joined this board in 2006 because of the federal election. In my estimation Harper will win a Majority next election. Harper is very cagey all on his own, he understands the strategies used down south and will duplicate them here. He will go after wedge issues and create divisions where they don't exist today.

Multiple parties are not an advantage for us, only for Stephen Harper. There are multiple center left parties. But only one party covers center-right. So now we have a divided left and a united right.

We never faced political divisions like this before because we had very similar parties before. We never had a real right wing party like this in power before. Get ready for us to emulate the USA in this during the CPC majority government coming soon.

The divisiveness that this government will bring is worse than almost any other damage they will do. I am not looking forward to it.

I think you are being naive if you think you will be looking at other than a Conservative Majority next time around.

Harper is putting on a good show this time around, and he is already using large parts of the Rebublican play book. Keeping media away from most of the party, only giving press interviews on his terms. Throw in the strong economy which has nothing to do with him, but in Canada the party in power goes up from that.

I predict two majority governments for Harper. Canada will look a lot more like the USA after that. A lot more political divisiveness, a lot more government interference in moral issues (abortion, birth control, gay marriage), and increase in corporate rights and a drop in individual rights.

If you wondered how the USA elected Bush twice, it will be just like we elect Harper twice despite being a much more center-left nation.

However many of us on the centre left and left feel that the liberals while in power, do make a few jesters here and there to left left but are only another big business party, which they are and will always be. The only time the Liberal party is Left of Centre is during an election, then after getting elected we watch has promises are never followed threw with, cut backs are made across the board, corperate welfare goes up.

I agree it's time to have only one centre left party, but I don't agree it should be the Liberals. I may supposedly have many of the same beliefs as the liberals claime to have as I am a centre-leftist, but I will never vote for the Liberal party of Canada. That is why in my opinion we should either have democratic reform, in a sence where we could form NDP-Liberal governments because of the vote or well, I will always support the Democratic party no matter how much either party may say it splits the vote.

 

[proudpegger]

Re: US Republican strategist coaching Conservative Party. Ho

I am a lesser of two evils kind of person, and if I have to choose between Stephen Harper and his band of homophobic, anti-environment Frank Luntz trained Conservatives and the Liberals I am taking the Liberals.

But that is another thread.

This thread is on the sociopathic influence of Frank Luntz on the Conservative party.

 

[Freethinker]

Re: RE: US Republican strateg

I sure hope that Simpleton is right and Freethinker is wrong (no offense Freethinker).

None taken, since I hope the same thing.

I dunno. Polls have the Cons basically spinning their wheels and they haven't even touched the two most important issues that really matter to people. .

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=40bc8a42-eb4c-488d-bcec-c576a99eb49d

OTTAWA -- Prime Minister Stephen Harper's popularity in B.C. has soared a whopping 21 points -- to 66 per cent -- according to the latest Ipsos Reid poll, indicating the controversy over his appointment of former Liberal David Emerson to his Conservative cabinet is dying.

"Harper's approval rating is way up," said Darrell Bricker, president of Ipsos Reid Public Affairs. "These are Chretien-type numbers by reaching the 60s. Paul Martin didn't know what the 60s looked like," Bricker said. "It's a bounce back from the Emerson situation. That was Harper's low water mark."

The prime minister's national approval rating has also increased -- eight percentage points to 62 per cent

I agree it's time to have only one centre left party, but I don't agree it should be the Liberals. I may supposedly have many of the same beliefs as the liberals claime to have as I am a centre-leftist, but I will never vote for the Liberal party of Canada. That is why in my opinion we should either have democratic reform, in a sence where we could form NDP-Liberal governments because of the vote or well, I will always support the Democratic party no matter how much either party may say it splits the vote.

A perfect example of why we will have a CPC majority. While the Liberals may not be center left by your defintion, they are compared to the world stage and compared to down south. They are left of the US democrats on many policies.

If they go too far left they would lose my vote. I consider myself center left, but the extreme left loses touch with reality IMO and I want none of that. The perfect example is the current ME crisis. Any Liberal leader that joins the radical left in the moral equivalence game between Israel and Terrorists will cost the party my vote and I think a large swath of the center will move to Stephen Harper.

Harper is essentially Bush and Rove rolled into one person. Smart, politically strategic, and 100% convinced he is doing the proper thing. He worries me more than Bush.

I think even with a good liberal leader it will be a fight to keep Harper to a Minority. Harper is just making all the right moves, making inroads everywhere.

I have never suffered from wishfull thinking. I see things the way they are. And I see Harper scoring points everywhere.