In brief, I saw this very good analysis by Steve on the diminishing returns this “go negative all the time” strategy the Conservatives are employing that even has some of their Blogging Tory faithful questioning its effectiveness, and I’ll just add this: I think in some of these “10 percenter” ads the Cons have been employing, they ARE trying to list accomplishments of the positive variety that this government has done since in power, but the problem is that they’re not even able to do THAT without throwing negativity into the mix. Read the Collingwood paper in Helena Guergis’s riding (as pointed out by Impolitical) being critical of its tone:
Much of the language used is emotionally-and politically-charged, highlighting Conservative ‘achievements’ while targetting Liberal ‘failures’ during that party’s 13 years at the helm. The mailings also include a ’survey’, asking of the four relevant party leaders, who is on “the right track” with whatever issue that particular 10 percenter is tackling. The survey has a return address–not to Guergis’ office, but to the Conservative Research Group, essentially the Conservative Party’s propaganda arm…Not only should the frequency be geared down — especially, it appears, in Simcoe-Grey — but the language that goes into the content of these mailings need to be toned down…we want clear information, not political rhetoric.
In otherwards, they’re TRYING to be positive, but they just don’ know how. They essentially still have the mindset of an opposition party even as they’re the government.
