Trudeau: The Fighter Let’s start with the view of how Tom Mulcair behaved in the Munk foreign policy debate, from Gerald Caplan: But if I remove my mask of detachment, I must report that it was not at all the night the NDP needed to recover its faded lead. But there’s still three weeks . . . → Read More: CuriosityCat: The Debates: Who won, who lost, and why  Comments are closed   2015 election, brand, framing, Justin Trudeau, political debates, stephen harper, The Fighter, Tom Mulcair, Trudeau Brand
Let’s start with the view of how Tom Mulcair behaved in the Munk foreign policy debate, from Gerald Caplan:
And Caplan’s conclusion about Mulcair’s performance in the debates?
The Two Big Dogs & The Kid: Eric Morse has a good summary of the Munk Debate:
That reflects the reality of all the political debates. They all had political blood in it. The betting by most commentators prior to the first debate was that the order of competency in debating was clear: Harper was the Big Dog. Then, close on his heels, came Mulcair. And Trudeau? Most thought it would be a victory for him if he did not fall flat on his face while walking to the podium; once there, if he did not collapse like a squeaky and ill-tied birthday balloon; and during the one-on-one segments, if he could snatch a small portion of the air time away from the two debatemeisters. What went wrong? The main thing that happened to the two Big Dogs was that they underestimated the competence of Justin Trudeau. Way back in January this year, Samuel Getachew got it right:
And Brian Mulroney warned the Conservatives in early October of this same strategic blunder:
He said he considered Mr. Trudeau’s father to be a “very tough, able man,” adding, “You know, the apple sometimes doesn’t fall far from the tree. He certainly has some of the grit of his dad, and he’s obviously got, as well, he obviously has some of the qualities required to win an election.” The War of the Brands – The Fighter versus the Not Yet Ready Kid: Trudeau summed up his view this way:
Which brings me to the Battle of the Brands. Trudeau has clearly won this battle. Harper spent a fortune trying to frame Trudeau as the son of wealth, without intrinsic judgment, and just “not ready.” And how did Trudeau react? By putting up his own brand against the Harper framing. And that brand reached back into his youthful days, when he started boxing. He burst out of the leadership gate with his boxing match against a bigger, heavier, supposedly better boxer. He trained hard; kept his counsel; and then whipped the man everybody thought would beat him. And in doing so established the brand of Trudeau the Fighter. Note that before every debate, the media gets the chance to see Trudeau in a boxing ring. That’s not just by chance. Trudeau is reinforcing his brand as The Fighter every time he does this. And it works in three ways. First, it works for him. His stints in the ring before every debate shore up his own view of himself as a fighter. When he ran for MP in a riding that was not a Liberal stronghold, he fought hard. He did his homework (training). He spent time speaking to voters in the riding (personal research). He built up a membership from scratch, and kept it running like a well oiled machine (setting targets and dedication). Secondly, both Mulcair and Harper had fallen into the trap that so often catches married couples in a loveless marriage: they cannot stand each other, but need each other to define themselves. With Harper isolating himself from any real contact with real people (his almost paranoid meetings with pre-vetted party members; his setting limits to media questions; his banning other MPs in his party from saying anything in public except PMO speaking points; his performances in question period in the House, carefully scripted and supported by mindless baying of otherwise voiceless MPs), he is ill-equipped for any real debate. And with Mulcair being the leader of the opposition, with the right to most air time in the House after Harper, the trap was set for both men. They fought each other, in the abnormal conditions of Question Period in the House. No real free for all debate, but set times on set topics. Mulcair relished this because he saw it as putting Trudeau in the shadows, and allowing Canadians to see the only two genuine contenders for PM in action in the House. With every question period, the webs of the trap around these two men were spun tighter and tighter. They bought into their assessments that really they were the only two genuine contenders for the top job in the nation. Despite the warnings not to underestimate Trudeau, neither Harper Mulcair took him seriously. And they still don’t. So when Trudeau the Fighter stepped into the debate rings, he surprised both men, and many Canadians. He fought. And he fought skillfully, with a rapid mind, a lot of homework, and a value system that was his own pathfinder in his political career. He attacked, much to the surprise of Harper and Mulcair, who both expected him to know his place, wait his turn, and try not to fall flat on his face. And when he was attacked, much to their surprise he counter punched, devastatingly and with great impact. Harper and Mulcair expected to pound a schoolboy into submission with a few hard blows, and then turn back to each other as the main show. Instead, they found themselves outfought by the young man they had underestimated. Trudeau outfought them on debate content. He outfought them on debate style. He outfought them on debate preparation. He outfought them on debate sound bites. He outfought them on choice of battlegrounds. He outfought them on vitality. And now it is too late for both these two, tired, beaten men. . . . → Read More: CuriosityCat: The Debates: Who won, who lost, and why Comments are closed 2015 election, brand, framing, Justin Trudeau, political debates, stephen harper, The Fighter, Tom Mulcair, Trudeau Brand Abacus has a poll out on September 27 that has very bad news for Mulcair’s NDP. The NDP support in Quebec, its heartland, has plunged over the past week, dropping like a stone, while the other parties are ticking upwards: And this anti-Orange Wave has dragged the NDP down nationally as well: In Battleground . . . → Read More: CuriosityCat: Is an anti-Orange Wave rising in Quebec? Abacus has a poll out on September 27 that has very bad news for Mulcair’s NDP. The NDP support in Quebec, its heartland, has plunged over the past week, dropping like a stone, while the other parties are ticking upwards:  And this anti-Orange Wave has dragged the NDP down nationally as well:  In Battleground Ontario, the race has become a two-party race since the middle of August, with the Conservatives and Liberals slugging it out, and Mulcair’s roll-the-dice read my lips: no deficits gambit causing NDP support to slide:  Ontario voters believe that the main job of any national government is to protect the economy, and to make it grow. Mulcair shed the confidence of many when he decided to turn himself into an economic HarperLite candidate; he will not regain that confidence because there is nothing he can do now to change his fatal choice. What went wrong for Mulcair? It’s really very simple. Tom Mulcair should have studied Tony Blair’s leadership of the UK’s New Labour Party with just a little bit more application. Mulcair inherited from Jack Layton a party that was really a party of protest, not of government: the same problem that faced Blair. But Blair set about changing the Labour Party in a different manner to that adopted by Mulcair. Very early on, Blair understood that his party had to change, in order to appeal to a wider group of voters. As he put it in his autobiography, A Journey: My Political Life:
The crux of the matter was the Labour Party and the economy; this was enshrined in the party’s constitution, that called for nationalization of assets. Here’s Blair’s take on just how deep the change in his party had to be:
Mulcair faced the same problem: how to modernize what was essentially a kind of aged hippy protest movement into a lean, mean fighting machine that would appeal to a wide swathe of Canadian – and very conservative economically – voters. Mulcair changed the constitution of the NDP to slice out similar nationalization and anti-capitalistic policies and values, true. But in the process, he failed to communicate the essence of the change to enough voters – especially in vote-rich Ontario. He was too muted; the party slid the changes through and then kept quiet about it. My guess is that Mulcair did not want a vigorous public debate about the nature of the changes within the NDP, because he feared this could split the party and there was not much time left before the next election. Mulcair should have shouted from the rooftops how much the NDP had changed, taking a leaf from what Blair learned from the best politician of the past fifty years, Bill Clinton:
Mulcair has not done that, and he has run out of time to do it. Blair had a vigorous internal debate within the Labour Party, and finally forced through the changes, setting the signposts for the election campaign:
Mulcair seems to be lacking a similar pathfinder for the NDP in this election. He has been left straddling the old NDP and the new NDP he has tried to forge. And he has not been helped by the publication of a manifesto by diehard socialists, slap bang in the middle of the election, that seem to many to deny the shift Mulcair has pushed for. So when Mulcair announced read my lips: no deficits, he had not prepared the soil enough for these seeds. The party itself seemed surprised by this channeling of Bush Senior; and his anxiety to appear “safe” economically with this mantra, simply forced him into the straitjacket of a visionless plan for the next four years. This duality was noticed in Ontario, and many made up their minds that having Mulcair control the country, with all the vast power that our prime ministers have under our style of government, was a high risk choice. Read my lips: no deficitsachieved the opposite result from what Mulcair wanted it to. It increased the perception of a leader who would say anything to get elected, rather than reassured voters who desperately wanted change. The polls show this change in Ontario. That change is set, now. In Quebec, something else has happened. Jack Layton was admired for his personal attributes, and became the non-politician of choice as compared to Harper and Duceppe and others. The Orange Wave was not just a protest wave against the sterility of the Bloc-Conservative way of doing things; it was also a vote for a man and his values. Tom Mulcair is no Jack Layton, and voters in Quebec are now sifting through the differences. Mulcair’s passion is hard-edged, while Layton’s passion was softer, more personal. Mulcair’s pathfinder is not as clear as Layton’s was: you knew with Layton what his basic values were, and felt confident that he would take the country to places consistent with those values. His heart led his values. Voters in Quebec are not so sure where Mulcair’s heart would lead them, and so they are changing their minds about the NDP as a viable choice for Quebec, and for Canada. The decisions of the changed blocks of voters in Ontario and Quebec have now altered the election. The range of choices is narrower now. . . . → Read More: CuriosityCat: Is an anti-Orange Wave rising in Quebec? The presentation of the Liberal plan leaves something to be desired, with the Conservatives blethering about a $6.5 billion hole that will be filled with tax increases on the middle class and on seniors, and the NDP just going on about everything in general. Here’s one explanation in Macleans of the incredible shrinking hole . . . → Read More: CuriosityCat: If the “hole” in the Liberal 4-year Plan is not $6.5 billion, then explain how big it is So what is in the Liberal spending plan? You can find the plan itself at this site. The plan is well-written, with a clear explanation of the principles that underlie it, a good layout of the major expenditure and revenue items, and a comparison of the different governance values that drive the Liberal plan . . . → Read More: CuriosityCat: Quick summary of the Liberal 4-year Plan When Canadians reflect on the success of the Liberal Party in gaining power in the October 19 election, many will not know how important one issue was in gaining that victory. Nor will many Canadians know who was the mastermind behind that winning issue. Thanks to one of the masterful journalists who write in . . . → Read More: CuriosityCat: The Biggest Wedge Issue in the 2015 Canadian election campaign Comments are closed 2015 election, framing, Gerald Butts, Justin Trudeau, MacLean's, martin patriquin, political campaigns, Tom Mulcair, wedge issue Lynton Crosby, The Wizard of Oz: Not here for you He’s only here for one man: Stephen Harper, as cloned by the Wizard of Oz . . . → Read More: CuriosityCat: Lynton Crosby: Canada, he’s not here for you The kiss of death? The latest Nanos poll for CTV shows a three way split between the LPC, CPC and NDP. However, the Liberal grip on their heartland of Atlantic Canada remains firm; while the NDP has a clear majority in Quebec. The key battleground is now the biggest province, Ontario. Here’s the Nanos . . . → Read More: CuriosityCat: Battleground Ontario is moving into Liberal camp says Nanos Comments are closed 2015 election, deficits, framing, Justin Trudeau, Nick Nanos, political polls, thomas mulcair When even Conservative supporters in the media start musing with friends about the possibility of a collapse in the Harper Conservative Party vote on October 19, you know that the drip-drip-drip of wet deposits from chickens coming home to roost is attracting attention: Talking to a Liberal friend Wednesday evening, we mused on whether . . . → Read More: CuriosityCat: Harper’s ‘New’ Conservatives Slow-Motion Implosion Comments are closed 2015 election, Duffy scandal, framing, Justin Trudeau, political campaigns, Political Courage, stephen harper, thomas mulcair Mulcair took a dangerous step with his pledge not to go into deficit: Despite the low price of oil and Monday’s tumultuous day on the markets, Mulcair said he does not foresee having to go into the red. “We’re of course going to finish the fiscal year on Mr. Harper’s watch – 2015-16 is . . . → Read More: CuriosityCat: Justin Trudeau, the King of Growth, leads with honesty Let loose the reptiles Here’s what I think is a really really good analysis of Trumpmania, from the August 22 New York Times: But the breadth of Mr. Trump’s coalitionis surprising at a time of religious, ideological and geographic divisions in the Republican Party. It suggests he has the potential to outdo the flash-in-the-pan . . . → Read More: CuriosityCat: Trump: Finally, someone gets it Comments are closed 2016 presidential election, archetypes, donald trump, framing, Hillary Clinton, moses, Rapaille, Senator Elizabeth Warren Dianne Watts, Leader of the Opposition? With poll after poll showing the most likely election result in our federal election on October 19 will be a majority of seats held by the opposition parties, the NDP and LPC, the chances of Stephen Harper remaining as prime minister are slim to zero. There might be . . . → Read More: CuriosityCat: Look for Ms Clean to replace Harper as Leader of the Opposition on October 20 Comments are closed 2015 election, Dianne Watts, Duffy scandal, framing, political leadership, stephen harper PM Stephen Harper, the leader of the “Harper Government”, is on trial by the public for the manner in which he governed his Prime Minister’s Office (the PMO), while senator Duffy is facing 31 charges in his criminal trial. That there are two trials is undeniable, despite the PM’s attempt to only talk about . . . → Read More: CuriosityCat: Duffy scandal: The differences between the Duffy Trial and the Harper (Governance) Public Trial Harper defence to Trial #2 Here’s what Harper is saying in response to questions about the senior advisors and senators involved in a cover up of the real facts in the Duffy senate expenses scandal: The Conservative leader refused to respond to direct questions whether Novak had his support and would remain involved . . . → Read More: CuriosityCat: Duffy Scandal: PM Harper does not get it that there is a second trial going on The Plausible Deniability chickens come home Stephen Harper, blinking furiously, tries to stick to his two self-chosen ballot box questions (security and economic growth), while disregarding question after question about what he knew about the cesspool of misdirection and lies that a group of senior Conservatives indulged in while trying to make the Duffy . . . → Read More: CuriosityCat: Duffy trial: Nigel Wright and Emails change the ballot box question Comments are closed 2015 election, ballot box question, Donald Bayne, framing, Senate Expenses Scandal, Senator Duffy, stephen harper Barrister Bayne, Duffy and Nigel Wright chronicleherald Yesterday Donald Bayne, the bulldog barrister acting for senator Duffy in Duffy’s criminal trial, focused on an email that Nigel Wright, the prime minister’s former chief of staff, had not disclosed as part of the 400 plus pages of email data dump. Found here, in Macleans delightfully . . . → Read More: CuriosityCat: The Duffy Senate trial: The Missing Prime Minister “Shut Down” Email Comments are closed 2015 election, Donald Bayne, framing, Nigel Wright, Political Corruption, Senator Duffy, stephen harper Professor Rapaille, archetype guru We first heard about the creativity of disruption in the 1950’s when Joseph Schumpeter revealed his theory: According to Schumpeter, creative destruction describes the “process of industrial mutation that incessantly revolutionizes the economic structure from within, incessantly destroying the old one, incessantly creating a new one”. A few years ago, . . . → Read More: CuriosityCat: Trump would be the Disruptive Presidency that the USA needs About to grasp the McQuaig nettle? One of the NDP’s prize candidates has opened a can of worms that Mulcair wishes was not opened. Here’s one report on what Mulcair said, trying to douse the flames (note the part I have bolded and reddened): He pledged that an NDP government would bring in . . . → Read More: CuriosityCat: Linda McQuaig’s nettle gift to Tom Mulcair Comments are closed 2015 election, cap and trade, carbon tax, framing, global warming, Linda McQuaig, thomas mulcair The Luntz Nightmare … Poor Frank Luntz! He’s got his knickers in a knot about Donald Trump’s Patton-like charge across the 2016 Republican convention battleground: And you look at the Trump situation, where he can say just about anything, and it doesn’t seem to affect his support. It is not about issues, it . . . → Read More: CuriosityCat: Frank Luntz and his very own Trumpenstein Possible debaters So Mulcair has decided he will only debate if the prime minister is debating? And Harper has decided not to debate in a forum that would attract the widest public viewership. This leaves the Liberals twisting in the wind. Or does it? One of the secrets of martial arts is to use . . . → Read More: CuriosityCat: How Trudeau can remove the debate veto imposed by Harper and Mulcair A key statistic is not who favours what party before election day, but how many voters actually cast a vote on that day. Seniors vote. Younger voters don’t vote in the same proportions. The latest EKOS poll explains why Stephen Harper will be Prime Minister on September 20, 2015, leading a minority government: Neither the . . . → Read More: CuriosityCat: Election: EKOS poll – Seniors will return Harper to power as Prime Minister Comments are closed 2015 election, coalition, cooperation, ekos, framing, Justin Trudeau, stephen harper, Tom Mulcair Seems the Trudeau attack ad works with Conservatives but is making NDP supporters think about voting for Trudeau’s Liberals: A Conservative Party attack ad targeting Liberal leader Justin Trudeau for being “just not ready” to lead the country is actually working to convince Canadians to vote for him, a Forum Research poll has discovered. . . . → Read More: CuriosityCat: Harper’s Just Not Ready attack boomerangs! Trump’s Powerful Slogan Chances are very high right now that in early November 2016 we will find that Donald Trump will be the next president of the USA, after narrowly beating Hilary Clinton in the election. And the symbol of his meteoric rise to the most powerful elected position in the world will be . . . → Read More: CuriosityCat: Donald Trump will become President in 2016 Mister 100 Percent Satisified Move aside, YouTube: here come the new, improved Harper Tories’ Vanity Videos, made especially for every Canadian voter: Employment Minister Pierre Poilievre won’t apologize for using taxpayer dollars to produce YouTube videos of himself promoting the universal child care benefit.Poilievre insisted Friday that he’s simply using innovative ways to inform . . . → Read More: CuriosityCat: Vanity Videos and the Morphing of the Tories | ||||
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