For months, the political consultants of Canada's ruling Conservative Party have been mercilessly pounding Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau as a naive, pretty-boy lightweight. These consultants are not letting up, but they are tweaking their approach.
National Post columnist John Ivison said their earlier swipes at Trudeau, including footage from a charity event where he took off his shirt, "created a backlash because Canadians find Trudeau likable."
"Didn't he say budgets balance themselves?" another woman asks rhetorically, recycling an attack Conservatives have used since last year, truncating a Trudeau remark, in which he argued that more economic growth would produce a balanced budget.
"So what are his policies?” asks one man. A South Asian man (notably included after a Liberal Party ad insinuated that the Conservatives were stoking anti-Muslim bigotry) disdainfully responds, "Legalizing marijuana… Is that the biggest problem we have to solve?"
"He has some growing up to do," concludes one of the women.
All of that is in line with past Conservative attacks, but near the end, the first woman declares, "I'm not saying 'no' forever, but not now." Ivison analyzes that this line is intended to soften the past attacks and acknowledge that many Canadians do feel warmly toward the son of a beloved former prime minister.
But the Conservatives can't let the ad end without one last elbow to the ribs. "Nice hair though," one of the men offers.
Whether or not the Conservatives properly recalibrated the tone of their attack strategy, the question still remains whether they hit the right target. The party leading in the polls right now is not the Liberals, but the farther left New Democratic Party, which is enjoying a boost after a surprise win in the Alberta provincial election. Perhaps Thomas Mulcair will be next on the Conservatives' list.
National Post columnist John Ivison said their earlier swipes at Trudeau, including footage from a charity event where he took off his shirt, "created a backlash because Canadians find Trudeau likable."
Conservatives Try To Soften Their Attack Against Justin Trudeau
The latest attack ad, "The Interview," shows four people sitting in an office reviewing "resumes" for a prime minister. "I see he's included his picture," one woman begins, quickly revisiting the "pretty-boy" criticism, but then wondering why there's "nothing about balancing a budget" in his experience section."Didn't he say budgets balance themselves?" another woman asks rhetorically, recycling an attack Conservatives have used since last year, truncating a Trudeau remark, in which he argued that more economic growth would produce a balanced budget.
"So what are his policies?” asks one man. A South Asian man (notably included after a Liberal Party ad insinuated that the Conservatives were stoking anti-Muslim bigotry) disdainfully responds, "Legalizing marijuana… Is that the biggest problem we have to solve?"
"He has some growing up to do," concludes one of the women.
Conservative Ad Concedes Justin Trudeau Will Eventually Be Prime Minister
All of that is in line with past Conservative attacks, but near the end, the first woman declares, "I'm not saying 'no' forever, but not now." Ivison analyzes that this line is intended to soften the past attacks and acknowledge that many Canadians do feel warmly toward the son of a beloved former prime minister.
But the Conservatives can't let the ad end without one last elbow to the ribs. "Nice hair though," one of the men offers.
Whether or not the Conservatives properly recalibrated the tone of their attack strategy, the question still remains whether they hit the right target. The party leading in the polls right now is not the Liberals, but the farther left New Democratic Party, which is enjoying a boost after a surprise win in the Alberta provincial election. Perhaps Thomas Mulcair will be next on the Conservatives' list.