The Political Prisoner’s Dilemma
Let’s double back to Karl Nerenberg’s take on the opposition parties’ messages in Canada’s federal election and point out how it relates to a classic decision-making hypothetical, the prisoner’s dilemma.…
strategy
On continuing opportunities
Let’s answer Greg Lyle’s headline question as simply and concisely as possible: No. The NDP’s opportunity in the ongoing federal campaign has never involved the ability to move the election…
Lies and the lying liars who tell them
Ideally, this would be the end of the story when it comes to Stephen Harper’s callous and desperate attempt to claim the Terry Fox Foundation’s reputation for his own. But…
Trampling the message
So apparently the Harper Cons are panicking mid-campaign and throwing out years of preparation to bring in an Australian consultant to better pitch their messages of the importance of familiarity…
New column day
Here, pointing out that if the Harper Cons have little idea what they’re doing in Canada’s federal election, it isn’t for lack of advantages over their opponents in planning out…
On changed messages
Paul Wells highlights the major change from the Cons’ messaging in 2011 compared to today, as the party which spent years doing nothing about obsessing over (and demonizing) the possibility…
On choosing one’s goals
If Justin Trudeau wants to set this up as the the measure of his campaign’s success… “I look forward to support from labour unions across the country.” …I for one…
On judicious outrage
Following up on this post, let’s take a look at the flip side of the possibility that political parties can help themselves out significantly by taking umbrage with competitors’ treatment…
Attack and response
Earlier this week, Andrew Coyne mused on Twitter about how parties seek to make hay out of attacks by their opponents, with particular emphasis on the Libs’ response to PC…
New column day
Here, condensing this post about the lessons the federal NDP can and should learn from past provincial elections. For further reading…– Michelle Gagnon notes that one area where matters don’t…
On crystallized positions
I’ve largely held off on discussing federal polls since few of them seem to be out of line with my initial assessment of the election as a three-way race with…
On final choices
Following up on this post and some additional discussion, let’s take a look at the question of what options would be available to Stephen Harper if he decided he wanted…
Keep Quiet – Chess Master At Work
Yessiree, Stephen Harper’s choice to impose a longer election period rather than waiting to see whether his party would have a shred of credibility left after the PMO went under…
Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – Michal Rozworski reminds us that austerity in Canada is nothing new under Con or Lib governments, while pointing out what the public…
Lessons learned
As I noted here, it’s well worth comparing what’s happening in any given election to any recent precedents. While past performance never guarantees future results, we can tell both what…
On cautionary tales
I’ve previously offered my take on why all opposition parties – including the Libs – should and will ultimately vote the Harper Cons out of power when given the chance.…
On weak attempts
Following up on these earlier posts, here’s a quick look at the last of the messages Bob Hepburn thinks the NDP may face from the Cons in particular as the…
On separation anxieties
Following up on this post, let’s take a look at the first of Bob Hepburn’s theorized lines of attack against the NDP – which gets its own separate post since…
On messaging tests
Following up on yesterday’s post, I’ll make clear that nobody should hold any illusions that the NDP’s opponents will abandon their own efforts to pursue seats simply because the NDP…
New column day
Here, summarizing these posts on the dangers of setting up past advocacy as a barrier to a place in public life. For further reading…– Again, Sean Fine’s report on the…