Liberals Must Attack

The Conservatives have been running an advertising campaign since the beginning of the week in preparation for the election that it expected to be called on Sunday. New polls suggest that it is paying off. They don't yet seem to be in majority territory, but they have gained at least five points.

It will therefore be extremely important for the Liberals and the Bloc to go on the attack immediately and give Conservatives a taste of their own medicine. Machiavelli explained in the Prince that the high road doesn't work. His advice is still valid today. When George Bush and Karl Rove launched a devastating ad campaign against John Kerry, the democratic candidate chose to trust the intelligence of Americans and refused to respond with an attack campaign of his own. The result was Bush making up the ground he lost in the early stages of the election campaign, and winning the election with a clear majority.

Canadians aren't any smarter than Americans and a well-run ad campaign can be just as effective here. It would be better for all parties to take the high road, but since the Conservatives are committed to an ad blitz that would make Karl Rove proud, the opposition parties need to us the same tactics.