Beyond The Commons

Aaron Wherry covers all the goings-on in and around Parliament Hill. Follow Aaron on Twitter: @aaronwherry

Categories: Beyond The Commons, Capital Read

Things we can learn from Michael Ignatieff's father

by Aaron Wherry on Friday, March 18, 2011 2:46pm - 81 Comments

A new video from the Liberal side.

Second spot here.

Tags: ads, election, Election 2011, liberals, Michael Ignatieff

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Just Joe

Finally, something truly inspiring–from a Canadian politician.
OriginalEmily1

Had to flee for his life from the Russian revolution as a child? Yes, that George Ignatieff.

And at the time, Canada welcomed immigrants and gave them the same opportunities as everyone already here. It was not 1930…more like 1920.

bennji1977

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Ignatieff

Patchouli

Hmm, seems to me Russian nobility was having its own problems in the beginning of the 20th century. In fact, I do believe Ignatieff's grandparents fled Russia as refugees, when his father was a schoolboy. Certainly George Ignatieff is known as one of Canada's most respected diplomats/public servants.

As for the video — as others have posted, it's lovely, it's positive and let me note, it's also not particularly partisan.

Ignatieff is a keeper, and I hope other Canadians join me in supporting him.
http://stumblingabordeaux.posterous.com Pato31

Now this ad is lightyears better than the last few they put out. It might be too long to put out on TV though…

Mike R

I agree, this is much better than the last set they issued. They may be a bit long, but they do address the issue of "who is Michael Ignatieff" and I think they do it quite well.

http://stumblingabordeaux.posterous.com Pato31

And it doesn't have an awful partisan stench paired with a side of "fake lake" faux outrage.

Crit_Reasoning

Thank goodness for that. Faux outrage is annoying.

John D

THIS COMMENT IS THE WORST EVER
Halo_Override

I DEMAND SATISFACTION!

- glove slap -
Crit_Reasoning

HOW DARE YE! ON MY HONOUR, I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO OFFENDED!

So, pistols at dawn?
Halo_Override

I prefer to sleep in, actually.

(Some days I really like this place.)
MostlyCivil

Pistols at 11, then. We can meet at the Timmies first. Winner keeps the empty cups.
Crit_Reasoning

Are you proposing some sort of three-way duel? Because I'm not sure if I'm cool with that.
Halo_Override

MostlyCivil is my second. I am mostly civil, after all.

chet

A magnifying glass to the right.

A blind eye to the left.

Today's "balanced" leftist media.

MostlyCivil

So why do they let you post all the time?

Richard_S_Argent

The most recent positive Harper ad is also a minute long. They can run them, but I suspect they cost more…something that isn't too much of a concern for the Conservatives, but is for the Liberals.

MostlyCivil

Yes, because saying we like a video is clearly an organized disinformation campaign. Quick, back to the LPC office, we've been found out!

LdKitchenersOwn

Sorry I'm late, I was just finishing my latte over at the student union…

I love this video from Ignatieff. It's so great to see a positive message finally from a Canadian political par….

What? Why is everyone looking at me like that?

OriginalEmily1

LOL next time pay attention when your secret decoder ring goes off.

Richard_S_Argent

I continue to believe that Ignatieff is going to be a far better campaigner than many expect. He's very comfortable in front of both cameras and crowds, he'll likely do quite well in the debates, and frankly Stephen Harper is a pretty lousy campaigner who has turned two successive elections from majority to minority governments.

Getting those million-odd Liberal votes that stayed home is going to be a challenge, but I think the more people see of him, the more comfortable they'll become with the idea of him as a Prime Minister (hell, he's already convinced me that I needn't be too worried about parking my vote with the Liberals this time around)

lgarvin

Iggy needs to avoid the scrums. He's very good in a controlled setting – these ads are the best he's ever done, by far – but he's not so good thinking on his feet. He's too glib and he's often condescending which is a horrible trait for a campaigning politician.

Richard_S_Argent

I agree. He does sometimes have trouble in scrums. I suspect he's overthinking his answers, making sure he's not to say the wrong thing, and can end up rambling.

I don't get condescending though…
Jenn_

I've seen him three times thinking on his feet to questions asked by regular Canadians. He's absolutely awesome at it and not a bit condescending. Particularly the less-friendly questions are handled superbly, respectfully, and seriously.

Interesting suggestion that he's glib and condescending to media, though, I tend not to watch a lot of media coverage (I'm more likely to read of it). I'll have to try to see more of it.

MostlyCivil

To be fair, he does have a bit of the "Conrad Black" effect going on, at least in a limited fashion…

FVerhoeven

Yeah, of course, Ignatieff is going to be a much better campaigner than many expect. With men like Peter Mansbridge and Aaron Wherry doing the campaigning for him, who needs to see Ignatieff??

What a joke this country's media is becoming.

You know, the opposition is no longer capable of taking in a direct apology from Minister Oda, but they are sure willing to play the game of subtleness to an all time low. But, of course, the Liberals know that what cannot be seen cannot be proven either. They're smarties.

lenny

Would that be the same Mansbridge who, during the last election, let the coward Harper have his own special interview in which he didn't have to answer questions from the Canadian public like all the other party leaders?
Loraine Lamontagne

You must have been livid when CTV did their unethical job on Dion!
Jan

Has Oda apologized for anything but creatinc confusion? Did the committee make a breakthrough today – I've been too busy to follow all of today's meeting.

FVerhoeven

The Liberals know how to play this game. They know that if they let the media do the work for them, and if they stick with smear campaigns which fly under the radar of average voter understanding, they will make head way. That's what they're doing. Not many will catch on. That's what they are counting on.

What a mess. What a total mess!
FVerhoeven

It is very difficult to explain what the Liberals are doing. And they know it, too. They are counting on it.

I've never seen such low politics been practiced in my life.

danby

I've never seen such low politics been practiced in my life.

Sometimes I think you are stark raving mad.

MostlyCivil

Also, he posts in blocks of five. It's quite odd.

OriginalEmily1

He's like chet that way. It takes a long time for them to finish a thought.

Jenn_

Franciene is a woman, though. Not that that changes her level of sanity.
OriginalEmily1

You're kidding!
Jenn_

Yup, we've come a long way baby. Our crazies can be just as crazy as their crazies.
OriginalEmily1

Then we've achieved true equality….Palin and Bachman are as nuts as both Pauls, and Huckabee. LOL

TimesArrow

"Sometimes I think you are stark raving mad. "

LOL I've always wanted to say that but i don't like calling the ladies out much. Pretty sure i heard her on Cross country checkup…not too coherent there either.

lgarvin

"I've never seen such low politics been practiced in my life".

That's a strange response to these really-quite-innocous commercials. Those Care-Bear movies must drive you into a frothing rage.

bennji1977

lol

FVerhoeven

We don't have a problem in Ottawa; we have a problem throughout Canada. God help us all!

Mike R

Actually, things are pretty good here. Would you rather live in Libya?

lgarvin

I think Japan would make a better comparable since FV also appears to be in the early stages of a meltdown.

LdKitchenersOwn

So, my first two questions are 1) What is this "problem throughout Canada" you're referring to, and 2) Why haven't the Tories solved it in the last 5 years?
John D

Holy crap, the conbot machine has malfunctioned and can't change user names

TimesArrow

Now that was funny.

Thx Fv this thread is hilarious.

Mike R

Well, I don't think Aaron Wherry produced the commercials. He may be a bit shallow as a commentator, and he does, obviously, have a soft spot for the Grits, but in this case he's just running clips of everyone's commercials – which is a nice service to provide.
MostlyCivil

Seriously? This is the best you can do to counter a positive message?
Lady M.

Because the Tories are the problem maybe?
Jan

I thought the Liberals were countering the Cons claim that Ignatieff is the son of Satan.

Mike R

Well, he doesn't specifically deny that in these ads – so perhaps the question is still open. Do they let the sons of Satan into Upper Canada College? Perhaps there is a reserved spot for them.

Jan

Are you kidding – they have their own scholarship fund.

John D

I actually really like this. But I also think someone needs to make an animated GIF of Ignatieff "climbing the ladder"
TimesArrow

Nice touch with Trudeau and the Queen signing the charter…get all the old thyme libs choked up…who knows some of em might come out and vote.

My favourite story from that is how Chretien's pen malfunctioned and he use a naughty en francais,forgetting both the Queeen's hearing and French are excellent. Happy days.

Halo_Override

Yeah, I thought that was slick too, especially since there's no way for the Harper Government™ to respond in kind. I mean, who are they gonna use? Mulroney?
Richard_S_Argent

Yeah, I thought that was a nice touch too.

dave

Wherry knows this and he's taking you all for suckers, for fools!

Yes. Because the thread title isn't a double down comment on his earlier Jack Layton post.

At all.
Crit_Reasoning

NEVER! NOT IN A MILLION YEARS!
chet

Just a kid from a blue collar immigrant family eh?

From Wiki:

"Ignatieff was born on May 12, 1947 in Toronto, the elder son of Russian-born Canadian diplomat George Ignatieff and his Canadian-born wife, Jessie Alison (née Grant). Ignatieff's family moved abroad regularly in his early childhood as his father rose in the diplomatic ranks. George Ignatieff was a diplomat and chief of staff to the prime minister under Lester Bowles Pearson. He also worked for Pearson's leadership campaigns.

At the age of 11, Ignatieff was sent back to Toronto to attend Upper Canada College as a boarder in 1959."

Matlock

I wasn't aware we live in a society where we hold a person's success against them.

chet

Just a regular Joe.

Son of a wealthy Diplomat , attended the finest schools.

The attempt to rebrand Iggy as something he isn't is startling.

That Iggy has to portray himself as something he isn't is more than telling.

That the media carries his water in its propagandist attempt to recreate him is unsurprising.

It will not work. Canadians are not stupid.

This election won't even be close.

Not even close.

Richard_S_Argent

See, everyone else who watched the video saw Ignatieff portraying himself as the son of an immigrant. An immigrant who was a political prisoner of a violent, totalitarian regime, I might add.

If he wasn't a Liberal you'd be waxing poetic about him.

MostlyCivil

"This election won't even be close.

Not even close"

Don't lose hope, Chet. I'm pretty sure you'll get a minority, okay?

Anon

War is peace!! Freedom is slavery!! Ignorance is strength!!

…

My name is chet
…

I must post multiple times for some reason.
…

Forgot to add " stagnant" Right
joanne

For the first time, I actually like Michael Ignatieff … but, I'm sorry Mr. Ignatieff, I cannot forgive what the Liberal Party has done and is doing to me, my family, and the democratic institutions of Canada … you might care about all Canadians, but the Chretien cadre of scoundrels that remains in your party does not …

http://scottdiatribe.canflag.com/ Scott_Tribe

I didnt realize the Liberal Party was in government.

Halo_Override

As the natural ruling party, anything done by the government is their fault, regardless of which party may or may not happen to be in power at the time.

TimesArrow

Someone give Joanne a nudge…she's been asleep for the last half a dozen years.

..Chretien left…they've got a new guy in now. I hear he's adopted many of Chretien's worst faults, but none of his virtues.

FVerhoeven

And nowhere does joanne say that

joanne

Sorry guys … but that is the point … the Chretien Liberals are still able to and are abusing their influence even when not in government … details coming soon to a twitter near you …

FVerhoeven

Yes, it is taking a long time for the system to be washed on the setting of liberal neutral. I can only imagine how Harper has been trying to deal with that for all of his time in government. Man, that must be hard slugging.

Holly Stick

Especially when Harper is so busy stealing taxpayers' money to buy pre-election ads with.

FVerhoeven

My experience is that when people do well, they are often envied by jealous people. And so it is with party politics. The Tories do very well in regards to fundraising – you know, lots of individuals donating money, which then gives the Tories the opportunity to spread the news around a bit. Even things out, if you will.

And what do we see: jealous opposition parties who cannot fundraise enough money to counter the Tories ads. I feel for your people. (If you are a Liberal, I will let you know that the party is actively looking for donations. Have a look at the Lib webpage) :)