What do you do when you're a brain-dead, mindless zombie that's incapable of independent thought?
1. You vote Conservative.
2. You drool a lot.
Yes, Conservative Party headquarters has mined a new low (or perhaps merely acknowledged the existing low in the IQ of their supporters) by providing grassroots supporters with lists of talking points and party spin to pass off as their own 'thoughts' on call-in radio shows.
Surf the party website. Type in your postal code. Click on a topic you'd like to discuss on the radio. And the website spits out the times, phone numbers, and names of local talk shows to call — along with a handy list of good things to say about the Conservatives and bad things to say about their opponents. The website includes similar advice for letter-writers to newspapers.
No word if the website also includes instructions on how to dial a telephone, or if CPC supporters are left to figure that out all by themselves.
9 comments:
Those look like the Rae supporters I saw in Toronto centre.
Hey, were you at a Conservative rally when you took this photo?
Perhaps Randy Hilliers' riding?
I watch Goldhawk quite often - he's caught on I think. He's cuts them off.
I do notice that they sheep get on the phone first and frequently - they must continually dial until they get through - most sound very dumb actually.
What is it about the Conservatives that they continually underestimate the intelligence of the public, their partisans and undermine their cabinet ministers?
Sandi - Yes, they mentioned Goldhawk in the article. Apparently, one of his callers stumbled and could be heard shuffling papers, so he asked him if he was reading off a script.
Pretty embarrasing when you get handed a list of prepared comments and you still manage to screw it up!
Anon @ 6:52 - It's a good question. The Connies are certainly the most aggressive party I've ever seen in this country when it comes to managing their messages and media spin doctoring. I don't know if they do it out of some slavish respect for the Republicans down south (who have nearly perfected the art of bullshittery and controlled messaging), or if they really believe that Canadians will buy into their soundbites and one-liners en masse. Neither option is particularly charming.
I'm not a fan of talk radio at all. Its OK for sports, but for politics its usually about on the level of the letters to the editor page in the Toronto Sun. And even those are presumably original works!!
Bowler - I don't listen to much talk radio either. I can only take so much "News & Traffic Together on the 1's".
And speaking of the Sun, can you even imagine the type of letters that the Sun's editorial board rejects? Truly frightening...
What is it about the Conservatives that they continually underestimate the intelligence of the public, their partisans and undermine their cabinet ministers?
I think we should be honest and at least admit that the Conservatives have tapped into what a lot of people would prefer democratic obligations be limited to...having the right answer and supporting your team. As well, the allure of technological sophistication is very seductive. This Talkinator 3000 looks like sheer genius to a lot of people.
What we can't forgive the Conservatives for is pandering to this impulse and promoting an unthinking electorate. Not only is it cynical, but it ultimately fails.
I just wish the other parties would make more of an issue of this. It's insulting to Canadians.
Ti-Guy - a lot of people would prefer democratic obligations be limited to...having the right answer and supporting your team.
In that respect, perhaps there is less of difference between sports talk radio and political talk radio than Bowler and I appreciate. But truly if a lot of people believe that "getting behind the right team" is the essence of democracy in this country, then we are in the midst of sad times indeed.
Like you, I was struck by the shamelessless of the CPC response to this whole thing. They seem to be proud of this little tactic, which essentially insults the intelligence of their own partisan supporters! Bizarre.
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