Sabrina Maddeaux: Manitoba PCs offer case study in how not to run an election campaign
Opinion by Sabrina Maddeaux•1d
Former Manitoba premier Heather Stefanson speaks to party members after her party lost the election on Tuesday.
It’s somewhat comforting that, in the age of big data and laser-focused analytics, political campaigns can still go so disastrously haywire. The quest to govern is still influenced by ungovernable human factors from charisma, to hubris, to reading the room so poorly one might as well be in the wrong house. Manitoba’s Progressive Conservatives have provided the latest example of a campaign that was driven terribly (and avoidably) off course by poor judgment and a fundamental inability to connect with voters.
The New Democrats ousted the Tories from office on Tuesday with a historic majority win that will see Wab Kinew become the first elected Indigenous premier of a province. The downfall of the PCs should be closely studied, and diligently avoided, by other Conservative party leaders across the country.
Sometimes a campaign is unable to overcome the glaring flaws of its own candidate. Such as in the case of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, whose ability to interact with other humans as he seeks the Republican nomination in the United States approximates that of a malfunctioning Disney World animatronic.
Outgoing Manitoba premier Heather Stefanson, who announced she’ll step down as PC leader, also suffered from some automatron tendencies of her own. Her campaign kicked off with the now-infamous “draw the line” video, which went viral in all the wrong ways.
In it, Stefanson opens by looking deadpan in a closeup shot, saying, “I’d like to say yes to everything, but sometimes the answer just has to be no.” She went on to accuse the Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union of playing politics by striking, and vowed to “draw the line” against their demands. The first time I watched it, I thought it was intended to be satirical.
It can be a Conservative tendency to confuse a strong leader who stands up for voters with a joyless Cylon straight out of “Battlestar Galactica.” Empathy and relatable emotion are musts for anyone seeking elected office. This is even more true in an internet era that’s obsessed with “authenticity.” Even hard-line policies require a human touch during campaigns.
The choice to actively attack and alienate union workers when Conservatives across the country are winning them over also exposed a critical misread of the political moment. The new conservatism is pro-labour and, while strikes are always contentious, understands the importance of the right to collectively bargain as a fundamental worker freedom.
But most confounding was the PC’s choice to campaign on their opposition to a landfill search for the remains of two First Nations women. To hold this stance is one matter, but placing billboard and newspaper ads proudly trumpeting the tagline “Stand Firm” betrayed both a disturbing callousness and a lack of more substantive policy on issues ranging from housing to the economy.
In a bad economy, Conservatives are primed to win— essentially all they have to do is not screw up. Choosing to forgo one’s bread-and-butter issues in favour of sideline controversies with no upside is a temptation that must be resisted at all costs.
In a final masterstroke, the PCs took out ads just before election day that undermined all their previous campaign messaging, however flawed it was to begin with. “During an election it’s OK to disagree on issues without the fear of being judged, so vote like no one is watching because no one is,” the ad said.
Suggesting it’s shameful or socially taboo to vote for your own party isn’t a conventional political tactic for good reason. Especially at a time when conservatism is experiencing a resurgence. The federal Tories are even selling merchandise, and there’s no social currency more valuable among supporters than a photo with Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre to post online.
Modern conservatives want to proud to be part of a community, not to have to hide their involvement in a movement that lurks in the shadows. Right-wing candidates at any level would be crazy to not play into this political and cultural moment, let alone advertise against it.
Stefanson’s loss should serve as an important reminder to Conservatives across Canada that, even with all the winds blowing in their favour, victory is never guaranteed. It can be easily thwarted — not just by one’s opponents, but by one’s own campaign choices.
National Post
Opinion by Sabrina Maddeaux•1d
Former Manitoba premier Heather Stefanson speaks to party members after her party lost the election on Tuesday.
It’s somewhat comforting that, in the age of big data and laser-focused analytics, political campaigns can still go so disastrously haywire. The quest to govern is still influenced by ungovernable human factors from charisma, to hubris, to reading the room so poorly one might as well be in the wrong house. Manitoba’s Progressive Conservatives have provided the latest example of a campaign that was driven terribly (and avoidably) off course by poor judgment and a fundamental inability to connect with voters.
The New Democrats ousted the Tories from office on Tuesday with a historic majority win that will see Wab Kinew become the first elected Indigenous premier of a province. The downfall of the PCs should be closely studied, and diligently avoided, by other Conservative party leaders across the country.
Sometimes a campaign is unable to overcome the glaring flaws of its own candidate. Such as in the case of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, whose ability to interact with other humans as he seeks the Republican nomination in the United States approximates that of a malfunctioning Disney World animatronic.
Outgoing Manitoba premier Heather Stefanson, who announced she’ll step down as PC leader, also suffered from some automatron tendencies of her own. Her campaign kicked off with the now-infamous “draw the line” video, which went viral in all the wrong ways.
In it, Stefanson opens by looking deadpan in a closeup shot, saying, “I’d like to say yes to everything, but sometimes the answer just has to be no.” She went on to accuse the Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union of playing politics by striking, and vowed to “draw the line” against their demands. The first time I watched it, I thought it was intended to be satirical.
It can be a Conservative tendency to confuse a strong leader who stands up for voters with a joyless Cylon straight out of “Battlestar Galactica.” Empathy and relatable emotion are musts for anyone seeking elected office. This is even more true in an internet era that’s obsessed with “authenticity.” Even hard-line policies require a human touch during campaigns.
Related video: Manitobans elect NDP majority, 1st Nations premier (cbc.ca)Duration 2:35 View on Watch
The choice to actively attack and alienate union workers when Conservatives across the country are winning them over also exposed a critical misread of the political moment. The new conservatism is pro-labour and, while strikes are always contentious, understands the importance of the right to collectively bargain as a fundamental worker freedom.
But most confounding was the PC’s choice to campaign on their opposition to a landfill search for the remains of two First Nations women. To hold this stance is one matter, but placing billboard and newspaper ads proudly trumpeting the tagline “Stand Firm” betrayed both a disturbing callousness and a lack of more substantive policy on issues ranging from housing to the economy.
In a bad economy, Conservatives are primed to win— essentially all they have to do is not screw up. Choosing to forgo one’s bread-and-butter issues in favour of sideline controversies with no upside is a temptation that must be resisted at all costs.
In a final masterstroke, the PCs took out ads just before election day that undermined all their previous campaign messaging, however flawed it was to begin with. “During an election it’s OK to disagree on issues without the fear of being judged, so vote like no one is watching because no one is,” the ad said.
Suggesting it’s shameful or socially taboo to vote for your own party isn’t a conventional political tactic for good reason. Especially at a time when conservatism is experiencing a resurgence. The federal Tories are even selling merchandise, and there’s no social currency more valuable among supporters than a photo with Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre to post online.
Modern conservatives want to proud to be part of a community, not to have to hide their involvement in a movement that lurks in the shadows. Right-wing candidates at any level would be crazy to not play into this political and cultural moment, let alone advertise against it.
Stefanson’s loss should serve as an important reminder to Conservatives across Canada that, even with all the winds blowing in their favour, victory is never guaranteed. It can be easily thwarted — not just by one’s opponents, but by one’s own campaign choices.
National Post
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