SEAT PROJECTIONS & RIDING DISCUSSION -- SELECT PROVINCE/TERRITORY OR RIDING

I don’t know this guy

Author: Maxime Rainville (Conservative)

15 Sep

This morning, I was driving to a restaurant to go get some pizzas for a student assembly (One of the many glorious responsibility that comes with the presidency of the CS student association), and I noticed that the Conservatives, the Liberals and the Greens don’t display their leaders’ pictures on their campaign sign. The NDP and the Bloc do. In fact, the Bloc even has a second generic design showing only the picture of M. Duceppe.

I wonder if this is a councious decision? M. Dion and M.Harper aren’t exactly the most charismatic leaders out there, so putting them on your campaign signs is perhaps not so beneficial. On the other end, M. Duceppe and M. Layton might be perceive to be warmer folks, so putting their pictures beside yours is probably a bigger boost. Or I’m just my reading to much into this?

What about your ridding? Do the candidates show their leaders’ faces?

*** UPDATE ***

Apparently, the NDP also has leader only campaign signs … which are twice as big has the candidate’s sign. Wasn’t Jack Layton running somewhere around Toronto?

Filed under: Bloc Québécois, Conservative, Green, Lanaudière / Laurentides / Outaouais, Liberal, Local Campaigns, Maxime Rainville (Conservative), NDP, Québec

4 Responses for "I don’t know this guy"

Peter September 15th, 2008 at 12:36 pm 1
Which riding are you in? Here’s what I see in Rosemont-La-Petie-Patrie; Conservatives have no signs (I think they just chose their candidate last week). I haven’t seen any Green Party or Liberal signs either. Most of the NDP signs are of Layton. The Bloc has both Duceppe signs and signs for the local incumbent.

I have yet to see any signs anywhere of either Harper or Dion. Layton and Duceppe however, seem to be everywhere.
Maxime Rainville (Conservative) September 15th, 2008 at 12:56 pm 2
I was in Hull-Aylmer. In my home ridding of Pontiac, the NDP hasn’t even placed any sign yet.
AJ Sharma (Liberal) September 15th, 2008 at 6:38 pm 3
Jack Layton is in a downtown Toronto riding.

It could also simply be that the Liberals and Conservatives don’t need to run based on the face of their leader because their names are brands unto themselves
Martin Hamel (Non-Partisan) September 16th, 2008 at 11:16 am 4
Maxime,
This is a very consious and well thought-out strategy. No coincidence here.

In QuÃ©bec, Dion and Harper are not generally liked; in fact, their face would have a negative effect on the voter. Some people are afraid of Harper and disgusted by Dion. The organizers know it and sell only the names of the parties, which have more appeal and history, plus they add the local candidate.

And yes, Layton and Duceppe are generally seen as warmer guys, good and friendly leaders, plus they’ve been there for a while and are well-known. They are better looking and their face sells the idea to voters better than their name (especially the NDP which doesn’t have much history in QuÃ©bec and seems somewhat obscure for many Quebecers).

Needless to say, the strategy could be completely different in other parts of the country where the leaders are perceived deifferently by a majority.

Can anyone tell us if you see Dion’s face or Harper’s face on signs in your province?

Leave a reply below or start a thread in the discussion forums

Note: Sometimes people try to portray more support for their candidate or their perspective in the comments section by posing as different people. If you attempt to do this, we will delete all of your comments.

Update: despite the above warning, people are attempting to use multiple aliases, so we are now moderating all comments to check against possible abuses. We apologize for this inconvenience, however we will work to get comments posted as soon as possible.