Friday, May 6, 2011

Michael Ignatieff Not the Only Victim of Smear Campaign

Though the media had been both perpetrators and spectators to the horrible character assassination of Michael Ignatieff, we find that across the country similar smear campaigns were taking place on Liberal candidates.

We knew this election, with everything on the line, Harper and his team would fight dirty. But we were not prepared for what took place, in what is becoming clear was the most fraudulent election campaign in Canadian history.

Harper's former VP when he was running the National Citizens Coalition, called it guerrilla warfare. And it was indeed an undercover operation. A small group of combatants whose mission was not only to win, but to destroy every Liberal in its path.

The Conservatives even disbanded their 'NDP Unit' just before the election to focus their attention on a single enemy.

And one of the victims of this war, was Glen Pearson, a decent man and hard working Member of Parliament. He never let partisanship destroy his integrity, but in the end it destroyed him.

He explains what happened on his blog: Transitions – Brutal In Their Despondency
It was expected by most that I would win and the media sent its staff to my campaign office to cover the victory party that wasn’t. It became clear as the evening progressed that the vote split between myself and the NDP was proving fatal. Yet I’d had something of a premonition of the outcome during the last few days of the contest. At doors I canvassed I kept hearing certain stories about how I spent too much time in Africa, or that my voting presence in the House wasn’t too impressive. When I informed them that I only spent one week a year on that continent (Sudan), and that I take it on my holiday time over New Years and on my own dime, I could sense the hesitation in their voice. “Oh … that’s not what we heard when the Conservatives phoned us last night.” Something that hadn’t been an issue heretofore was suddenly looming large in the final days.

It was frustrating, but I didn’t know who to talk to. It was only when the election was over that a good Conservative friend informed me that they had actually been utilizing a central office for phone calls and that none of them emanated from London itself. They had poured big money from afar into influencing my riding. What I had thought to be a local campaign had suddenly taken on national dimensions.
Mr. Pearson does volunteer work in Africa. Who knew that the Conservatives would stoop to the level of using it against him.

Sadly his story is not unique. Riding after riding, is reporting the same dirty tricks, reminiscent of Karl Rove and the way he stole elections for George Bush.

But in the process, people's lives are being destroyed. As Andrew Potter said recently of the destruction of Michael Ignatieff, Canada is 'No country for good men'.

Sadly, we are now a country where good people will be afraid to run for office. If Glen Pearson can be destroyed, anyone can.

8 comments:

  1. So sad & so wrong!
    As Ned Franks says- Politics is a contact sport.

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  2. Harper’s I.D. voting scam

    Taking a page from Karl Rove's electioneering playbook, the Conservatives adopted provisions of the notorious Help America Vote Act (HAVA) that make voting more difficult for people not generally found among the conservative voting base of either America or Canada: the poor, indigent, seniors living in care facilities, immigrants, and young, first-time voters.

    http://www.pacificfreepress.com/news/1/3175-stephen-harper-wants-your-vote-enough-to-try-steal-it.html




    When the result at the polls is doesn't make sense to you
    and when you see so much opposition towards the winner
    makes you wonder how they won and how they keep winning

    Invisible Ballots - A Temptation for Electronic Vote Fraud
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZNJxZsMHV4

    ‎"Hacking Democracy"
    HBO documentary about electronic vote fraud
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hNxBa6KENE

    ReplyDelete
  3. repost from Yoga Rani - Many Conservatives used two different names, addresses and telephone numbers, and voted twice. I know at least one person who has bragged about it.

    Repost from Janice Gougeon - Can anyone who lives in a small town tell me where your voting stations were? In my town, it was set up on the outskirts of town - no public transit - anyone without a car that lives in town couldn't get out to cast a vote. Just wondering if this was part of a strategy as I live in a Con Town.

    Repost from Gxxxx Xxxxxx - Well let me tell you. Not that I'm saying anything untoward happens, but the incumbent gets to supply & approve the majority of the poll clerks and deputy returning officers. Our ballots are all paper & hand counted so..............



    repost from Johanna Sommer - The Conservatives were busy in my riding as well... making robocalls on Sunday morning... the Liberal candidate did not make calls on that day, but the Cons faked the calls... knowing that in this riding people do not appreciate calls on a Sunday morning... More slimey behaviour on the part of the Cons and Harper...


    repost from Deb Sheppard Lindenas - They canvassed on my street dressed in red jackets and hats. Happened to be out in my driveway and thought I'd chat but they were uncomfortable (probably my large Liberal sign on my lawn) and started to walk away when I approached them. When I joked that I didn't need the literature, I saw they actually had blue Con flyers. On election day I heard what was in the flyers. A photo of Dan McT's house and a real estate listing for a similar house. His wife has a big career and 5 kids. I HATE CON dirty tricks and the stupid judgmental tricks that fool people.

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  4. Reports are coming in from key swing ridings in Ontario and other other provinces that voters are being called at home with false information that their voting locations have changed, and in some instances sending voters an hour in the wrong direction.

    http://www.examiner.com/canada-headlines-in-canada/canada-election-hampered-by-false-information-possible-voter-fraud

    ……………………………..

    At doors I canvassed I kept hearing certain stories about how I spent too much time in Africa, or that my voting presence in the House wasn’t too impressive. When I informed them that I only spent one week a year on that continent (Sudan), and that I take it on my holiday time over New Years and on my own dime, I could sense the hesitation in their voice.

    “Oh … that’s not what we heard when the Conservatives phoned us last night.” Something that hadn’t been an issue heretofore was suddenly looming large in the final days. It was frustrating, but I didn’t know who to talk to.

    It was only when the election was over that a good Conservative friend informed me that they had actually been utilizing a central office for phone calls and that none of them emanated from London itself. They had poured big money from afar into influencing my riding. What I had thought to be a local campaign had suddenly taken on national dimensions.

    http://glenpearson.wordpress.com/2011/05/04/transitions-brutal-in-their-despondency/

    ReplyDelete
  5. I hope he is going to complain to Elections Canada.

    ReplyDelete
  6. This makes me so sad.

    It also makes my stomach churn, and makes me angry.

    The Canada I knew and loved is dead and buried, murdered by dirty tactics of King Harper.

    Can we ever go back? Can the tide ever be turned? I fear not.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I say this not to defend Harper and his actions, but this is nothing new. Jean Chretien used similar tactics as well, and had many advantages PR wise over Stephen Harper. Allowing him to do it with far less public curiosity.

    I say public curiosity because that is all things in this country are. We don't do much of anything to effect the outcome of our politics. However, we love to partake in daily water-cooler conversations and nag about the situation.

    History shows us again, many people in Trudeau's cabinet said that he was extremely over-controlling and dictator-like. Very much like Stephen Harper.

    Canada has been rather dysfunctional for quiet some time. I am astonished as to how it has failed to dawn on many people till now.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I am also disgusted at the negative ads campaign started in our country similar to the US style. Due to our short memory span these negative ads only concentrate on personal statements given in a particular context and get our attention without looking at the bigger picture. Frankly I believe US elections are sold to the highest bidder and it would be a shame if this policy was adopted in this country.
    Ash Khan

    ReplyDelete