Now, don’t get me wrong here - I think Chudleigh’s a dick. I could cite a couple of specific instances of his being a dick (that Caledonia thing springs immediately to mind), but it’s mostly just my completely irrational reaction to the man. I mean, look at him:
(shudder)
Still. This is what he sent to my home:
That’s it. A couple of photos of Smilin’ Ted, a list of all the wonderful things he’s doing at Queen’s Park for his constituents, and contact information on the back. Professional. Subdued. Informative.
Now compare that to the histrionic missive from the Federal Tories I took exception to in my earlier blog post. Notice anything different? I did. Specifically, there is NO party logo and NO mention of McGuinty or the Liberals anywhere on Chudleigh’s flyer. And remember, this guy is part of the Opposition!
Wow. I had almost forgotten what civilized political conduct looked like.
Why do I keep bitching about this? Because we’re paying for these things! Regardless of what party they belong to, these guys work for us. That includes keeping us informed about what they are doing, but it doesn’t include using our money to endlessly trash their opponent’s party. After all, their constituents include members of ALL parties, not just theirs. Even Garth Turner is guilty of this. As much as I enjoy his weekly evisceration of Harper, Flaherty and company, after a while it can get tiresome - more so, I'm sure, for those who support Harper.
I’m not saying that an MP’s communications to their constituents should never say anything negative about the other guys. Ok, maybe I did, but I think that might be asking too much. So once in a while, sure, take a swing. But the primary focus has got to remain on what YOU are doing, not what the other guy is doing wrong.
Just watch some American campaign ads next election to see why.
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