Nov
5
The End of a Political Era
Posted by: jfung | November 5, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Gordon Campbell is stepping down. The way that the Liberals implemented the HST led to people hating Gordon Campbell. I have to say, I did not follow all of the political stuff in the past. I do remember his drunk driving thing in Hawaii though. Marketing for political reasons is all about how people (voters) view politicians. What do people remember? Everything bad. The drunk driving, the sale of BC Rail, and HST. Buyer’s (Voter’s) remorse. It’s funny how things work. All of those signs out there supporting politicians…the commercials…the attack ads… If you think about it, building party support is really building a brand. But the Liberals are more than just a brand. People may vote as if political parties are brands, but there are consequences when people vote without knowing anything other than seeing some attack ads and a couple of signs. Gateman was right: Not everyone’s vote should be equal. HST looks bad up front, but when you look at the long term, broad overview, HST isn’t so bad. Yes, some sectors (restaurants and legal services for example) are hurt. But when you compare these additional costs to the consumer with the various tax rebates and lower income tax, HST isn’t nearly as bad as Carole James and the NDP are saying it is. (By the way, did Carole James pass Econ? Raising minimum wage = higher unemployment, price floors). Then she says something about “what about the environment?”, yet she attacks the carbon tax as if the Liberals banned cars. I don’t think politicians are in the value-based marketing phase yet. What value can the NDP actually offer? Such a joke, I hope the Liberals stay in power, or even the Green party. NDP might (meaning likely will) run us into the ground. But, due to recent marketing of the HST and the negative media towards the Liberals, there is a good chance that people will base their decisions on the latest ad or the last thing they remember about politics. Few will remember that Campbell actually improved the economy compared to the NDP. 