Canada’s prime minister and his main rival offered new images of themselves yesterday as a family man and an avid outdoorsman respectively as they try to win votes in their election campaign.
The portrayals of Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Liberal leader Stephane Dion are said to be key to swinging voters to their respective camps in an election that has so far been sparse on policies.
Under these terms, Harper, shown in advertisements as a concerned father, soft-spoken and wearing knitted sweaters, meant to modify perceptions that he is a stern leader with cold blue eyes, is ahead in the latest polls that track who Canadians would want as their prime minister.
Dion, a former professor who trails his own party’s popularity, was shown as an avid outdoorsman, skiing, fishing, and hiking — rugged interests steeped in Canadian lore — as well as walking his dog with his wife and daughter.
The Liberal ads hope to counter Conservatives’ efforts to characterize Dion as less macho and less decisive than Harper.
Both makeovers, however, were said to be far removed from the actual personalities of both men.
Midday, the image war heated up with the Conservatives yanking an ad showing a puffin pooping on Dion’s shoulder in front of a blackboard, which Harper conceded was in “extremely poor taste and totally inappropriate.”
“We have different ways of attacking the Liberals without doing that,” he said, offering a public apology to Dion.
In the ad, a bird is flying by as an announcer says Dion is not a leader and not worth the risk. The offending fly-by deposit was later edited out, but not before it was aired on national TV networks.
The gaff eclipsed Harper’s announcement during a campaign stop in Manitoba on his plan to cut excise taxes on diesel fuel by half, if his party is returned to power.
Dion said the ad says more about Harper than it says about him. Previously, Dion had accused Harper of “piling lies upon lies” by suggesting the Liberals would hike consumption taxes and revoke child care benefits offered by the Conservatives.
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