There’s a case for big, bright over nasty, mean

It has become a basic truth among a generation of campaigners who grew up with social media that the only campaign strategy and tactics that deliver votes are nasty.

Starting with the Harris government, continuing through the Harper years, to their several provincial cousins today — some of different parties — campaign planning today is devoted more to wrecking strategies directed at the personal reputations of opponents, than to how they would improve Canadians lives.

Sadly, it often works, as its champions often brag. We appear to be on the verge of sliding into yet one more election campaign marked by anger, vituperation and insult. But examining political history paints a somewhat less gloomy alternative approach.

The biggest, boldest, most optimistic vision has often overcome the venomous. Mulroney trounced Turner, Layton romped through Quebec and Justin Trudeau crushed his opponents. In each case, their messages were of a bigger and better Canada, against a gloomier, dystopic vision buttressed by nasty sound bites and, these days, sensational clickbait tweets.

Even in the U.S., it’s useful to consider how campaigns of animus did against those of other more visionary leaders. Not to give the Trump aberration more credit than it is due, we might recall that Reagan/Carter, Clinton/Dole, Obama/McCain were all matchups that went to the sunnier visions. A Biden/ Trump matchup might have turned out differently, too.

Justin Trudeau can hardly campaign on sunny ways again, without being laughed at. But he can still articulate a confident progressive agenda and not mud-wrestle with Andrew Scheer in the political ditch each day.

Despite his unhappy few months, when Jagmeet Singh enters the House of Commons next month, he should be able to convey his message of inclusion, optimism and a bold vision for Canada and still be tough in Question Period. Those were the messages that won him the leadership, in part echoing the Layton’s “love over fear” mission, and partly referencing his own life story as proof of what is possible in a Canada that dreams big.

Unless they have a change of heart over the summer, it seems clear that the Scheer campaign strategy will be grounded first in sneering at the Trudeau failures — most clearly now SNCLavalin. He will be challenged from the right by the nasty identitarian politics of Max Bernier. Even including a subtheme of the old-time American conservative fairy tale — lower taxes, better service and smaller government, all funded by the “billions and billions” of dollars of waste and corruption in Ottawa — he will be pushed to attack first and always.

With two articulate progressive visions opposing him, he might be wiser to return to Conservative “big message” politics. Liberal failure to deliver is obviously fair game, but how will Scheer make Canadians’ lives better?

Singh’s vulnerability will be in the numbers — polling, funds raised and strong new candidates recruited. But voters across the Western world have confounded pundits time and again in recent years, swinging from one pole to a widely distant one in a single leap, not always in response to incitement politics.

Macron smashed the left and right with a “new France” vision. However delusionary you may believe his program, Jeremy Corbyn almost defeated British Conservatives with a big change agenda. Democrats are rolling out very bold — perhaps, overly so — visions for America.

Many voters, young and old, choose their horse based on shrewd observation of who seems authentic and which leader they believe has the ability to defend their interests best. Other than hard partisans, many fewer choose who delivers the best insults.

Thirtysomethings have shown their faith in a bigger, fairer, greener Canada in the past two federal elections. That does not seem to have ebbed. The twentysomethings are always harder to read because of turnout, but we know that when they do vote, it is less often a response to attack politics than to a bigger vision for their futures.

So, to each of the party strategists: Don’t put all your money on how mean and tough you can look. Canadians respect and do vote for leaders with bolder visions, too. Robin V. Sears is a principal at Earnscliffe Strategy Group and was an NDP strategist for 20 years. He is a freelance contributor for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @robinvsears