The Toronto Star reports Canada’s ruling Conservative party has told its candidates for members of Parliament not to talk to the media during the current federal election campaign.
The article quotes Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper’s “Director of Communications” as saying the following:
“As for dealing with the media, it’s much more effective to get your message to a voter on their doorstep than through a filter.”
Huh? What? As we are inquisitive types we have questions… here are the first:
3 Questions That Arise From This Story
1. How easy is it to get a job as a Director of Communications for a party that refuses to communicate with people? How does a person even apply for this job? We imagine the job interview going like this…
Conservative Interviewer: “Where do you see yourself in five years?
Candidate: “Telling the media they can’t talk to candidates in Canada’s next 2020 election.”
Conservative Interviewer: “Wrong answer! The correct answer was ‘No Comment!’ In fact you shouldn’t have even shown up at this interview! Next applicant, please! Oh, the next applicant is on someone’s doorstep with a prank flaming bag? They’re hired!”
2. What “unfiltered” messages are candidates giving at people’s doorsteps? We’re certain all of these messages will accurately reflect party policies, and not just tell voters whatever they want to hear, even if different voters are told different things. We’re uncertain if the Conservative Party of Canada realizes that anyone with a smart phone is a member of social media and might post whatever these secretive candidates say at their doorsteps!
3. Who does this party think will vote for its members if the media is constantly reporting this story that the candidates of a leading party in a free country refuse to talk to the media? To put things in perspective, even John McCain realized that Sarah Palin eventually had to talk to the media and debate Joe Biden. In other words, John McCain obviously realized that it would look better to have someone unable to name a newspaper than to not talk to a newspaper.
