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The ’93 Chrétien ad controversy: a political backfire for the PCs
In the 1993 federal election with Kim Campbell as leader of the Progressive Conservative (PC) Party and Jean Chrétien as leader of the Liberal Party, the PC campaign organizers decided to use a very disrespectful ad.
The “attack ad” included a close-up image of Mr. Chrétien’s face while the announcer questioned his leadership abilities and judgment. Although the ad did not explicitly mention his facial condition, the focus on his face, combined with the tone of the ad, led many viewers to believe that the ad was ridiculing Mr. Chrétien’s appearance. The ad triggered a public backlash, as Canadians perceived it as disrespectful and insensitive.
Mr. Chrétien responded with his usual candid approach, saying:
PC candidates in that election were already struggling with internal divisions and leadership issues. The backlash from the advertisement added to our problems and made us even less attractive to the voters.
Just like the time when President Kennedy was shot, I remember exactly where I was when I heard that the campaign organizers had launched that negative and disrespectful ad in the campaign. I was campaigning on the Earltown Road between Tatamagouche and Truro. I could take you to the exact spot.
When I first heard it on the radio, it wasn’t the ad I heard. What I heard was a CBC news bulletin that the PCs had used this awful ad and that it was already resulting in a tremendous backlash. The ad was so offensive that it even made the National News. I felt my re-election being pulled out from underneath me.
What most people don’t know is that the campaign organizers had this impression first imprinted on T-shirts, which were distributed to our entire PC caucus, telling us that this was going to be a focus of the campaign. To a person, the 169 elected MPs sent those T-shirts back up to the front of the caucus room and told the campaign organizers to NOT use this approach as part of the campaign. We even asked that the shirts be destroyed. I remember one MP standing up and saying that this tactic might work in the United States, but it will not work in Canada.
As is so often the case, unelected people seem to think they know more than the candidates and MPs who knock on the doors every day and listen to the people’s issues and identify with them. Despite the elected MPs telling the campaign chairs to NOT use this offensive ad in the campaign, the unelected campaign chairs distributed the ad.
The ad is widely considered a major political blunder and contributed to the PCs’ collapse in the election. The PCs suffered a resounding loss, and a considerable part of that record defeat was the disrespectful ad about Jean Chrétien.
In any case, Prime Minister Chrétien formed a majority government in that election by winning 177 seats. The PCs won 2 seats.
The voters sent the PC party, and all politicians, a clear message that offensive and disrespectful political ads will not work in Canada.
The “attack ad” included a close-up image of Mr. Chrétien’s face while the announcer questioned his leadership abilities and judgment. Although the ad did not explicitly mention his facial condition, the focus on his face, combined with the tone of the ad, led many viewers to believe that the ad was ridiculing Mr. Chrétien’s appearance. The ad triggered a public backlash, as Canadians perceived it as disrespectful and insensitive.
Mr. Chrétien responded with his usual candid approach, saying:
God gave me a physical defect, and I’ve accepted that since I was a kid. When I was a kid, people were laughing at me. But I accepted that, and I went into politics. I’m not perfect. But I’ve never let my physical condition stand in the way.
PC candidates in that election were already struggling with internal divisions and leadership issues. The backlash from the advertisement added to our problems and made us even less attractive to the voters.
Just like the time when President Kennedy was shot, I remember exactly where I was when I heard that the campaign organizers had launched that negative and disrespectful ad in the campaign. I was campaigning on the Earltown Road between Tatamagouche and Truro. I could take you to the exact spot.
When I first heard it on the radio, it wasn’t the ad I heard. What I heard was a CBC news bulletin that the PCs had used this awful ad and that it was already resulting in a tremendous backlash. The ad was so offensive that it even made the National News. I felt my re-election being pulled out from underneath me.
What most people don’t know is that the campaign organizers had this impression first imprinted on T-shirts, which were distributed to our entire PC caucus, telling us that this was going to be a focus of the campaign. To a person, the 169 elected MPs sent those T-shirts back up to the front of the caucus room and told the campaign organizers to NOT use this approach as part of the campaign. We even asked that the shirts be destroyed. I remember one MP standing up and saying that this tactic might work in the United States, but it will not work in Canada.
As is so often the case, unelected people seem to think they know more than the candidates and MPs who knock on the doors every day and listen to the people’s issues and identify with them. Despite the elected MPs telling the campaign chairs to NOT use this offensive ad in the campaign, the unelected campaign chairs distributed the ad.
The ad is widely considered a major political blunder and contributed to the PCs’ collapse in the election. The PCs suffered a resounding loss, and a considerable part of that record defeat was the disrespectful ad about Jean Chrétien.
In any case, Prime Minister Chrétien formed a majority government in that election by winning 177 seats. The PCs won 2 seats.
The voters sent the PC party, and all politicians, a clear message that offensive and disrespectful political ads will not work in Canada.