Ben,
Many thanks for your reply.
I understand the thinking behind the campaign, but I believe it is totally flawed.
Time and time again, I have read, seen and heard (both in the popular press, around the Internet and amongst my peers) that people are turned off politics often
BECAUSE of this kind of negative campaigning.
Meanwhile, those of us who do still manage to keep an interest in politics can see that this intention of highlighting David Cameron's supposed "flip-flopping", this could easily also be said of your party's leader.
David (sorry,
Dave) may have said what are (or certainly to some appear to be) different things to different people, but I have heard of many similar occasions when Anthony (sorry,
Tony) has said one thing to one group of people and then immediately said something completely different (which, I might add, could not possibly have other meanings) to another group! So, as I said in my initial e-mail, "
Despite anything else, the hypocrisy of the advert is blinding - the whole broadcast could have just as easily have applied to Tony Blair!"
Anyway, back in 1997, Mr. Blair stated that "Positive policies win elections, not negative campaigning," and although I forget specifics, I also seem to recall him calling for an end to such campaigning at one point. Now that's certainly a "flip-flop".
Further, I have no doubt that you have had much positive feedback to the campaign - the television advert itself is visually appealing. However, I also would make a fair guess that the vast majority (if not all) of that positive feedback comes from those who would have voted Labour anyway.
Aaron Brown
(P.S. I do wish people would refrain from use of the word 'Tory' (and its derivatives), especially when intended in a derogatory and/or negative manner; the Tory party has not existed since before Queen Victoria ascended to the throne.)
