Actually, Performance Reviews Are Usually More Awkward Than That

Of course, the day after I write a post about election ads, I see a new one.  And this appears to be the start of that NDP surge in advertising. But it was also notable because it was a spoof of the Conservatives' job application ads that I made fun of.

It was a nice comeuppance for a series of ads that - regardless of your political beliefs - you've go to be getting tired of by now. I can even forgive them for glossing over the fact that Mulcair's experience in "cabinet" is at the provincial level.  And as I suspected, the NDP somehow attracted far better acting talent despite their more modest budget.

The one part that does bother me about it is the language describing Mulcair as "ready" and "up for the job."  Although Trudeau isn't mentioned, it's clearly a shot at him.  Further, it's attempting to build on the psychological work done by the Conservatives, emphasizing the concept that the election is all about experience, and that politicians must achieve some magic threshold of readiness.  In that sense, this ad is hypocritical: it's making fun of the Conservative ad, while also using the same ideas.

So to summarize: the party on the right made an ad attacking the party in the centre, and ignoring the party on the left.  The party in the centre only mentioned the ad in passing, but the party on the left rebutted the ad, with their own ad.  It attacked the party on the right, while ignoring the party in the centre, though indirectly putting them down.