Oh Irony!

Stephen Taylor has a link whereby Tory operatives have found copies of future Liberal attack ads. I found this one on the left particularly funny. Obviously, the Liberals have decided to compare Stephen Harper to Mike Harris, thinking that Harris is unpopular in Ontario.

This is more indicative of the groupthink in Grit election HQ than electoral calculus. Considering Dalton McGuinty's dismal record so far, I would bet a large portion of undecided voters, whom this ad is trying to target, are waxing nostalgic for the Harris years on some level. Let's look over some key points, which I would use in a response:

• Mike Harris: Cut taxes 30%, took a massive deficit inherited from the NDP and balanced the books. Got rid of cash grabs like photo radar. Relatively clean government.
• Dalton McGuinty: Promised not to raise or cut taxes and then hit taxpayers with a huge health care premium tax. Broke dozens of campaign promises on matters like hydro, adoption, balance books to name a few. Panders to public sector unions at taxpayer expense. Does a lot of "reforms" that are symbolic in nature but are ineffective at best or harmful at worst. Soft on crime. Finance minister resigned when named in an OSC investigation.
• Paul Martin: Broke many campaign promises, both as PM and as finance minister. Panders to special interests with huge government spending promises at expense of taxpayers. Makes a lot of "reforms" that are symbolic in nature but are ineffective at best or harmful at worst. Soft on crime. Party riddled with corruption allegations. Finance minister potential target of OSC investigation.

So based on this information, my rebuttal ads would show the records of McGuinty and Martin side by side - showing some of the items above with the question: "Is Paul Martin the Dalton McGuinty of Canada or is Dalton McGuinty the Paul Martin of Ontario."