Gordon Ashworth and iPolitics.ca have a touching tribute to Keith Davey, the strategist attributed with much of the Liberal Partiy's success during the Trudeau era. Few would argue his skills at interpreting the electorates' interests and organizing a national campaign were short of extraordinary. He managed to win elections and earn the respect of his opponents. It was a time (before BlackBerries, as Ashworth notes) but the opposition was just that, the opposition, not the enemy - as the currently-governing party's strategists seem to believe. I know, as a then Progressive Conservative, I loathed his success while admiring his skill.
I particularly like some of the lessons that Ashworth learned from Davey. The part about breakfast being the most important meal of the day, for both nutritional and business purposes, is wise. It wouldn't surprise me if the Conservative Party war-room has someone assigned to read the Toronto Star. And Davey's three rules remain valid; we all should remember them:
Rule 1: Return phone calls because you never know how important the call might be
Rule 2: Be prompt because everyone's time is important
Rule 3: Be truthful. Don't mislead because things can come back to haunt you.
Source: iPolitics.ca [login required]
