As campaign launches go, Liberals have to be pretty happy with the first 48 hours. In just half a day, the hostile questions about coalition partners had shifted target and Stephen Harper was on the defensive. Gilles Ducette produced a copy of a letter with Harper's signature and tapes of a secret meeting in a Toronto hotel room between Harper and his potential partners were circulation on the Internet. Harper's attempt to change the topic from contempt to coalition was backfiring.
Notable was how much fun surrounded the Liberal campaign bus and the contrast with the Conservative bus. Reporters were blogging about the hugely enthusiastic crowds waiting for Michael Ignatieff in Quebec, having their pictures taken wearing false "Michael eyebrows" and having their questions answered. From the Conservative bus we were reading complaints about limited access to Harper.
From less formal media, someone Tweeted about how it would be interesting if Ignatieff answered questions put to him by the public rather than just reporters paying to ride along on the bus. Within a few minutes, Ignatieff had answered, by Tweet from the bus, that he would do that as often as time permitted. Reporters on Harper's bus were told their quota had expired and to save their question for tomorrow.
It's been written that the tone and success of a campaign can depend on the quality of the sandwiches and the mood on the various party buses. Last election, the Liberals couldn't get the bus out of Ottawa for several days. What a contrast. This was a pretty good weekend to be a Liberal.
