Tory Talking Points Generator

There has been some buzz in the blogosphere about the federal Tories and their on line keep-on-message database. So one night while I was on vacation and having problems sleeping I went exploring on the Tory web site. The messaging database is actually very simple and similar to message box type messages given out by other parties to their candidates to help them put forward their party's message. Nothing really special there other than these message boxes aren't to help candidates stay on topic, but to help Conservative supporters stay on message. Again, if the Tories want to come across as micromanaging control freaks, I say let them. Going through the various topics that you can get the True Word on, there's nothing there that we don't already get from the little media contact Tory MP's have. All the database lets you do is type in your postal code to get a list of local call-in shows to spew off the talking points at. The actual talking points don't seem to change based on where you live, only the list of call in shows. This makes sense as Harper is hyper-concerned about all his supporters sticking to a very narrow list of talking points. There is one annoying thing about the database though. You have to shut down your browser and then re-start it to get the talking points for a different topic. This is either just shoddy programming on the part of whoever the Tories hired to do the job or an attempt to keep people from getting easy access to the talking points, despite the fact they're not password protected and easily accessible from the "My Campaign" link on the Tory homepage. There is an option to sign up for an account as well. I didn't do this, though you may get even "juicier" talking points if you do so. Or you'll simply get spammed by the Tories.

Now at the end of the talking points they ask that the true believers not just call up a call-in show and start reading off the points. I suspect that since the talk show hosts have gotten wise to this scheme that it's starting to backfire with hosts asking questions of the callers outside the scope of the talking points. Now doing that won't fluster a veteran politician, Tory or otherwise, since the politician will simply ignore the host and keep spewing the talking points. For the average Tory supporter though, I suspect that simply asking a question outside the realm of the talking points would cause a quick fluster and hangup. Time will tell if this is an effective tactic for the Tories or not.

I have "screen captures" of the talking points and will post them in my file repository if there's enough demand. If you want these posted, mention so in comments.

A further function of the site is to allow True Believers to write letters to the editor. You pick the topic from the list, provide your name, address, phone number, etc. as well as which newspaper you want to send the letter to and the site gives you the talking points and a box to write a letter. You write your letter and press send and voila, instant letter to the editor to your favourite rag. Now I suspect that if the editors of the major newspapers in Canada start getting a tonne of email from the same IP, they might start getting suspicious of the veracity of the comments. This is especially true given that the Conservative Party of Canada have basically opened an email relay on the web. Not that I'd condone such actions, but an enterprising programmer could set up a script to spam the editors of Canada's newspapers over and over and over again, at the CPC's expense, both financially and reputation. It also remains to be seen if the name and address information collected to email the letter isn't also saved in a database and then used for marketing purposes by the party.

So is this the great evil that it's being put out to be? I suspect not. It's just another tool that parties will start to use as time goes on. The Tories were just the first to put the information out for the public to use. There are some problems with being first though. You telegraph your talking points to your opponents who can also download them, then come up with counter points quite easily. Second, by setting up an email system, you risk not just the run of the mill spammers going after your site, but a concerted effort by your opponents to damage your brand amongst the media by flooding your system with bogus email requests. Only time will really tell how useful this will be for the Tories, or anyone else for that matter. I suspect it will simply cement the idea in the minds of Canadian voters that the Conservatives are simply mindless automatons following the will of the Great Leader, Stephen Harper, and not a grassroots, from the ground up party that could actually represent their interests, especially if those interests stray outside the message from the PMO.