Liberals plan to showcase PM, not party in campaign

[Ediacara]

Liberals plan to showcase PM, not party in campaign

By JANE TABER
From Wednesday's Globe and Mail

Ottawa — The federal Liberals are preparing an election campaign that will showcase Prime Minister Paul Martin and play down the party, which is seen in many parts of the country as damaged goods because of the sponsorship scandal and the troubles of some provincial Liberal governments.
"It's a strategy to bet the house on Paul Martin," a senior Ontario Liberal said yesterday.

Insiders said internal polls indicate that Mr. Martin is more popular than the party, running about 15 points ahead of it despite the pummelling he has taken over the sponsorship scandal.

More at the Globe and Mail

[Screaming Lord Byron]

1. Yeah. It is a risky strategy to shift the focus onto Martin, though.

He's old, and a multi-millionaire with shady business dealings.

[Minstrel Boy]

2. Hardly a fresh faced innocent.

A millionaire shipping magnate backed by Power Corps' Paul Desmarais and Finance Minister for nearly all of the past decade ought to have a hard time campaigning as an outsider.

He's not warm and cuddly, and he has more than a touch of Nixon's self-destructive insecurities. All he really has is his record, but how can he campaign on that, while distancing himself from the government he served?