Quite. Layton was using stealth. "Vote for me because I'm nice and am recovering from cancer". It worked.

Let's not forget that he was a political scientist (PhD and professor). He knew what he was doing and, from what I've read, had his strategy planned out years ago. He was always going for the QC vote. Love him or hate him, he was no fool.

What's that got (even were it to be true) to do with it?

I meant to imply that negative ads are unfortunate but acceptable as long as the perpetrator of the ad doesn't make up some ludicrous lie and attempt to destroy an opponent based upon said lie.

Always? Never mentioned it when he was a member of the council in Toronto. Or, as far as I can recall, ever since.

I think you've been on the Dark Side overly long.

The cliche style political ads are useless "vote fer me ,cause um, me wants a better country (as if your opponents else wants a worse country). People that vote based on those are the dupes IMO.

Perhaps not always but for quite a long time, according to this.

http://www2.macleans.ca/2011/05/02/h...quebecs-heart/