Illustration by Anthony Jenkins/The Globe and MailAnthony Jenkins/The Globe and Mail
Beer and popcorn anyone? Remember that one? That was the last comedic attempt made by a high-profile Liberal, my friend Scott Reid, during the 2005-06 election campaign that tanked.
Scott, at that point a senior Paul Martin adviser, was trying to offer a colorful critique of the Conservative Party's daycare proposal to provide family's with $100 per month per child under the age of 6. Unfortunately for Scott his attempt at humour was an abysmal failure and ended up pissing off tons of Canadians. I know Scott felt horrible afterward, as all of us who have ever made stupid comments do, but the damage was done.
Unlike Ian Davey, Scott was in the employ of the Prime Minister when he made the beer and pop-corn crack. Ian's joke about readers of the Sun newspapers yesterday, made while we were on Question Period together, has been as poorly received as Scott's. He was clearly identified as a former chief of staff to Michael Ignatieff during our appearance. Unfortunately, because of actions by his own party the precedent was already set.
Rob argues that the "Davey Precedent" means it will become fair game to use the words of an opponent's former senior political people to undermine that politician's efforts. But this is nothing new.
Rob referenced Tom Flanagan, former campaign director and chief of staff to Stephen Harper. Tom, a well-respected professor with his own views, has from time to time articulated positions different from the Prime Minister. I have seen many Liberals and others embrace Tom's words, when they have been critical of the current administration, as political gifts to malign the PM.
Ian Davey is probably having a rotten day today. I am certainly not trying to make it worse for Ian as he has always treated me with respect and been a personable fellow. But when you do tell a whole bunch of people they are illiterate, all the beer and popcorn in the world is not going to make those words easier to choke down .
While the slagging of Sun reader's wasn't done by Michael Ignatieff or one of his current employees, he gets to wear some of it because of his own party's past approaches. Fairly or unfairly, Ian Davey is a much part of the Ignatieff tale as Tom Flanagan is of Harper's latest chapter.
If we want to undo the precedent let us do it. But don't pretend it started with Ian Davey yesterday.