Conservative.ca is an Embarrassment for the Party

July 18, 2008 · By Greg Farries

It’s shocking how utterly pathetic the website Conservative.ca has become. After making such a big deal about a MPs newletter containing a joke about killing Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the people behind Conserative.ca go and post this garbage (notice the bullet holes behind Stephane Dion). [Tip: Warren Kinsella]

Look at the actual Conservative.ca website – the front page is riddled with childish shots and games aimed at the Liberals, and particular Stephane Dion. The rest of the site is extremely short on substance and high on rhetoric and meaningless platitudes.

How can anyone take this party seriously when they have such a poor website?

Here’s a tip for those of you who are responsible for Conservative.ca, you’re not in the opposition anymore, time to drop the childish taunting (and poor design) and act like the government.

Update: Welcome SDA, wernerpatels.com readers.

Update 2: The graphic was yanked from the front page of Conservative.ca, but it still exists here.

Update 3: Ryan Sparrow’s Comments on Bullet Hole Graphic.

Comments

25 Responses to “Conservative.ca is an Embarrassment for the Party”

  1. Shane Edwards on July 18th, 2008 9:33 am [#]

    I does look pretty cheesy. I agree that decorum and moderation are called for when your party is forming government.

  2. Steve Johnson on July 18th, 2008 9:45 am [#]

    The point of the website it to “mock” Stephane Dion.

    The guy is a loser, so the website is childish for that reason.

    It’s impossible for anyone to be serious about Dion and the conservatives are no different.

    Dion is a joke.

  3. Alberta Girl on July 18th, 2008 10:13 am [#]

    Steve – shouldn’t the “point” of a website be to give information about the owner of the site and prompt the reader to find out what that owner is about.

    I believe it is time for the Tories to show that their website is about grown ups – not high school antics.

    Perhaps a few emails to Stephen Harper about the website might get him to tell the juveniles in charge of it to grow up.

  4. Greg Farries on July 18th, 2008 10:19 am [#]

    Steve,

    Nope, you’re wrong. The guy is not a loser. That attitude is what is wrong with the Conservative party and most of its members.

    Dion has thrown the gauntlet out with his Green Shift policy, and all the conservative party (and members such as yourself) can do is mock him.

    Look at the site they created to counter Dion’s Green Shift: http://www.willyoubetricked.ca/

    Look hard at the site and tell me if it’s a convincing argument?

    Now, look through the rest of Conservative.ca and try to find anything that isn’t reactionary. You can’t – because the party has effectually given up trying to articulate a principled position, and it’s slobbering all over itself to mock Dion.

    I’ll say it again, its pathetic for the party of the Government to behave like this.

  5. anon on July 18th, 2008 10:32 am [#]

    The Conservative Party of Canada website looks like something from Marvel Comics. It’s shameful and embarrassing.

    It leaves the impression that the CPC doesn’t have skilled and knowledgeable talent for serious policy analysis, so they have left the web design to a bunch of under-educated neophytes and student interns.

    You’d think that with the healthy donations they receive, they could invest some of it in personnel that can communicate intelligently. Instead, they just draw juvenile comics and write cheap mockery.

    Shape up!

  6. Mé on July 18th, 2008 10:36 am [#]

    The layout of the Conservative website is fine; the features are awful. I can’t tell if I am looking at the Conservative version of http://www.tmz.com.

    A polical party’s website should look dignified. If the Conservatives wish to oppose Dion, they need to refute with dignity–not trash like an immature teen.

    In theory, not only do loyal Conservatives look at the website, so too do other Canadians.

    In my opinion, Harper’s policies rate a B; his messaging is at a D-. The website does not help with the messaging. The website needs a more professional look.

  7. Lori on July 18th, 2008 11:31 am [#]

    Excellent post. You are completely right. The CPC web site is a poor excuse.

    Let’s take this to the CPC and PMSH. My email is sent.

  8. anon on July 18th, 2008 11:35 am [#]

    Lori wrote “Let’s take this to the CPC”

    Doug Finley, National campaign manager: dougfinley@conservative.ca

    Don Plett, President: donplett@conservative.ca

    CPC HQ main phone: 866-808-8407

  9. Werner Patels on July 18th, 2008 1:10 pm [#]

    I think this is excellent advice, and maybe this is where the current problems have their origin: the Conservatives still act like an opposition party, while the Liberals still act out their fantasy and wet dreams of holding and/or resuming government power.

    Ottawa is such a circus — and people (like Garth Turner) wonder why the West doesn’t want in, but out, out, out and far away.

  10. Werner Patels - A Dose of Common Sense on July 18th, 2008 1:17 pm [#]

    Time to act like big boys now…

    The Politic has excellent advice for the Conservative Party of Canada: Here’s a tip for those of you who are responsible for Conservative.ca, you’re not in the opposition anymore, time to drop the childish taunting (and poor design) and act like the …

  11. Time to act like big boys now on July 18th, 2008 1:17 pm [#]

    [...] Politic has excellent advice for the Conservative Party of Canada: Here’s a tip for those of you who are responsible for [...]

  12. MgS on July 18th, 2008 1:56 pm [#]

    When Harper continues to act like opposition leader himself at every turn, is it any real surprise that his minions aren’t any better?

  13. LindaL on July 18th, 2008 2:43 pm [#]

    “notice the bullet holes behind Stephane Dion”
    – bullet holes? Aren’t those supposed to be flowers? That’s what they look like to me.

  14. tomax7 on July 18th, 2008 4:23 pm [#]

    …i bet this is the same clown outfit that concocted those lame TV ads used in the last two elections.

  15. tomax7 on July 18th, 2008 10:35 pm [#]

    …you should also do a screen capture of the Conservative Youth banner at the bottom right.

    The guy looks like an airhead.

  16. pete e on July 19th, 2008 12:35 am [#]

    I go there every week or two and never fail to be disappointed.

    when Harper did his historic apology to aboriginals, I went there to get the complete video…nothing!

    For a party with grassroots roots, this is flabbergasting.

  17. Scott from Winnipeg on July 19th, 2008 10:17 am [#]

    In recent months, I’ve come to believe there isn’t a party in this country capable of being an effective, accountable government.

    It’s unbelievable.

  18. glacialgal on July 19th, 2008 3:31 pm [#]

    While I see your point about decorum, isn’t this an attempt to dumb things down in order to reach the average guy out there who is unaware of who Dion even is? Do you have any idea how many people pay no attention to politics whatsoever? This site may come across as juvenile but where there is a demand for it…….well you know the rest.

  19. Saskboy on July 19th, 2008 10:39 pm [#]

    Wow, I agree with one of your posts. Special day I guess.

  20. NB Tory Lady on July 24th, 2008 12:53 pm [#]

    I am surprised that you found it necessary to make your complaint so public. Why didn’t you just write to the conservative party and give them your opinion and ask for change. We do not need to feed into those in opposition who lie in wait for trip ups by us conservatives.

    oh well…it’s done now and I will email my own thoughts on this subject (privately).

    To the person who bitterly complained that conservative.ca had nothing on the apology. I direct you to the more appropriate place for this which would be Prime Minister Stephen Harpers website.

    here is:
    http://www.pm.gc.ca/eng/default.asp

    onward and upward :-)

  21. ThePolitic.com » Ryan Sparrow’s Comments on Bullet Hole Graphic on July 28th, 2008 9:13 am [#]

    [...] It has been over a week and the “Dion bullet hole” graphic is still on Conservative.ca. According to Now Magazine, Ryan Sparrow, the federal Conservative Party director of communications, refuses to admit it was mistake: But the Conservative’s director of communications vehemently denies the holes in the image are bullet holes. In an interview, Ryan Sparrow said they are just holes “like there are in Stéphane Dion’s policies.” And, in apparent unintentional irony, Sparrow framed the criticisms from blogs as Liberal partisans trying to “shoot the messenger.” [...]

  22. In a better world the Conservative Party’s homepage would look like this « rjjago.wordpress.com on August 4th, 2008 3:37 pm [#]

    [...] Politics Tags: Canada, Conservative, Politics, Web design Related to these two blog posts (1, 2) – Here’s a mock-up I threw together.  Borrowed entirely from Obama’s website (click [...]

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  25. Liberal.ca is Now the Joke – Amateur hour at the Liberal Party Headquarters | ThePolitic.com on December 15th, 2009 10:52 am [#]

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