Over at Small Dead Animals, a favourite hangout of the most rabid of right-wingers, there are howls for the heads of those in the Conservative
war room responsible for the pooping puffin.

Kate McMillan, SDA's headmistress, gets it started with this post:

Conservative Web Presence Still Riddled With Childish Shots

The media are falling all over themselves in faux outrage over a cartoon
puffin shown crapping on Stephane Dion's shoulder at the Conservative party
website notaleader.ca. It's been yanked, with some lame excuse about an
overzealous web designer.

You know, we tried to warn you idiots.

She then quotes my interview yesterday with an unnamed Conservative official:

"The Conservative official said the type of voter targeted by notaleader.ca at tends to be someone between 18 and 30, who has not yet developed a loyalty to one political brand or another.

"They are anti-establishment, libertarian, web- and tech-savvy, and politically incorrect," said the Conservative adviser. "We set out to build
a website that appeals to them."

McMillan then adds:

Just more evidence that...

There exists a persistent misconception inside political/media circles that
the political interweb is the domain of "tech savvy twenty-somethings". The
Conservative's website has, in all likelihood, been influenced by this
ridiculous assumption and that means it's time to fire some of the
high-priced help. If your web people haven't even a remedial understanding
of their audience demographic, they have no business being involved in your
communications strategy.

Then the anonymous commenters jump in:

bryanr: Not very impressive, There are still a lot fence sitter voters out
there. Leave the cheap theatrics to the Liberals.

Edward Teach: Well they've already committed the first cardinal sin of web
design: Making the front page entirely out of Flash! When will people get it
through their stupid heads? Flash is for animation ONLY, not wholesale web
design and layout! If all you know is Flash, then you're NOT a web designer!

bryanr: i just sent off a mail to the party, Basically saying scap that crap
stick to the facts, We don't need to make Dion look like a fool as he shoots
himself in the foot all the time anyways. Lets not lose the momentum on
tacky ads that the msm will have a field with. Remember the backlash on the
chretien photo.

Rich: Someone needs to get control of this and fast!
Anyone in the CPC listening? This could be a BIG negative.

molarmauler: I'm pissed.
An excellent policy announcement ruined by puffin shit. I'd be firing
people.

Garry: When a Radio-Canada guy asked the PM about the birdshi* he just
couldn't resist bringing up the Chretien facial distortion from '93 and some
added commentary to boot. Harper looked sincere apologizing (twice).

bryanr: the star & GM are having a field day with this, Comments section are
not good (although they never are anyways) Good part Week 1 could & should
lose traction when we get into the meat of the campaign.
And a Yes somebody should be canned for this.

Calgary Junkie; bryanr is right, Dion already does a great job of looking
foolish. So let's back off of that theme somewhat.
The last thing we want is for "poor picked on" Dion to get any sympathy from
anywhere. Plus, there is the possibility that the Liberal base will get
energized, and motivated to work harder to fight that "bully" Harper.
Dumb, dumb, dumb.

ConservativeKingston: You guys would do far better if you stopped whining
about how the MSM is treating this issue, and recognize that YOU CAN DO F*CK
ALL ABOUT IT. The issue is out there, and it's entirely of the CPC's making.
Whoever approved this "ad" needs a kick in the ass, because they should have
bloody well known this type of reaction was going to happen. This was such a
childish, pointless ad anyway.
Who's running the show on this one?

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