Family men

Liberal leader Stéphane Dion made his campaign-opening statement in the House of Commons foyer, the same spot that then-opposition leader Stephen Harper opened the last general election campaign.

For his statement, Dion was accompanied by his wife Janine Krieber. Krieber did not say anything but she and Dion grabbed hands and smiled at each other when I asked Dion about the “family man” ads the Conservatives have been airing in the last week. The Conservatives seemed to stress Harper's status as a family man and I asked both men this morning about that: For Harper, why he thought it was important for voters to consider his “family man” status as they cast their votes and, for Dion, if he thought that voters ought to consider that as they cast a ballot.

Harper said his advisors suggested that Canadians had not seen him in that light and so they decided to present that particular view of him. Dion said he believed that there ought to be separation, so far as media attention goes, between someone's private life and public life but that, he, too, is a family man. Harper has a wife, two children and lots of cats. Dion has a wife, a child, and a dog.

Political strategists say that the Conservatives initially positioned Harper's softer side in order to being winning over female voters. That's a demographic that has historically been lukewarm to Harper and the Conservatives.

Technorati Tags: elections, stephane dion, stephen harper