Brown-John: Slogans are OK in politics, but where’s the policy beef?
Politics tamfitronics Published Nov 01, 2024 • Last updated 1 day ago • 3 minute readConservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre addresses his party's caucus on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Sept. 15 2024. Photo by Bryan Passifiume /Postmedia NewsBy: Lloyd Brown-JohnIn the 1958 federal election, John Diefenbaker won the largest parliamentary majority in Canadian history. He defeated Nobel Peace Prize winner Lester Pearson.‘Dief’ tapped into populist discontent and rode to victory on a simple slogan — ‘Follow John.’Slogans are the bread and margarine of political parties and their promoters. The word ‘slogan’ may have originated in Gaelic ‘slaugh-ghairm’ — a battle cry. Former New York Times columnist William Safire defined slogan as “a catch phrase … to thrill, exhort and inspire … (with) the intent of sparking emotions and open the door to persuasion.”THIS CONTENT IS...
