OTTAWA - Any attempt by the Tories to smear rookie Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff would backfire with recession-ravaged Canadians, Liberals say.
Bob Rae and others made the prediction Monday in response to a report that the Conservatives have attack ads ready to go, aimed at casting Ignatieff as a flip-flopping intellectual elitist and fair-weather Canadian.
The Tories used such negative ads to devastating effect against Ignatieff's predecessor, Stephane Dion, whom they characterized as ineffectual, weak and "not a leader."
But Liberals say they're confident the tactic wouldn't work a second time.
"I think the circumstances are very different," Rae said. "You can sometimes try and play the same movie twice but it doesn't always work the second time and I think that's the problem."
First and foremost, the economy has tanked since the Tories last unleashed their attack dogs. Rae said Canadians have little patience for blatant partisanship in the midst of an economic crisis.
"I just think the appetite in the country for this is almost nil and I think the Conservatives risk really angering people."
Rae also said U.S. President Barack Obama has ushered in a new era of more civil, less partisan politics south of the border, and Canadians are yearning for a similar change here.
"I think that does change the equation."
Still, Liberals say they won't repeat the "fatal error" Dion made -- letting Tory attacks go unanswered.
"I give (Tories) grudging credit. It worked before," said Warren Kinsella, who is on deck to run the Liberal war room, including the quick response team, during the next election campaign.
"I don't think it's going to work this time and nobody in the Liberal party is going to let them get away with it."
While the cash-starved Liberal party can't match a massive Tory radio or TV ad campaign, strategists say they would launch "tough and swift" counter-attacks through the mainstream media and the Internet.
They would aim to factually counter the Tory attacks, but insist they don't want to get into tit-for-tat mudslinging. They want Ignatieff to continue imparting a positive message, in contrast to Prime Minister Stephen Harper's penchant for ruthless partisanship.
"Hope always beats fear and all that Stephen Harper knows is the fear button," said Kinsella.
Rae added: "If (Tories) want to engage in that kind of a battle, there will be a response. Of course there'll be a response. But we all have to remember that you can't hold the support and affection of the Canadian people if all you're doing is throwing mud at your opponents. It just won't work."
