So There's Going to Be an Election: Required Watching for the Campaign

James Carville and George Stephanopoulos look astonishingly young here, but then, weren't we all, once upon a time?

Now that it is clear that Canadians will go to the polls in a few weeks, may I suggest that all political junkies take a look at the excellent documentary film made about the 1992 Clinton election campaign, The War Room?

Facebook and Twitter are fluttering with messages, jokes about West Wing and Harper. It's Show Time and there area lot of folks out there ready for the adrenalin rush of a campaign. But, just as Carville famously warned "It's the economy, stupid," the guys running campaigns should remember that defining a message that people care about it is absolutely essential.

The economy has been looking up, but Harper shouldn't claim credit for it. Folks should be reminded that whatever measures the he finally took to counter the Recession were taken because of pressure from the parties representing the two-thirds of Canadians who didn't vote Conservative in 2008. Make sure that people remember that Canada's social safety net, its more stringent bank regulation, its general center left orientation are what made the difference for us.

And these are exactly the things that Harper and his friends want to get rid of. Point a few fingers, name a few names, and keep on message.