I don’t know for sure if this is actually running or when it started, but this came across my twitter feed this morning. It’s a new CPC attack ad against Mulcair … this time on radio.

It’s mostly more of the same #CarbonFarce untruths about a Carbon Tax and it’s effects…

It’s important to note that there are some differences between television ads and radio ads:

1st - it’s not possible to add source notes to radio adds like on TV and these notes give the ads more credibility.The ad does use phrases like “experts say” to give it authority but I wonder how effective that will be. 

2nd - However, that being said, people digest radio ads in a much more passive way than TV ads. Since radio is often listened to while completing other tasks, like driving or working. These means the lies might be absorbed easier than if someone was devoting more attention to the ad…

And, there’s an important targeting aspect to these ads. Radio is a more effective communication tools in rural areas, northern areas (like Northern Ontario) and suburban areas (where people listen to “Drive time radio” while commuting) than large urban centres. We should consider if these ads (and where they get played) are revealing of a longe-term Conservative strategy. On the flip side, if these end up mostly on conservative-leaning talk radio stations, we’ll know that the CPC is trying to energize it’s base and keep the anti-NDP, “blue Liberals” they won over in 2011.

For what it’s worth, Conservative pundit Stephen Taylor thinks this line of attack will have some effect but it won’t be on the level of the history Dion/Iggy attacks.