Media

 Style, politics and TV
 

Yesterday Canadians voted and contrary to the expectations of the numerous, almost weekly survey polls, it was not a close 3 way race but a Liberal Party landslide!

If Donald Trump had been asked, he would have predicted the great Liberal victory just as he has almost destroyed the Jeb Bush run for the White House with two words: "low energy".

Mr Bush has excellent job experience and is a progressive Republican but wears a suit and tie too often and is usually subdued in his body language and speech: i. e., no waving arms and theatrical jesters,  no bellowing or pounding the table.  Put simply he, like most of the candidates from both U.S. parties, comes across on TV as subdued if not wimpy. 

In a media universe where Iron Man and 007 and gross humour comedies rule the big screen, and the walking dead and vampires and bloody medieval tales rule the small screen, and when violent video games make more money than movies, movie rentals and movie streaming, boredom sets in quickly.  Put simply, politicians who dress conservatively -- tie and suit - and who often resemble wooden statues , have minimal appeal.

In our recent Canadian election, Prime Minister Harper continued to look and speak and physically move in the old school fashion and so too the staid NDP leader, Thomas Mulcair. 

As for the election winner, Justin Trudeau,  only 7 years in politics and just  2 1/2 years as a party leader, he was a breath of dramatic fresh air as one would expect from a teacher of drama.

Trudeau, in media clips and ads, was almost always seen without jacket, often tie-less and with sleeves symbolically rolled up. He always flashed his great and friendly smile, walked in a fast, energetic pace -- when on the street and meeting people, and was constantly moving his arms and speaking with passion.

The Liberal advertising slogan proved true: people wanted "change now", and as The Donald would have predicted, if 2 of the 3 competitors are stiff and dull, the winner will be Mr. Energy.

Hopefully the Liberal promises and plans will work too, because in the end, substance, i.e., government policies, is far more important than the glowing face of an energized leader with good hair -- or one with a bad comb over job.