Although yesterday's Mail on Sunday/ BPIX poll found that Labour's Chameleon advertisement had backfired on Labour there is no sign of retreat from the spinmeisters of Millbank. Distributed to journalists and politicians today was a postcard mocking David Cameron's Norway trip. Click on the image on the right to enlarge the scan of it.
It's not just BPIX that think the ad backfired - most visitors to this site agreed (even though some of the most enthusiastic bloggers are Cameron-sceptics). On PoliticalBetting.com, Mike Smithson thinks that the Labour tacticians have made a mistake. Noting the difficulty that oppositions parties face in winning any publicity, he writes:
"The old adage of never mentioning your opponent’s name should should prevail. Labour should continue with the strategy that has worked for a decade - just keep on demonising the Conservatives without ever mentioning Cameron."
Labour's next chameleon party political broadcast airs on Thursday. Before then - at 3pm on Wednesday - ConservativeHome.com will be launching the ChameleonArmy.com. Be sure to visit then...
Have you arranged a special deal on the T Shirts?
Posted by: Ted | April 24, 2006 at 23:42
At least you found a URL that Chad hasn't bought.
Posted by: Henry Whitmarsh | April 24, 2006 at 23:50
or the Labour Party...
Posted by: Ted | April 24, 2006 at 23:52
Dont forget Mr Kerridge from Essex who wrote to the mail's letter page remarking that a chameleon was better than a lying toad!!
Posted by: Annabel Herriott | April 25, 2006 at 00:01
I don't agree with the content of the campaign but I'm not losing much sleep over it either, politics is a passionate business and those who cant take some flack have gone soft.
However, I do think the ad was a mistake. The reaction is somewhat delayed, and with 3-4 years to the next GE there will be plenty of common sense reporters reminding excited Labour MP's in interviews that the basis of their campaign (that Cameron wrote the 05 manifesto and voted against x,y and z in whatever year) is crazy since he only had a very junior role in such work.
Posted by: Matthew Oxley | April 25, 2006 at 04:05
"Have you arranged a special deal on the T Shirts?"
Ted, I'm expecting a bit more than T-Shirts. Hopefully some plush toys, a tie, maybe a whole new wardrobe?
Posted by: Chris | April 25, 2006 at 07:56
Camma, Camma, Camma, Camma, Camma Chameleon!
Posted by: Christina | April 25, 2006 at 08:15
Well done Christina!!
Posted by: Kevin Davis | April 25, 2006 at 09:15
"At least you found a URL that Chad hasn't bought." - Henry Whitmash
Good one!
Posted by: Chris Palmer | April 25, 2006 at 10:52
I think canvassers should wear a little chameleon badge.
Chameleons are cute and adaptable, the see all points of view, and this one is riding a bike wearing a cycling helmet! How cool is that? It's the "politics of and" made flesh.
Posted by: True Blue | April 25, 2006 at 11:37
At least you found a URL that Chad hasn't bought
LoL!
(Still I have toryforum.com, toryblog.com and torypress.com amongst others for when the party gets back on track!)
Posted by: Chad | April 25, 2006 at 11:49
I've got to say though I 100% approve of your strategy.
Negating an opponent's frame is very difficult but, imho, very powerful if you succeed.
Posted by: Chad | April 25, 2006 at 12:07
I thinks it's a plan by the seriously in debt Labour Party to raise money, look how much the owners of the "Crazy Frog" have made so far!!!!
On a more serious note, I am delighted that Mr Cameron has risen above this Labour nonsense, I do hope that the electorate can see that that is all Labour have to offer the Country, when they vote on May 4th.
Posted by: Paul Kennedy | April 25, 2006 at 14:22
I think Dave The Chameleon is sweet and I am very happy to be greeted as one of his "Little Blue Friends"!!!
How stupid are Labour? Better to be a Chameleon than a Slimy Toad any day!
Posted by: Sally Roberts | April 25, 2006 at 14:36
Fairly safe adage of negative advertising: don't compare your opponent to a cute and mildly amusing animal.
Apart from that, given Blair's complete change of opinion on everything he campaigned for in the 80s, labelling others as chameleons is just hilarious.
Posted by: Andrew | April 25, 2006 at 14:38
I liked the cartoons we used - the park ranger who said "Hellooo...Oi(at the dog)", and the cow's manure feeding into the power plant provided useful light-hearted moments.
Posted by: Deputy Editor | April 25, 2006 at 14:50
Did anyone notice (if you look very closely at the image of the leaflet above)a quote by Caroline Jackson MEP? Why has she not been disciplined? Already Labour are attempting to capitalise on it.
Posted by: Chris Palmer | April 25, 2006 at 15:01
"Did anyone notice (if you look very closely at the image of the leaflet above)a quote by Caroline Jackson MEP? Why has she not been disciplined?"
They save the discipline for the likes of Roger Helmer. Actually, I'm surprised that Labour didn't drop her "at the moment" qualifier.
Posted by: Richard Weatherill | April 25, 2006 at 15:09
No. 1: Am I to understand that we are shortly to be able to purchase chameleon teeshirts? An "S" and an "XL" please. Drawing Dave as a cute, tough little crittur, that eats slugs for breakfast, wasn't the *sharpest* idea Labour have ever had, was it?
No.2 : Doncha just loathe that Jackson woman? I heard it on the radio4 when she gave that interview, and it was your typical sneery, de haut en bas, I-know-best drivel that you'd expect of the liberal democrat/nulab turncoat she so clearly longs to be.
Posted by: Graeme Archer | April 25, 2006 at 16:03
I think this elected Tory MEP's comments are more concerning than anything Chad has posted on this blog site 'Suggestion' don't you?
She's used a Tory campaign slogan 'all talk and no action' and applied it to her own party! Surely a disciplinary action meeting event.
Posted by: a-tracy | April 25, 2006 at 16:22
Can't members of her Euroconstituency apply pressure on their local associations to push for disciplinary action against her ?
Posted by: johnC | April 25, 2006 at 16:36
As for variety on the back of the Chameleon Army T Shirts we could have:
Best Year Yet for (fill in blank from increasing list below)
Home Office
Tax Credits
NHS
Posted by: Ted | April 25, 2006 at 19:21
Chameleon Army t-shirts can be bought here:
http://www.cafepress.com/chamarmy
... though I don't think there is any connection to D.C!
I'm waiting for Chris's...
Posted by: Melissa Bean | April 26, 2006 at 03:39
I'm not sure that anyone outside of the political world finds any of this remotely interesting. Just ignore.
Posted by: William | April 26, 2006 at 06:33
The Jackson bit is a bit of EPP politics. The power relationship between the EU and Cameron is one of master and servant. Except to win the leadership, he had to pretend it would be otherwise.
Until he backs off the EPP, Cameron will get a load os such slights from other EU leaders, Conservative europhiles like Jackson etc. They know he's weak and in their control. Now they just want to reel him in.
Posted by: William | April 26, 2006 at 07:46
Why don't you use "Music For Chameleons" by Gary Numan as the background music in your next broadcast? Great track!
Posted by: Awk | April 26, 2006 at 11:34
There does seem to be a resounding silence on this issue of:
1: Why is Caroline Jackson getting away with her ongoing and widely quoted attack on official party policy.
2: Why did Cameron not also ban federalists from his front bench where clearly federalism is incompatitble with a nation-state approach.
It does not seem unreasonable in these circumstances to question whether the CamCons are Europhile.
Posted by: Chad | April 26, 2006 at 11:39
Chameleon time in 2 mins?
Posted by: Chris Palmer | April 26, 2006 at 14:58
I too noticed the quote from Caroline Jackson and I too wonder why she has not been punished.
Posted by: Richard Hyslop | April 26, 2006 at 15:36
"ConservativeHome has become THE place where British conservatives come together to debate the direction of the Tory Party"
Arf arf. No. It has become THE place where Chad Noble comes to plug the Imaginary Party, and where a few foaming-at-the-mouths come to slag off Cameron for not promising to pull out of the EU immediately.
Posted by: Margaret on the Gullotine | April 29, 2006 at 22:17