Mayoral Campaign Needs Bit Of Wink: POTTER

By Evan Potter

Ottawa’s mayoral candidates are getting the hang of using design to set a political mood.

Their campaign designs are also beginning to tell us something fundamental about Ottawa’s mayoral race. Everyone is taking themselves very seriously. Too seriously, perhaps, at this early stage when we can all afford to experiment a bit. There’s still remarkably little wit, irony or visual swagger in the race.

Right now, Ottawa’s campaign aesthetic is all policy pamphlet and no wink.

A little more wink, please. This is going to be a long campaign. Note to self: local media love “wink.”

And, in mayoral candidate Jeff Leiper’s case, definitely no wink yet. We’re not asking the councillor for Kitchissippi to dress up in a clown outfit with balloons or walk a tightrope across a gorge or sing a song at Bluesfest. He is not going to handglide and stick a landing in front of Ottawa City Hall. We know he doesn’t do stunts. Nobody is calling for “zany Jeff.” Leave the showboating to the now officially campaigning Beacon Hill-Cyrville Councillor Tim Tierney, in shorts and sandals. I’ll say this much for Tierney, he seems to get “wink.” It works politically for him. But do take a couple of walks on the wild side, Jeff, I say – including in your campaign aesthetic.