25 Comments
User's avatar
Linda Wilson's avatar

There is a name for it. The illusory truth effect...aka Trump's playbook.

Lorraine's avatar

PP is loud,obnoxious,insecure,insincere and a lying POS.

Cath Millage's avatar

Thank you for continuing to call out the lies, Fred, and for pointing out the gaslighting strategy employed by this mid-range narcissist that is PP, who attempts rather ineffectually, obviously, to get attention but nevertheless, who is dangerous because he is so insecure and getting worse. ❤️🇨🇦

Fred Ferguson (GeezerWise)'s avatar

Cath... I appreciate you.

I try to stay away from diagnosing personalities and stick to what we can actually see and verify.

Because the behaviour is enough on its own.

When the same patterns keep showing up...

repeat it, dismiss pushback, clip it, amplify it...

that’s what matters.

If people can recognize the strategy, they don’t need labels.

They can make up their own minds based on what’s right in front of them 👍

Carol-Ann Lamothe's avatar

Yes, PP is getting worse. That loud, annoying, repetitious rhetoric drives me up a wall.

Patsy Rideout's avatar

Thanks Fred, great post! As for PP & his false rhetoric, I have never believed anything that comes forth from his mouth, same as orangeball, regurgitating it all over & over is a fail, at least with me, once an idiot always an idiot is my personal way of thinking! Now we have a third person using the same playbook, in Alberta! Seems like she's gonna rig her votes same as trumpie. Grrrrrr

Fred Ferguson (GeezerWise)'s avatar

Patsy... I hear the frustration, no question.

But once it turns into “they’re all idiots,” we lose the edge that actually matters...

being able to spot what’s off and explain why.

That’s the part that cuts through.

There are patterns showing up across different politicians... same messaging style, same repetition, same clip strategy...

and that’s what I’m trying to highlight.

If people can recognize the playbook, they don’t have to agree with me…

they can see it for themselves.

And once you see it, it’s a lot harder to get played 👍

Patsy Rideout's avatar

I agree with you Fred, once we see these things, it can't be UNseen, & make sure we don't forget it!

Freedom350's avatar

It’s not his playbook, it’s Trump’s. PP has never had an original thought in his life.

Patsy Rideout's avatar

Hahaha, gotta love that thought!

Elbows Up's avatar

Please keep on giving us the truth, Fred. Between Trump and PP, we need facts reinforced every day. And this will get worse the closer we get to the CUSMA decision date. Personally, I will buckle up and only listen to Mr. Carney.

Fred Ferguson (GeezerWise)'s avatar

Joanna... I appreciate that.

But I’ll be straight with you…

don’t swap one echo chamber for another.

Nobody... including Mark Carney... should get a free pass without scrutiny.

What I’m trying to do here isn’t tell people who to trust… it’s show them how to think through what they’re seeing.

Because the real danger isn’t one politician.

It’s when we stop checking any of them.

That’s when the game gets easy for everyone at the top 👍

Gary Gammon's avatar

Just like trump.

Don Wilson's avatar

We need to follow the welsh. Get rid of any politicians who are lying 😠

Fred Ferguson (GeezerWise)'s avatar

Don... I get the frustration.

But it’s not as simple as “kick out the liars,” because politics would be an empty room pretty fast.

The real lever isn’t a one-time purge… it’s pressure.

Ask better questions.

Demand receipts.

Reward the ones who actually answer straight... and stop sharing the clips that don’t.

That’s how you change behaviour over time.

Otherwise it just turns into musical chairs… same game, different faces 👍

Don Wilson's avatar

Thanks Fred, appreciate your response, take care 💯🇨🇦💪🏻

Sandi J Horton's avatar

I haven't cared for PP since he came on the scene when he became leader of the PC's. And I told my Alberta member of Parliament I would not be voting for him again until PP was out. Unfortunately, he stole a seat in Alberta to regain his seat in Parliament. He does not represent Canadians Imo.

Radio Ray Marshall's avatar

And this is why it bothers me that large media, including the public broadcaster, will report on a story, then give the last clip, the closing argument, to Poilievre even though his take is incorrect, misleading, or merely a generalized attack on the government.

In this case, the media empower and accelerate the exact problem you've described.

Ron Murphy's avatar

It is incumbent upon the Media to accurately and honestly report the facts. Unfortunately, what with the large conglomerate control of our media outlets, some by foreign entities, it is not always happening. Bias slants and tones are more and more creeping into what is reported to the public, serving the interests of the large players and not the interest of the general public.

Carole Law's avatar

Sounds like Pierre is taking lessons from the Trump playbook. Really, Pierre, it's not a good look.

Christopher McGowan's avatar

It's pretty much the playbook of MAGA. I would hope everyone who went to school had participation in a social studies group or something else. It was called “Rumor”. You give a description of anything to do with truth, share it in whisper to the person next to you and so on. The more people you have the evident how truth can turn to a lie and how a lie can change the entire subject.

Eric Vinagreiro's avatar

I struggle trying to talk to people who buy into PPs "talking points". You literally have to sit there with your phone fact checking the lies and mistruths for them.

Shelagh Corless's avatar

When the term sane washing becomes part of our vocabulary you can tell we have some serious problems.

Lorraine's avatar

Mainstream media in Canada has been compromised for years by rightwing American owners of our newspapers,tv channels,etc… It’s impossible to find any unbiased reporting and interviews, it’s almost all rightwing propaganda. I suggest Canadians watch independent media,on You Tube, Substack or others that present an unbiased and more truthful reporting. Why would CBC,CTV,Global and all the many other mainstream media give PP and his conniving schemers so much airtime unless they were supported by the media. Telling the truth matters and the media has let Canadians down with their unscrupulous antics.