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The Tyee reviews Tom Flanagan's Harper's Team, an insider's account of the four campaigns that made Stephen Harper prime minister of Canada.
As a full-time professor and part-time dabbler in Reform politics, Flanagan clearly saw Reform as a vehicle for Hayekian changes. His involvement with the young Stephen Harper was tentative at first, but before long they were close associates. They co-authored an important essay: "Our Benign Dictatorship: Can Canada Avoid a Second Century of Liberal Rule?"
Flanagan and Harper learned the ropes of backroom politics as Reform staggered through changes in name, brand and leadership early in the decade. Through it all, Flanagan was clearly taking detailed notes and drawing lessons from the experience.
Fear works
The key lesson: Fear works. Raising money to support Harper's leadership campaign taught him to follow "the time-honoured advice for raising money by direct mail — make people angry and afraid, and set up an opponent for them to give against."
Read the full article
Or read Tom Flanagan's insights on the current Canadian elections in the Globe and Mail
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