An ordinary focus

Looking slightly deeper than most at the current debate over ATM fees, Macleans' Aaron Wherry picks up on the federal NDP's messaging aimed at "ordinary Canadians" and "average Canadians":

(T)here it was atop the National Post's front page: "Tories, NDP eye ATM fees" - the newspaper of conservative record heralding news of Layton's latest adventure in leftist populism.

Granted, the NDP and Layton weren't referenced until the eighth paragraph, the Post choosing to see this as a Conservative initiative. But it was Layton who put his mustachioed face to the issue, posing beside an ATM machine in downtown Toronto to demonstrate the daily gouging of automatic tellers. And it was Layton who the Canadian Bankers Association attacked soon thereafter...

Sticking with the rallying cry of the last election night - "Our Canada puts ordinary Canadians first and tonight ordinary Canadians in their millions put the trust in the NDP" - the New Democrats continues to style themselves the voice of the ordinary, average and everyday. And while the Conservatives drive their "New Government" chant into into the ground, the NDP...is determinedly finding new ways to express a fondness for the common folk.

What's not entirely clear is why the messaging is seen as only becoming worthy of comment lately. After all, in addition to the election night reference, the "ordinary Canadians" wording can be found within the first five sentences of the 2006 election platform.

But if the NDP's emphasis on a populist message is just now registering in the mainstream press, then better late than never. And hopefully Layton and company will continue to receive due credit for being able to fit that central view into a variety of issues - making it possible to stay on message without being forced to recite a limited menu of options as the Cons did in 2006.