Backfiring? I'm not so sure

Conventional wisdom on the networks today suggests that the Liberal attack ads are backfiring because they are just so paranoid and desperate. I'm unconvinced. Most voters don't even want to vote and are pissed off that we're even having an election in the first place.

Seriously, how can the future of Canada compare to the importance of weighty issues like this and this? And as this article suggests, the fearmongering may have its intended effect:

Normal people don’t care as much about politics or liberal versus conservative ideology as they care about sports, hobbies, their jobs, family activities, etc. They are not interested in taking the time to understand issues on a deep level. They want sound bites and headlines. They want to glean information efficiently, form quick opinions and move onto something else more enjoyable.

The target audience - people who swing elections and influence policy because of their answers to public opinion polls - is reached through the mainstream media. These people spend a few minutes with the newspaper and catch their local news on television. The claim that media bias is not a problem because conservatives now have a voice in the media misses the big picture perspective.

In the ballot box, if people are uneasy enough, they'll always go with the devil they know. All the Liberals have to do is raise enough doubt. I think that they may have done that, despite their complete inability to demonstrate any kind of leadership or professionalism this week.