Barack Obama’s new “Forward” slogan may evoke the past glories (and infamies) of the left, but its immediate inspiration may be somewhat more humble: Canada’s Dalton McGuinty, Liberal politician and premier of Ontario.
The two share a strategist in common: David Axelrod, who worked for McGuinty from 2000 to 2002.
And there’s more: McGuinty’s slogan in 2003 was “Choose the High Road. Choose Change.” In the most recent elections, and today, McGuinty’s Liberals have run on a new slogan: “Forward. Together.”
In 2008, Obama ran on “Change We Can Believe In.” Much has changed, and much has not–but Axelrod, at least, is one constant.