By now, most of the punditry and analysis of the throne speech is about as stale as the leftover Thanksgiving turkey at the back of your refrigerator shelf, especially since much of the 7,200-word opus was already stale upon arrival.

But permit me a couple of last observations before this speech goes on a dusty shelf in the library of Parliament, where all used throne speeches end up.

This latest throne speech may have been hyped as a reset or major shift for the Conservative government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper as it embarks on an unofficial campaign for re-election in 2015. But, in reality, the only truth in the previous statement is that the 2015 campaign has indeed begun. (We can expect to see a lot more of those annoying “economic action plan” ads that we pay for.)

Actually, the throne speech was part of a tried-and-true formula that worked for the Tories in 2006, 2008 and 2011. It will be fascinating to watch whether the formula works in 2015.

Public bad guy or designated bogeyman: this is a technique perfected in Canada by the Mike Harris government in Ontario from 1995 to 2001. Just as the Harris government was always campaigning against welfare cheats, teachers, nurses and union bosses, the Harper regime ran in 2006 against crooked Liberals and crooked lobbyists.

In the years since the 2006 election, the Tories have, at various times, turned their wrath against shiftless (seasonal) employment insurance recipients, drug addicts, scientists, foreign environmental activists and their domestic stooges, union bosses, crooked senators and, most recently, big business. To hold public attention, you have to have drama; to have drama, you need conflict; and to have conflict, you need a villain.

It would be very tough to find a Canadian who does not hate banks or his or her cable bill. Thus, the throne speech contained a promise to let people pick and choose the cable channels they want without worrying about the economic consequences on a film and television production sector that employs more than 100,000 Canadians.

Keep it Dick- and-Jane simple: just as the Harper Tories raided the New Democratic Party’s playbook in 2006 in cutting the goods and services tax, the Tories have helped themselves to the NDP’s simplistic proposals again. This time, Harper and Co. are sticking it to the banks regarding vendor fees and to the wireless carriers for roaming charges – without thinking much about the pros and cons or unintended consequences.

Normally, the relevant industry regulators worry about matters like that. But that would mean crafting good public policy. This government does do public policy. It also does messaging. If that messaging happens to be good public policy – bonus! If it isn’t good policy, worry about it after the election.

Pander to your base: you can’t have enough “tough on crime” promises to put in your store window, especially against child molesters and murderers. No need to worry about legal overkill or the declining crime rate.

Nor can you promise enough to outlaw deficits, even if you are the people who brought back the federal deficit after inheriting a $13-billion surplus from the Liberals. Don’t worry about being called hypocritical. Voters and the media have short memories.

When you don’t have something to announce, re-announce something: all governments do this. But the throne speech has a particularly blatant example: almost three years ago a private member’s bill amended a Prohibition-era law prohibiting transport of beer and wine over provincial borders. The private member’s bill, by a Tory backbencher, was very popular. So, why not do the same thing with yet another amending bill and take credit for it?

Since a critical breakthrough on the trade talks with Europe came the same day of the throne speech, some pundits might think there would be a bit of a vision statement in the speech about Canada’s economic future. How naive. That would be getting into policy – and we know how the Harper government feels about that.

As for details, that might prompt discussion of what Canada had to give up in the negotiations. This is why this government doesn’t do details, either.

If voters are willing to trade good governance for a cheaper cable bill, the Tories will be re-elected. Sadly, the Tories might be right.

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