Going to a funeral
"Look it", "Fundamentally," "Let me tell you," "," "This is an absolute priority."
-Paul Martin
This isn't a blog about politics but I guess I can give myself a little leeway.
I'm no fan of Paul Martin. I think the Libs need a change and the only way to get that is through defeat.
But even I am beginning to think the media is against the soon-to-be-former PM.
I just listened to As It Happens and the interviewer just peppered Mr. Dithers with rapid fire criticisms and he even evoked Paul Martin Sr. and insinuated that he (the former) would not 'say anything' just to be elected (like Jr.).
Sheesh. Pick up the Globe. Peruse the Post. Read the Telegraph-Journal for goodness sake. And don't mention the Toronto Star - the last great bastion of Liberalism with a big 'L' - Chantal Hebert has been writing the most savage commentary of all.
In the end, Paul Martin may have deserved it. He may have set the media up with over the top rhetoric about fixing the democratic deficit and health care for a generation and maturing the US relationship, etc. But to see this almost freakish show where he blurts out "I'll scrap the notwithstanding clause" in a debate in the same manner you might say we're promising more money for health care and the media gleefully pouncing.
And to make matters worse for Martin, instead of targeting the Conservatives, the NDP are putting 90% of their effort into hammering the Libs. Check out www.ndp.ca sometime. Here's their latest gimmick:
The Great Paul Martin Credibility Hunt
We’re giving away return airfare and hotel accommodation to any country Paul Martin used to avoid Canadian taxes, labour laws and environmental regulations – while he was finance minister – by flying other countries’ flags on his ships. From Barbados to tiny Vanuatu in the South Pacific to human-rights-abusive Liberia, Paul Martin’s company wandered the globe to find flags of convenience to fly. And if you can prove his values are more than convenient, too, you’re going on vacation to see for yourself. We’ll be announcing the winner on Friday, January 20.
Sorry for the rant. Hope Harper turns out to be a thoughtful PM that takes regional development - particularly Atl. Canada - seriously. Hope there is some critical thinking about old policies that have been more or less in place for 30 years. Hope somebody looks at the successful economic development stories in Canada and they says how can we do that in Atl. Canada.
For PM (name or professional initials), I hope he goes out with dignity. Hopefully, most people will remember him for being a good finance minister. Hopefully, Mr. Dithers will be relegated to the dustbin of our collective history.
posted by David Campbell @ 7:20 PM
3 Comments:
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As Warren K pointed out on his blog last night (I won't go through the details because I'm sure you read it as well), there will be a changing of the guard amongst the scribes in the Ottawa bureau.
You are seeing seasoned vets and former liberal apologists like Oliver, Duffy (the Puffy version), and the Toronto Star do a number on Martin because they know they can't bet their careers on another John Turner like flunky. They're well aware that they have to appear to be cordial with the Harper gang so that their phone lines won't be cut as well (like B. Mulroney did to many in '86). Much like "flying Brian" during his reign, don't expect that relationship to last too long b/t Harp and the press corp.
Kinsella goes on to say that the individuals who will be most damaged by the change in gov't will be the ones who got too close to Dithers. For example, Susan Delacourt, Jim Travers, current CBC bureau minus Newman's crew, most of the Star minus Hebert, and Keith Boag were all Martin suckups and will be affected. It seems as though Greg Weston somehow weaseled his way off that list, I can remember him pumping up Martin on Don Newman's show every friday afternoon.(yet, to his credit, he was one of the journalist who was very critical of Martin back in the first of December before his drastic drop in the polls)
As well, most of the MSM are astute enough to realize that Harper's reign will be a brief and bumpy one with the press. They are hoping that they can cosy back up with the Trudeauites and Chretienites once they take hold of the party again and eventually 24 Sussex Drive.
That is why I have said on my blog in the past that Frank McKenna's biggest mistake would be to consult with Reid, Murphy, O'Leary, Hurle and Robinson. Many of them are already dusting off their resumes in search of private sector work.
What a shame, eh Dave.lol
Oh yeah, I failed to identify the winners. They will be Andrew Coyne, the Post, the Sun bureau(especially Ezra Lavant) and the blogging tories. I guess they can now do what they always wanted, talk about and scrutinize the conservative government's new policy initiatives. No more petulant protests from the centre-right.
As usual people have shown just how easily malleable they are by the canadian press corps. It's amazing that we always criticize americans for being so gullible, but here we are..
First, we have to remember that most canadians barely pay attention to politics. They are reading and writing blogs, in fact many don't even read papers.
I seem to remember the same comments being passed around before the 93 referendum. It was to be a cakewalk, all of the parties were on board, it was a 'sure thing'.
I'm not making predictions of course, just ridiculing those with the hubris to think its a 'done deal'. I posted this at another blog, but its far more scientific at least than the 'polls'.
However, in the ever important Ontario ridings, on the ridings they lost, here's how many votes the conservatives lost by, followed by the number of voters. So this shows how many voters need to change their minds, and how likely that is based on the total voting population.
ajax 6000 out of 43000
algoma 6000 out of 34000
ancaster 2000 out of 55000
barrie 1000 out of 50000
east york 16000 out of 47000
bramalea 8000 out of 41000
brampton 8000 out of 40000
brampton west 2000 out of 40000
brant 3000 out of 50000
burlington 4000 out of 60000
carleton 10000 out of 60000
chatham 400 out of 44000
davenport 14000 out of 33000
valley east 10000 out of 40000
valley west 15000 out of 50000
eglington 20000 out of 47000
etobicoke 15000 out of 32000
etobicoke 2) 10000 out of 44000
etobicoke 3) 15000 out of 30000
prescott 5000 out of 50000
guelph 10000 out of 52000
halton 6000 out of 56000
hamilton 1) 14000 out of 30000
hamilton 2) 8000 out of 48000
hamilton 3) 3000 out of 55000
huron 10000 out of 52000
kenora 2000 out of 23000
kingston 14000 out of 42000
kitchener 1) 8000 out of 45000
kitchener 2) 10000 out of 45000
kitchener 3) 3000 out of 42000
kitchener 4) 11000 out of 42000
london 4000 out of 40000
london 2) 7000 out of 47000
london 3) 8000 out of 44000
markham 20000 out of 44000
kent 200 out of 44000
brampton south 6000 out of 43000
cooksville 12000 out of 39000
erindale 12000 out of 52000
mississ 1) 8000 out of 48000
mississ 2) 8000 out of 45000
nickel belt 10000 out of 40000
nipissing 2000 out of 43000
northumberland 300 out of 58000
markham 11000 out of 62000
oakville 9000 out of 55000
ottawa centre 13000 out of 63000
ottawa 2) 3000 out of 58000
ottawa 3) 5000 out of 59000
ottawa 4) 13000 out of 53000
ottawa 5) 1000 out of 57000
parkdale 17000 out of 47000
parry sound 4000 out of 44000
peterborough 7000 out of 58000
pickering 14000 out of 48000
richmond hill 18000 out of 46000
st. catherines 3000 out of 53000
st. pauls 12000 out of 55000
sarnia 5000 out of 47000
sault 7000 out of 43000
agincourt 18000 out of 41000
scarborough 2) 12000 out of 37000
scarborough 3) 12000 out of 36000
scarborough 4) 17000 out of 39000
scarborough 5) 9000 out of 38000
simcoe north 3000 out of 54000
sudbury 9000 out of 43000
thornhill 10000 out of 53000
thunder bay 5000 out of 36000
superior north 8000 out of 35000
timmins 8000 out of 34000
toronto centre 23000 out of 54000
toronto 2) 20000 out of 48000
trinity spadina 19000 out of 53000
vaughn 20000 out of 50000
welland 7000 out of 49000
oshawa 5000 out of 57000
willowdale 19000 out of 50000
windsor 12000 out of 44000
york 1) 11000 out of 39000
york 2) 15000 out of 34000
york 3) 14000 out of 28000
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