There was a lot of talk about my woeful ability to predict the Saint John Harbour by-election this week but one thing you can be sure of, I can predict the content of the ‘We Say’ section of the Times & Transcript. Check out my blog yesterday where I stated that Al Hogan didn’t write a We Say yesterday on the election because he was fine tuning a powerful endorsement of the Premier. Check out his comments today in the T&T – they are simply stunning:
We Say: Saint John byelection not a vote on Lord’s leadership
This byelection outcome says more about the riding than it does about the governing party.
The fact that Premier Bernard Lord represents a Moncton riding makes him an easy target for those who feel disenchanted and disenfranchised.
By rejecting Lord’s promises of funding for harbour cleanup and a new downtown justice centre – and the guarantee of a cabinet post for Hooton – Saint John voters have decided to continue to complain, to take comfort in their rapidly expanding underdog status.
So be it; people in Moncton and Fredericton have long since moved past such ‘woe is us’ thinking and have embraced Lord’s attempts to build the economic base of their cities. Is it any wonder those two cities have continued to grow and attract investment while Saint John’s population and economic base shrinks?
Those people in the Conservative Party who might think the time is right to draw their knives for a leadership coup against Lord should also think again. The Tories came to power largely on the strength of their leader. Who else within the Tory caucus has the qualifications or stature to lead if Lord goes?Shuffle your cabinet, if you like, Mr. Premier. But do not shed too many tears over Saint John Harbour. It just isn’t worth it.
What acidic, vitriolic, inflammatory, stereotypical rhetoric is this? Al has gone beyond the pale in his desperate attempt to prop up Premier Lord’s reputation. Why he would inflame old prejudices just to meet his political goals is way beyond me.
This is pathetic and if the Irvings had any sense, they would know what to do. We need newspaper editors that can address issues in a relatively unbiased way (mainly because there is no competition for readership) and keep their Political party status on the sideline. But beyond that, Moncton and Saint John should work together to lead New Brunswick’s economic development and guys like Al Hogan will continue to just drag everyone down.
I don’t know why I keep reading that crap.
Ironically, I don’t think Al’s ongoing defence of Premier Lord is working. I think if Al really wanted to help the Premier he would not continually kiss his behind but tell it like it is. In my opinion, Lord must be surrounded by Hogan types who are keeping him in the dark about the real status of his leadership in this province. Lord is a charismatic guy that some have pegged as having national leadership qualities. But imploding in New Brunswick will do nothing to help these ambitions.