Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Uh, Does This Guy Know That He's Not in Calgary Anymore?

I guess one day without publicity was just too tough for Poilievre to deal with. He must have spent the long weekend scouring the News looking for something, anything, he could become outraged over.

He chose...wait for it...something that the Fed's have no say in. That is, Ontario's decision to fund some sex reassignment surgery.

He's obviously pandering to his base, but my question would be why? It's bizarre to me that this guy speaks to his core who is obviously not going anywhere and he apparently forgets or ignores the fact that the Con's require seats in the 416 and 905 regions of Ontario.

Of course he's going to make his plea to the other guy who hates Ontario, Flaherty, who thankfully has no say in how Ontario allocates it's funds.

Maybe this is just more piling on but if that's the case they must have missed the fact that the last time they attacked McGuinty it didn't work out so well.

To be serious here though, I think one of two things are happening. They either have written off certain areas of Ontario so they think it doesn't matter what they say or, their hubris is such now that they believe their rather perverse way of looking at the world is actually so wide spread that they can actually have an impact.

I really hope Nepean-Carleton voters are paying attention. You elected a young, but old-school, Con/Reform/Alliance guy. Not only are his views regressive, he's a media seeking, glory seeking, egotist.

A Conservative commenter here recently tried to make the point that Liberals loved Poilievre. I'll say this. I love the stupidity of his arguments, the arrogance of his delivery and the banality of his cause.

19 comments:

ottlib said...

There are a significant number of folks in Nepean-Carleton who agree that this guy is a hyper-partisan, egotistical, psycho case.

However he is their hyper-partisan, egotistical, psycho case so they can live with that.

David Pratt, the former Liberal MP for that riding was never my favourite, and I say that as a Liberal supporter. However, he looks like an intelligent and principled politician compared to PP.

Anonymous said...

I suppose that his request will extend to the funding provided for sexual reassignment surgery which is currently funded by a broad cross-section of provinces which includes Alberta and not merely single out the province of Ontario. It is incredible how silly these 16 piece suit, over-puffed up light weights are when it comes to trying to getting the attention of the Prime Minister. He reminds me of the over anxious small yappy dog that bounces around the big bull dog in those cartoons from the past.

Karen said...

ottlib, I confess I know nothing about Pratt, though somehow I thought he was a PC.

I sincerely hope that those who call Poilievre their's, gag a little and kick him to the curb.

Karen said...

Anon...I remember that cartoon and you are right, that is what he is like.

The obvious, as you state, is that this is not a unique stance. Nor in my opinion is it unreasonable.

His outrage is idiotic as usual and will likely go no where.

The question remains though. Why is he allowed to go outside without a leash?

ottlib said...

anonymous:

Chester and Spike. Great analogy

And the fact I can remember the two characters speaks to the fact I watched way too many Saturday morning cartoons when I was younger.

knb: I live in Mr. Baird's riding so I am more concerned about the people in Ottawa West-Nepean than Nepean-Carleton.

If the Liberals win the next election I will be very happy. If my riding and my neighbouring riding kick these two uber-partisan blowhards to the curb I will ecstatic.

Steve V said...

I'm of the mind, the more the better of Pierre. Is there anyone who thinks this guy resonates with Canadians? If this is the rising star in Con circles, into the limelight, it's actually sad. I'm biased, but the guy objectively oozes annoying, stiff and not a bit right. Pierre compliments the Harper persona, it just reinforces cold. I'd stick with the teddy bear Van Loan, average looks like a star with these misfits.

Red Tory said...

Pierre plays well to the base for obvious reasons. They like the fact that he's deliberately inflammatory and genuinely seems to despise the opposition.

RuralSandi said...

Can you imagine, if Pierre ever has any children, and they grew up to be gay, transgender or different in any way? What a horrible life that child would have.

You have to wonder about Pierre's upbringing - children don't hate when they are born - they are taught it.

I live in rural Ontario - there have been many artists, gays, etc. that have moved here because the like the peace and quiet - it's not just redneck country any more - so Pierre's attempts here might just turn our little town off.

I have many friends and neices and nephews in his age group - none of them think like he does. It's like a child living in the Victorian era - he's just not with it for a kid his age.

Supposedly, what goes around comes around - boy is Pierre in for a rude awakening if this is true.

RuralSandi said...

The courage of Poilievre
The Ottawa Citizen
Published: Wednesday, May 21, 2008

A mark of maturity is the ability to control the worst angels of one's nature. Pierre Poilievre has for years struggled to restrain his worst impulses, and sadly the battle is not going well.

Mr. Poilievre is the Conservative MP for Nepean-Carleton, but he surfaced the other day to denounce a provincial decision to reinstate funding for the small number of Ontarians who suffer legitimate gender identity disorders and whose health requires them to have a sex-change operation.

Maybe eight Ontarians a year would meet the criteria, and the cost involved is a pittance in the context of the provincial health budget. But the savvy Mr. Poilievre can spot an opportunity as well as any populist. The "McGuinty sex-change program" doesn't deserve funding, he says. He's promising his constituents that he'll personally lobby federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty to make sure Mr. Flaherty is aware of this outrage.

Usually politicians looking to score easy points will rail against needle exchange programs, but transgendered people are even more marginalized than drug addicts, so they make an even safer target to beat up on. This is on the same level of cheap politics as whipping up anger because an academic somewhere received a grant to write a thesis on, say, snail reproduction.

This isn't to say that people can't ask whether same-sex operations are medically necessary. This is a fair question. But Mr. Poilievre's smarmy quip about the "McGuinty sex-change program," suggesting that the government is promoting sex reassignment, shows he is simply being opportunistic.

Pardon us if we don't admire his courage for taking on the all-powerful transgendered lobby.


....about says it I'd say.

wilson said...

''He chose...wait for it...something that the Fed's have no say in.''

The Federal government has no say in how the Provincial governments spend their healthcare transfers.

Remember that,
in the future, when it comes to Alberta.

Anonymous said...

What a horrid little sphincter muscle! This Conservative/Reform party attract these types of people - we really shouldn't be surprised at the 'crap' they spew!

Karen said...

Ottlib...Chester and Spike. Good memory! Because I remember too, I will not comment on age.

Good grief, you live in Baird's riding? Living in Szabo's is tough because I both disagree and agree with him.

To live in a riding that has such uber-partisan representation must be odd.

Do you have a feel for how the riding is reacting?

Karen said...

Steve, I can't disagree. The more we see of this guy the better. I think he say's the name Harper about every third word.

Van Loan isn't a teddy bear. To me he's a cross between mini-me and Barney on the Flintstones.

More of him is okay with me too.

Karen said...

RT, despise seems to be the operative word.

Who among us enjoys seeing that kind of hate? Few, I suspect.

The Con's seem to be tone deaf as to how people really relate to each other.

Bizarre.

Karen said...

Sandi, I don't know where you are, but I did some studying in Dundas (art) and lived on the Niagara Peninsula, in fact, even in Beamsville where Harper was today.

My neighbours hated the guy, though provincially they elected Hudak.

You are right. The generation coming up is not about what Harper speaks of, let alone Poilievre.

It's time to think about attracting those who are left out of the process. the Con's aren't doing that.

We can.

Karen said...

wilson, I'm not quite sure what you are portending.

Sharing?

Karen said...

Anon...well that is one way to put it.

Steve V said...

Oh, Van Loan is horrible too, just relatively speaking. The good news, there isn't much choice for spokespeople. THIN.

ottlib said...

knb:

I am not certain how my riding is reacting to Mr. Baird.

He did not win by a huge margin in 2006. So I am hoping that some of the questions surrounding his alleged involvement in the last city elections, plus all of the other factors effecting this government tips the balance back to the Liberals.

Otherwise, I really do not see or notice him except for his weekly advertizement in the Nepean community newspaper.