Watching the season end, At Issue, last night and the web follow up, was interesting to me.Dion was not let off the hook by any means, but compared to a year long bash fest against Dion, the discussion was far more reasoned and finally, within the confines of a small panel, some acknowledgement was given to what Harper has done wrong.
The discussion sadly, but realistically, focused on strategy rather than policy. That is what these people do after all. They analyse. Wouldn't it be refreshing though to see a show filled with people qualified to speak to policy? Oh, right...that is what the politicians are charged with.
Anyway, the tone was not the idiotic drumbeat that we have been exposed to for over a year now. That would be the drumbeat that the Con's have been putting out and those in a position to speak to issues, (media), have felt no shame in picking up their own drum and passing on the message.
I'm not going to speak to the specific points raised by the panel. Watch the vid and draw your own conclusions. The one theme that came through was that Dion has taken a stance, it's courageous in that it's the "hill", one he'll live or die on and the next election will be fought on the environment and the economy.
There were many articles today that spoke to Dion and his plan. I'll try to parse them over the weekend but suffice it to say that specific quotes are now being used, and used without context. Is his language inelegant at times? Yes. Will the right use it against him? Yes. The point remains however that he has taken a stand and it's one that took courage. That trait that the right worship at the altar of, courage, has been attributed now to Dion, not Harper.
One last thought. I wish the At Issue panel had discussed the most useless phrase or term employed by all in the last few years. My vote would be 'flip-flop'. To actually think that evolution of thought is something to be condemned, is astonishing, no it's shameful.
Shouldn't people evolve in their thought process? Haven't you? That term is the part of the current attack on Dion. It's ridiculous, especially as it relates to the issue of the environment. Good grief, aren't we learning more everyday? How can you help but change your opinion? You can remain staid of course if your opinion never followed the logic in the first place. Uh, that would be Harper.
So, the conversation is shifting and it is going to what matters to Canadians. Just as it was in the US , it's my thought that Canadians have been taking a nap through Harper's reign. My hope is that Dion nudges them and says, it's time to wake up.
12 comments:
I loved Chantal Hébert's (paraphrase): "This government is like a toddler, it won't back off until it burns its fingers."
Priceless.
And Andrew Coyne was spot on with his pick of Harper for most over-rated in the House, but as you say, watch the vid and draw your own conclusions.
Omar, we happen to agree on those two comments.
That said, it will be interesting to see if people comment at all on this.
There's a big difference in Dion's so-called flip-flop on carbon tax. When Mike Duffy confronted Dion with this - Dion said - yes, I changed my mind because situations change and we've come up with a plan that won't hurt Canadians. He didn't run away from the fact that he said he wouldn't use carbon tax - he's come up with a plan to balance it.
Flip-flop or a man that thinks things through?
Looks like the pundits are finally seeing what a lot of Canadians have seen all along. I liked Coyne's phrase about chess and checkers too.
I give up on Rex Murphy - he's a denier to everything he writes is about his personal bias on climate change.
From Saturday June 28th Globe:
Energy crisis supplants environment as top concern
Poll reveals a shift in attitudes that could prove fatal to Dion's proposed carbon tax
Oh! oh! Spaghettio!
I have said ad nauseum that you do not tie your future on one idea, there should be a Liberal broad-based platform. Unless Dion comes out ahead in the next couple of polls, he will have simply have made himself a target for the Conservative attack machine before the election.
how can you believe any of the polls ....they are all backed by conservatives ...they skew the polls to make harper look good...and dion look bad....did you notice even Nanos has gone to the dark side...have you seen any polls lately.... ...that means dion is ahead with his shift. remember strategic counsel(oh I know its peter donolo who use to be a liberal) before last election put cons up to 47percent...in week of election.....its all bull...do you think allan gregg at decima or bruce anderson is going to put dion in the lead or say his green shit(f) is working...never.
Esn't it a little early for polls on this? Shouldn't they do polls after Dion has presented his plan across the country?
Notice the premiers that agree/are controlled by Harper on this are all Conservative premiers, except Williams.
Rodney MacDonald and Brad Wall - Harper's bum boys don't like the plan.
Yes, it is interesting that the Globe and Strategic Council have published a poll about peoples worries but there are no horse race numbers.
Neither did they actually ask the question of whether Canadians support Mr. Dion's plan.
That last question should have been a no brainer and no news organization would commission a poll where it did not ask the party support question.
People, most everybody is going to the Lake or taking in local activities in the towns and cities on this the first full-fledged summer week-end.
Omar,knb,ruralsandi,blue liberal,anonymous and ottlib -
go get yourselves a life already. Even Steve V has the good sense to have gone fishing. You'll bore everybody at summer parties. Take a couple of months and come back refreshed in September. All politics and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
Looks like the pundits are finally seeing what a lot of Canadians have seen all along. I liked Coyne's phrase about chess and checkers too.
It's about time!
Blue Liberal, Dion's plan is one that considers the economy and the environment. Those being the two top concerns kinda puts him where the people are don't you think?
It's not going to be easy, but so what?
anon @2:56 I just wrote about the article and poll. The way it's being reported is nonsense.
Sandi and ottlib, exactly.
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