Sunday, August 23, 2009

Where Have the Media Been All Summer?



Throughtout the summer, I've followed where Michael Ignatieff has been speaking and to whom. It wasn't difficult to do of course, as most of it is hidden in plain site at the Liberal website and of course media outlets are apprised of his whereabouts.

I've been following something else though too. I've read at least one opinion per week, by lazy scribes like the one featured above, telling me that the leader of the opposition hasn't done anything, hasn't been anywhere, only to go on tell me that everything he has done is wrong.

I don't know from where this antediluvian opinion writer is plying his trade? A cottage? A dock? A dusty old office that is unable to inspire him to generate even one original thought? I do know that neither he nor his colleagues have taken it upon themselves to actually expend some energy and follow Ignatieff across the country in order to form their opinion.

Sorry. Do I sound a bit harsh? Well, this kind of tripe has hit every publication this summer written by various columnists. Really, they could have saved themselves a lot of time by just agreeing to have everyone contribute one sentence, then change the byline every week. Each and every one of them has said Ignatieff hasn't been in the media enough, while somehow oblivious to the fact that they haven't taken the time to do the work they lament not seeing.

I don't expect opinion writers to traverse the country, but I do expect that instead of chastising their victim, they'd take aim where it is deserved...at their compatriots.

What is particularly insulting to me as a reader, is the manner in which people like MacDonald write. They sit perched, prepared to tell us all precisely what is and what is not. What is good, what is bad and why, in Ignatieff's case, he can do no right.

If you've ever watched this man, L. Ian MacDonald, on television, you'll note that he almost inevitably makes reference to the Mulroney days. No surprise there, he worked for Mulroney for years. But he seems to use that period as his benchmark and unless you are following those stale outdated formulaic political calculations, you are deemed inferior.

He purports to possess the most intimate detail of all that goes on inside the LPC and OLO for that matter and expects us to believe that whopper without once ever indicating that he has even the slightest bit of knowledge of what is going on inside the party.

Oh, and I love this deep bit of insight:

They allowed Iggy to go to London to give the Isaiah Berlin lecture, and have his picture taken in a tuxedo. A leader should never be photographed at a black-tie event until after he has won an election.

Um, what? Gawd! No one will ever vote for him now! The shame! I think we know what side of the debate MacDonald was on concerning Michelle Obama wearing shorts, don't we?

Then there is this:

Here's something else for the Liberals to consider: With a new leader taking advantage of the worst economic downturn in decades, they should be running 10 to 15 points ahead in the polls, easily leading every region of the country except the West. Instead, they're running no better than even with the Conservatives, given polls' margin of error, with both parties in the mid-30-per-cents.

Really? That's the conventional wisdom is it? Based on....? Is every opposition party, (where the gov't isn't dealing with scandal) 10 points ahead of the incumbent? No. Of course he goes on to say what a fab job Harper is doing...so, shouldn't he then be 10 pts. ahead in the polls?

Anyway, the article isn't worth picking apart. It's the same pap we've read all summer. Until their vacations are over, the next time you read a headline like: 'Where has Ignatieff been?', consider that he worked throughout the summer while those asking the question apparently didn't feel the need.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Iggy is a flip flopper who has even lost the confidence of the Libleaning MSM.

Should have had a democratic leadership convention, would have had Rae or LeBlanc, Iggy can't get it done.

Karen said...

L. Ian MacDonald libleaning...

Yeah, gee, don't know how I missed that.

RuralSandi said...

MacDonald is a sugar mouth when it comes to Mulroney and the Cons. In fact, watching him speak gives me the creeps. He and ConArtist, Mike Duffy, used to get so upset that Mulroney was in doo doo - the nerve of people.

I think it's more like they're working for Harper and the put down Iggy is a strategy.

Even the Globe and Mail are leaning in Harper's direction - oh well, it's CTV/Globe media afterall.

The Rat said...

So who's to blame for the bad media? Are you implying the media is out to get Iggy? Sounds familiar but I can't quite place where I've heard that before . . .

Face facts, If team Iggy can't get press coverage that's team Iggy's fault. Maybe there's no press coverage because, while he is in a physically different location, he keeps saying the same nothing. How many times can the media write "and today the Ig-man was in North Butt-Hole, Saskatchewan, had a hamburger, schmoozed a few die hard Liberal supporters, and said nothing of substance. Tomorrow in Merde du Nord, Quebec, much the same is expected."

Karen said...

Nope, I didn't say the media was out to get Ignatieff, Rat.

I think they have been lazy and facile. They can't complain about him not being covered if they are the ones not covering. It's assinine.

Your reference to Quebec and Sask is disgusting and reflective of some opinion writers in the Sun chain...and we're expected to take these people seriously? Those out lying regions are the very ones that he is said to ignore.

Can't have it both ways hypocrites.

Anonymous said...

L. Ian MacDonald libleaning...
Only if you consider Mulroney a liberal....

He's one of the biggest Conservative fluffers around.
His Gazette "opinions" are not even worthy to line a bird cage...
He truly induces vomit when he speaks so highly of Mulroney on the radio...

There should be a disclaimer to all his article explaining that he's a Connie water boy and knobber...

Anonymous said...

L. Ian MacDonald libleaning...
Only if you consider Mulroney a liberal....

He's one of the biggest Conservative fluffers around.
His Gazette "opinions" are not even worthy to line a bird cage...
He truly induces vomit when he speaks so highly of Mulroney on the radio...

There should be a disclaimer to all his article explaining that he's a Connie water boy and knobber...

wilson said...

Gawd, it is so obvious that the media (those with left and right bias) is out to get MI.
They turned on him when he did that stupid rookie threat in June , and then backed down.

And the media for the most part, are biased. Both ways.
They like that kind of control, and they use it.
The media spent years taking swipes at Harper, and it definitely seems it is MIs turn.

He is so not ready to fight Harper in an election, and MI knows it himself.
Harper is very very good, and MI is very very new to the game.

So, IMO, MI is doing very little, letting the numbers drop so as his uncontrollablly 'get back into power now' Liberals shut up for awhile.
That's a smart move on his part.

Can't stop Harper with the economy on the mend,
wait, retool the organization,
get the coalition monkey off your back, then go.

MacDonald is a Mulroney fan,
and has spend the last year crucifying Harper.
He seems to have let up on PMSH,
but only because he's starting to look stupid, not because he likes the man.

drake said...

Ipsos-Reid Aug 18th to 20th,2009:

CPC: 39
LPC: 28
NDP: 14
GPC: 10
BQ: 8

And the Tories are leaving the Liberals in the dust in vote-rich Ontario with a whopping 43% to 31% lead. To put this in perspective the Tories won 39-34 in Ontario last October.

knb, is this the media's fault too?

If MI pulls the plug now, he'll commit political suicide.

Karen said...

drake, yes we've all seen this outlier...we're shaking in our boots I tell ya!

I'm not blaming the media for anything except whining about not seeing any coverage of Ignatieff...which would be their job obviously.

Anonymous said...

KNB maybe if Iggy showed some leadership...

Instead we get to know that someone went kayaking to raise funds and there is a "do-it-yourself" BBQ...
Sheesh.... can you really blame the media when there is nothing of substance from Iggy?

Gawd nows the Connies have been acting like real assmonkeys all summer. The journalist have had to act in some cases like the official opposition (all those stranded brown Canadians with funny names)...

Karen said...

Awww, poor drake.

Poof! goes your solid theory.

drake said...

We'll see what Ekos says Thursday knb.

Anonymous said...

Baird is totally wrong when he says we cannot have a government in limbo during an election.
He should of thought of that same scenario when Harper flew the coup last fall with the help of the Governor General at a time when Canada's economy was falling like a brick denying that Canada would
not be facing an economic crisis . Those Reform/Cons are so pathetic and believe their own lies. They lie so often that they couldn't recognize truth even if it were slapping them in their ugly faces. I detest those Bast**ards. They should be squished like the insects they have become.

Marie