ramble through the bronx

Monday, January 23, 2006

Not blogging about election results, no sir, not me!

Interesting issue, here, this bloglaw -- well, I promise not to blog about any results until 10pm EST. I will be listening to the CBC online though.

Another comment from my father; I'll include his little emailed note as well:

Hi folks,

How patronizing can the Grope-a-male get?

Best regards,
Alex Dryden


The G&M reporter -- sorry! -- The G&M Journalist writes: "The Conservative
candidate in this race this year is John Carmichael whose resume is topped
by the fact that he owns a car dealership. But that didn't stop Mr. Harper
from predicting a win."

How patronizing. Would Carmichael stand a better chance if he had spent his
life at the public trough? Would he stand a better chance if he had spent
his life in academe, teaching young Canadians that Canada's best friend and
trading partner -- the USA, in case the G&M has forgotten -- is an evil
empire bent on destruction of the world, the universe and everything,
whereas China (which Martin would have succeed in its occupation of the
Canadian economy, and perhaps of Canada itself) is the source of all that is
loving, gentle, democratic and benign in the world, including Tibet and
every country in which it now encourages and subsidizes terrorism?

Would he stand a better chance if he had spent the last 20 years in Canadian
media, telling lies to influence an agenda of social-engineering?

COMMENT re:
Harper predicts breakthrough in Toronto
By GLORIA GALLOWAY

Saturday, January 21, 2006 Latest comment on Jan. 21, 2006 at 3:08 PM EST

Globe and Mail Update


Toronto — It an act of political chutzpah, Conservative Leader Stephen
Harper held his final Toronto campaign event in the riding of federal
cabinet minister John Godfrey, telling the faithful that there is no
constituency beyond their reach.


link to story

Ah yes, my father, in all his glory. He's also been posting about Paul Martin as "Captain Canada." I think my dad thinks the cold war is back on, with China as the new Russia. This explains his views that e.g. the Kyoto Treaty is a conspiracy by the communists to increase the power of big government. (This is from another comment of my dad; CC = "Captain Canada" - "How come and for what financial reasons CC's done nothing on Kyoto except spend money on the promotion of its unproven -- in fact, disproven -- so-called "science"?" -- Obviously there is a lot to be said about the nature of Martin's commitment to Kyoto, but my dad, of course, goes for the classic "global warming doesn't exist" line...)

Also note my dad's high regard of lefties in academe. Yay me!


Minutes later....

OK, wait. My dad sent a rewrite of this comment. It now begins:

Rewrite:
The G&M reporter -- sorry! -- The G&M Journalist writes: "The Conservative
candidate in this race this year is John Carmichael whose resume is topped
by the fact that he owns a car dealership. But that didn't stop Mr. Harper
from predicting a win."

How patronizing.

What do they teach at journo skools these days? Don't they ever suggest
reading the biography of Roy Thomson, who -- when he was about 40 and could
be described as a Willy Loman of adspace in cheap local newspapers --
started to build the foundations of the multi-billion-dollar empire that's
now majority-owner of the Globe and Mail (and once was sole owner not only
of the G&M, but also The Scotsman and The Times, not to mention one of the
world's largest chains of local newspapers)?

Does his son, Ken Thomson, ever read the G&M now? Perhaps he should, with
more care.

What odds would this G&M Journalist have given Roy Thomson, travelling
ad-space salesman, for success?

(And then of course goes into the career bureaucrats, academics, & media folks are trying to ruin Canada bit.)

But this actually raises a question that might be worth discussing -- which is, what kinds of qualifications do we expect/desire from people running for MP? Certainly at the party leadership level we like to see some high faluting accomplishments -- but what about run of the mill MPs? Isn't it a good thing to have some folks who are genuinely thoughtful about Canada & politics, but who are also everyday Joes? I know a kind of 'worship' of the Common People is cliched as all hell (cue Jennifer & Sarah dancing to "I wanna sleep with common people"), but really, why shouldn't a car dealer have something to say? (No "used car salesman" jokes, please). It might actually be kind of snobby to disdain that, if the candidate really seems to be thinking carefully through the issues & caring genuinely for a better future?

Do academics really know better?

jane 10:57 AM [+]