Just When You Think You’re Out, They Pull You Back In…
I got home last night and made my way over to the computer. I opened up my internet and checked my email, then I found out that Jason Cherniak had accused little old me of making the Coulon campaign lose.
I immediately checked my calendar to make sure it was not Tuesday, and that I had not fallen into a coma for three straight days. It was indeed Friday and Coulon hasn’t lost anything.
I had responded to Jason’s initial accusation that a blogger who is pointing out the blatant truth in Outremont is bringing down a whole by-election. I must confess, Jason did always give me WAY too much credit.
I have been out of Liberal politics since the Spring, the last Liberal event I attended was the Trudeau nomination, and even then, I was already preparing to make the jump to journalism anyway.
The only requirement necessary to see that there is something afoot in Outremont…is a pulse. The signs are everywhere, literally and figuratively. One campaign is sluggish and dragging their feet while the other is hitting the ground sprinting and not letting up.
Polls have shown the race leaning the way of Tom Mulcair in Outremont and every political analyst in Quebec is saying this may spell doom and gloom for the “weak leadership of Stephane Dion.” Let’s be fair. Some people use untested. Others use fragile.
Back to Jason, who after blaming me, a non-Liberal who made a political commentary reflecting the very dire nature of the Outremont Liberal HQ, for bringing down the Liberal Party, he then said it was people like me, you know the “angry Ignatieff supporter”, who was bringing Dion down.
I would like to mention to Jason that as a former Liberal and aspiring journalism student, that also makes me a former Michael Ignatieff supporter. You know what else makes me a former Michael Ignatieff supporter? The fact that the LEADERSHIP RACE IS OVER!
So after a few insider Dionistas went whining to the media that sabotage was afoot in Outremont, a pattern emerged that it was all a secret plan hatched in Liberal backrooms to make Dion look bad! I love a good mystery and this had all the telltale signs of a good mystery being cracked…
I mean, who doesn’t LOVE a good mystery?
Not so fast, says Cherniak. I don’t mean to say blame Ignatieff supporters. Fire anybody who said that! I mean to blame the nationalists in Quebec. Blame the VOTERS for not liking Stephane Dion! How dare Quebecers want a resolution to the fiscal imbalance or recognition as a nation? How dare they not love Stephane Dion as much as Cherniak does?
This has to be my favorite one yet. Blaming the voters is generally a bad idea in politics. I was only deeply involved for about 8 or 9 years, but I did learn that if the voters think you aren’t doing a good job, the voter is right. They are the boss Jason, never forget that.
So while pandemonium ensues a couple of days early, I would like to clarify that earlier, when I said what was gonna happen Tuesday, I was not assuming a guaranteed Liberal loss. By-elections are wacky and stranger things have happened. However, by blaming everybody except himself, Jason is preparing to blame others in case of a loss and taking all the credit for Dion, if the outcome turns out the other way.
My point the other day was this by-election was the epitomy of the Amateur Hour that has befallen the PLC(Q). A win by 200 or a loss by 200 should send the same message…it should never have been this close. Don’t let anybody ever tell you otherwise…
I immediately checked my calendar to make sure it was not Tuesday, and that I had not fallen into a coma for three straight days. It was indeed Friday and Coulon hasn’t lost anything.
I had responded to Jason’s initial accusation that a blogger who is pointing out the blatant truth in Outremont is bringing down a whole by-election. I must confess, Jason did always give me WAY too much credit.
I have been out of Liberal politics since the Spring, the last Liberal event I attended was the Trudeau nomination, and even then, I was already preparing to make the jump to journalism anyway.
The only requirement necessary to see that there is something afoot in Outremont…is a pulse. The signs are everywhere, literally and figuratively. One campaign is sluggish and dragging their feet while the other is hitting the ground sprinting and not letting up.
Polls have shown the race leaning the way of Tom Mulcair in Outremont and every political analyst in Quebec is saying this may spell doom and gloom for the “weak leadership of Stephane Dion.” Let’s be fair. Some people use untested. Others use fragile.
Back to Jason, who after blaming me, a non-Liberal who made a political commentary reflecting the very dire nature of the Outremont Liberal HQ, for bringing down the Liberal Party, he then said it was people like me, you know the “angry Ignatieff supporter”, who was bringing Dion down.
I would like to mention to Jason that as a former Liberal and aspiring journalism student, that also makes me a former Michael Ignatieff supporter. You know what else makes me a former Michael Ignatieff supporter? The fact that the LEADERSHIP RACE IS OVER!
So after a few insider Dionistas went whining to the media that sabotage was afoot in Outremont, a pattern emerged that it was all a secret plan hatched in Liberal backrooms to make Dion look bad! I love a good mystery and this had all the telltale signs of a good mystery being cracked…
I mean, who doesn’t LOVE a good mystery?
Not so fast, says Cherniak. I don’t mean to say blame Ignatieff supporters. Fire anybody who said that! I mean to blame the nationalists in Quebec. Blame the VOTERS for not liking Stephane Dion! How dare Quebecers want a resolution to the fiscal imbalance or recognition as a nation? How dare they not love Stephane Dion as much as Cherniak does?
This has to be my favorite one yet. Blaming the voters is generally a bad idea in politics. I was only deeply involved for about 8 or 9 years, but I did learn that if the voters think you aren’t doing a good job, the voter is right. They are the boss Jason, never forget that.
So while pandemonium ensues a couple of days early, I would like to clarify that earlier, when I said what was gonna happen Tuesday, I was not assuming a guaranteed Liberal loss. By-elections are wacky and stranger things have happened. However, by blaming everybody except himself, Jason is preparing to blame others in case of a loss and taking all the credit for Dion, if the outcome turns out the other way.
My point the other day was this by-election was the epitomy of the Amateur Hour that has befallen the PLC(Q). A win by 200 or a loss by 200 should send the same message…it should never have been this close. Don’t let anybody ever tell you otherwise…
par / by Anthony à / at 7:50 p.m.
22 Commentaires:
How dare Quebecers want a resolution to the fiscal imbalance or recognition as a nation?
The fiscal imbalance is a false argument that is so propagated in Quebec that it now has mythical qualities….
As for “recognition as a nation” I laugh every time I hear that- it’s akin to sovereignty-association. Either you are Canadian or you are out. I’m sure Canada would be better as a bilingual country instead of ingraining these two solitudes.
Antonio,
Like Big Macs, I'm loving this.
Meow, cat fight!
And please promise me that Liberals will become even more vocal with the "fiscal imbalance" false argument crap.
Hey Chucker - Since Antonio has failed time and time again to explain to me how a province that is a net recipient of money within Canada can possibly be the victim of a "fiscal imbalance", maybe you would like to give it a crack.
And so begins the Quebec-bashing. Is this how you expect to win votes in this province? Yeah, sure: go ahead and blame Quebec Liberals for your leader's woes!
And so begins the Quebec-bashing.
Since when are stating facts Quebec bashing?
And please promise me that Liberals will become even more vocal with the "fiscal imbalance" false argument crap.
No need chucker, Harper already fixed the fiscal imbalance. And solved the nation issue too...
bcer, I guess that's fairly evident with the polls in Roberval-Lake-Saint-Jean.
Politics dude, politics.
Well, if the Tories are picking up ridings, one would think they're doing something right!
I don't blame you for pretending that an attack on you is an attack on all Ignatieff supporters. Otherwise, you would actually have to defend your own comments.
Well, if the Tories are picking up ridings, one would think they're doing something right!
Or that the other parties are doing something ineffective....
Hey KC,
the point of fiscal imbalance comes down to this:
those things we cherish are provincial jurisdictions. they cost the lion's share of government spending - all levels of government spending - so the lion's share of revenue raising should be with the provinces.
Quebec is the largest net recipient of cash from the equalization - of course, per capita it receives next to nothing compared to the Atlantic provinces.
However - who cares? - as Mario Dumont of the ADQ has argued: Quebec's goal is not just to be a net contributor, but the largest net contributor.
(to clarify my "who cares" point:
its not good public policy to make policy decisions by what immediately benefits you.)
Or that the other parties are doing something ineffective....
Cherniak_WTF, that is what we have been saying all along. Wake up and smell the daisies.
What a gong show.
what glen said
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Actually, Denise Brunsdon is the source of the http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/Search/859541.html.
It has been confirmed to me by two people.
So much for party unity, eh, Denise? We all know that Mrs. Brunsdon isn't very principled, but that was just evil.
Can't we (Libs) all just get along?
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I personally would like to know who Denis is and why his two sources are reliable.
Denis' comment is similar to the one left at Pierre Trudeau is My Homeboy.
Apparently Jason has contact with Steve Maher of the Chronicle. More on this later.
Great post!
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