Kelisis
07-24-2005, 07:33 AM
Editorial in today's Sun:
Today, just to be different, let's ignore the ongoing media gang tackle of Conservative Leader Stephen Harper and focus our attention instead on Prime Minister Paul Martin.
After all, how many stories in the liberal media can you read about how 59% of Canadians want the "angry" (according to the liberal media) Harper dumped as Conservative leader? And that Conservatives are already resigned to losing the next election, but that none has the stomach for trying to replace Harper now. So, enough about him.
Let's turn instead to Martin, who doesn't seem to be getting anywhere near the same attention or grief from the liberal media these days.
You all remember Martin -- the guy the same liberal punditocracy was telling us just a few years ago was the human dynamo who would rescue the Liberals from the scandals of the Jean Chretien era?
So how's he doing? Well, according to the same Strategic Counsel poll this month that the liberal punditocracy seized upon to pound Harper into the ground, most Canadians, uh, want Martin dumped.
Yes, you read that right. A majority of Canadians surveyed -- 52% -- having seen Martin in action as prime minister for the past 20 months, would just as soon see him gone, thank you very much.
Note that at 52% "unpopular" support, Martin is in the same territory as Harper at 59%, except that he's the prime minister which in theory makes his awful numbers even bigger news. At least you'd think.
But seldom if ever deterred by what Canadians actually think, the liberal commentariat, soon after Parliament adjourned for the summer, starting pounding out "think" pieces that, for all his faults and problems, Martin is gradually hitting his stride with such historic achievements as the same sex marriage bill, to say nothing of simply surviving.
So, how did Canadians feel about the just concluded parliamentary session?
Well, asked to name one thing the Martin minority government had accomplished in the same Strategic Counsel poll, most Canadians surveyed -- 60% -- couldn't come up with any. Inspiring, no?
Martin has also so inspired his own party that many within it are already openly speculating about who the next Liberal leader will be, with the Globe touting Michael Ignatieff, a philosopher-king type who works in the States and has never run for elected office, while the Ottawa Citizen Friday said some Liberals are thinking about Bob Rae.
Yes, you heard that right -- Bob Rae, the former Ontario NDP leader whose political career cratered in 1995 after five fun-filled years as premier where, by the end, the province was drowning in a sea of red ink, partially due to the early 1990s recession and partially due to the fact that's what happens when you put the NDP anywhere east of Manitoba in charge of the books.
And while there are not many things that would make us feel sympathetic toward Martin, this is almost one of them.
After all, two years ago, poor Paul was the political Canadian Idol who was going to save the Liberal party from itself and now they're talking about replacing him with some guy from Harvard or BOB FREAKING RAE!!!??? Anyway, that's how Canada's PM has been faring of late while the liberal media pile-drive Harper. Just thought you'd like to know.
Today, just to be different, let's ignore the ongoing media gang tackle of Conservative Leader Stephen Harper and focus our attention instead on Prime Minister Paul Martin.
After all, how many stories in the liberal media can you read about how 59% of Canadians want the "angry" (according to the liberal media) Harper dumped as Conservative leader? And that Conservatives are already resigned to losing the next election, but that none has the stomach for trying to replace Harper now. So, enough about him.
Let's turn instead to Martin, who doesn't seem to be getting anywhere near the same attention or grief from the liberal media these days.
You all remember Martin -- the guy the same liberal punditocracy was telling us just a few years ago was the human dynamo who would rescue the Liberals from the scandals of the Jean Chretien era?
So how's he doing? Well, according to the same Strategic Counsel poll this month that the liberal punditocracy seized upon to pound Harper into the ground, most Canadians, uh, want Martin dumped.
Yes, you read that right. A majority of Canadians surveyed -- 52% -- having seen Martin in action as prime minister for the past 20 months, would just as soon see him gone, thank you very much.
Note that at 52% "unpopular" support, Martin is in the same territory as Harper at 59%, except that he's the prime minister which in theory makes his awful numbers even bigger news. At least you'd think.
But seldom if ever deterred by what Canadians actually think, the liberal commentariat, soon after Parliament adjourned for the summer, starting pounding out "think" pieces that, for all his faults and problems, Martin is gradually hitting his stride with such historic achievements as the same sex marriage bill, to say nothing of simply surviving.
So, how did Canadians feel about the just concluded parliamentary session?
Well, asked to name one thing the Martin minority government had accomplished in the same Strategic Counsel poll, most Canadians surveyed -- 60% -- couldn't come up with any. Inspiring, no?
Martin has also so inspired his own party that many within it are already openly speculating about who the next Liberal leader will be, with the Globe touting Michael Ignatieff, a philosopher-king type who works in the States and has never run for elected office, while the Ottawa Citizen Friday said some Liberals are thinking about Bob Rae.
Yes, you heard that right -- Bob Rae, the former Ontario NDP leader whose political career cratered in 1995 after five fun-filled years as premier where, by the end, the province was drowning in a sea of red ink, partially due to the early 1990s recession and partially due to the fact that's what happens when you put the NDP anywhere east of Manitoba in charge of the books.
And while there are not many things that would make us feel sympathetic toward Martin, this is almost one of them.
After all, two years ago, poor Paul was the political Canadian Idol who was going to save the Liberal party from itself and now they're talking about replacing him with some guy from Harvard or BOB FREAKING RAE!!!??? Anyway, that's how Canada's PM has been faring of late while the liberal media pile-drive Harper. Just thought you'd like to know.