Perhaps it is in the nature of our political system. It seems that there is a certain ill-conceived herd mentally that surfaces at times when partisans are blinded by following their misguided principles.
How else to explain that a tactician as brilliant as Stephen Harper (At least as some pundits would have it) gets blindsided by the "gotcha" politics popular with the followers of the ultra-conservative movement of the American south, and so obviously abhorant to Canadians?
A lesson which clearly fell on deft-ears just a year ago when a fit of the same tactics (A spiteful measure designed to curtail funding to political parties) ultimately resulted in Mr. Harper begging for mercy at the Governor-General's door in order to save the Tories from unprecedented humiliation by a coalition of opposition politicians.
Prorogation round two this time 'round obviously has struck the same discordant chord with Canadians. As protests mount the "doctors o' spin" at Mr. Harper's behest have fired-up all eights into overtime (once again) to explain away this political miscalculation; Nay - Faux Pas!
Commentators better than I have suggested that the decision to prorogue the House at mid-session was a Prime Ministerial "gotcha" to Micheal Ignatieff's ill conceived September Sudbury bluff to defeat the Tories and force an election. Be that as is may, Harper's acknowledged reason of a couple of weeks back - Peace and Good Government during the Winter Olympics - has now hastily evaporated in favour of the pressing need to "consult with Canadians" in the early stages of our nation's challenging economic recovery. A recovery doutless made longer by the $60-Billion debt Mr. Harper's own government has managed to saddle us with in just one year...But, I digress. As that sorry excuse sours on Canadians, the "doctors o' spin" will surely pull-out another from their bottomless (or should that be topless?) magic hat o' tricks. Oye!
The fact is that next month's Winter Olympic Games may be Mr. Harper's best hope to recover from this latest blunder. Should the games go well for Canada: In our usual national outpouring of patriotism over whatever "Gold Medals" Canadian athletes achieve; we'll be ready to forgive the discord that plagues our venerable Parliamentary institutions. Though, as World Junior Championship Hockey showed just recently; all bets are off, and achievements soon forgotten if the "gold" count turns out disappointing once more.
Just for good measure: The PM may want to wait for the medal count before packing the Senate Chamber with Tory cronies.
As expected, the Doctors of Spin working overtime in the PMO have come-up with another nose-stretcher for proroguing Parliament. The PM told BNN that Parliament makes Canada "unstable"!
ReplyDeleteI think he is starting to believe his own weakening rhetoric.