Second Thots

Sometimes one has to step back, take pause, and have some "second thots"

Saturday, May 05, 2007

 

People need to learn that politics is politics


Every so often you get people who enter the political ring who say they're different because they speak candidly about the issues. These people usually end up leaving politics or changing their tunes quite quickly.

We've seen it south of the border with GOP presidential candidate John McCain. Once known as leading the "Straight Talk Express", in part because he was cozy to journalists keen on developing a relationship with a Republican-bashing Republican, McCain has now learned the art of communications discipline, party solidarity, and maintaining some distance with the fourth estate. In other words, he's learned to be a politician.

We've seen it recently north of the border with Liberal leadership front-runner Michael Ignatieff. He and his supporters were proud of his penchant to "tell it like it is" and "do things differently". However, in the end, it became a chronic example of foot-in-mouth disease which was probably one factor in his inability to capture the Liberal crown. As deputy leader of the party, he's now sticking to script. In other words, he's learned to be a politician.

Now comes along Green leader Elizabeth May, who also prides herself on engaging in a different kind of politics. From today's Ottawa Sun:

Those who know her say May straddles the political spectrum with a candidness that is bound to draw more flak.

"Elizabeth says what she thinks," said Stephen Hazell, a longtime friend and former colleague at the Sierra Club. "She is quite candid and sometimes those remarks can be taken out of context, and sometimes deliberately so."

Well, that same candidness has her in some trouble over drawing comparisons between Harper's policies and the appeasement of Nazis. She kind of apologized after days of public pressure. What remains to be seen with May is if she has the discipline, wisdom, and smarts to learn that, in politics, you simply cannot say whatever you want. Why? Well, because it's politics. In other words, does she want to be a politician or not?

Politics is the art of drawing broader support for you, your party, and your ideas. You do it by essentially being as nice to many people as possible, while engaging in strategic attacks on your opponents. In many ways, it's a game — the rules for which have been sharpened and honed for many generations.

It's not surprising that people come along and try to change those rules. However, I suppose that what is surprising is the shock on these same people's faces when they try to do it. It's called politics for a reason. When you stop being political, you better have a good reason, and you better be ready to face the consequences.

Otherwise, you spend days having to kind of apologize for a remark you never should have made in the first place. Whether or not May learns from this lesson is something yet to be determined.

She's lucky. If she was a conservative, her political obituary would have already been written. As a leftist, she gets a second chance from the media. Let's see what she makes of it.


Comments:
She's lucky. If she was a conservative, her political obituary would have already been written. As a leftist, she gets a second chance from the media.

Spot on. This double-standard seems endemic, but it's nice to see someone take note of it.

I would add that it's stupid and unacceptable to compare Conservative policy to Nazis or Nazi-appeasers at any time - whether as a politician or a private citizen. People need to be called on this b.s.

 
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Mike Duffy surprised me this week by questioning her on it - of course, he then gave her a free pass to repeat her "quotation" crap, in detail.

And oh, joy, soon summer and the truly silly season will be upon us. May should be interesting to watch.

 
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Well, I don't think we go into the summer without Dion making the environment a matter of confidence. In fact, if it wasn't for his dwelling on Taliban allegations, undermining the mission in Afghanistan, and doubting his own country at war, I think his agitations on the environment would have already started. As is, I guess he'll milk Taliban human rights as much as he can, then move onto the environment and start forcing a showdown.

 
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Why is May supporting Dion who is a proven failure as environment minister and leading a party that ignored the environment for the 13 years they were in power?

Dion admitted he couldn't make the environment a "priority" when he was in the Martin government cabinet while GHGs were skyrocketing?

What behind the scenes deal do Dion and May have, other than May slagging Harper and trumpeting for Dion as the next prime minister of Canada?

 
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