Comments on The Burd Report: Revisiting the "Canadian Champion of leafleteers"

Well, there are progressives, there are conservati...

2009-11-15T19:25:07.790-05:00

Well, there are progressives, there are conservatives, and there are those who are neither one nor the other.

Fish with wings, fowl with fins, and Liberals to the end, their lot is perchance a happy one.

Best regards and All good things!

* Sentence Correction: This "isn't"...

2009-11-13T22:34:39.823-05:00

* Sentence Correction:

This "isn't" (not 'is') an overnight job to fix, when the Conservatives have been planting these seeds for years.

Because what is terrible about political life in C...

2009-11-13T22:30:59.521-05:00

Because what is terrible about political life in Canada, so often the right decision is one that appeases few. Michael Ignatieff is in the dreaded position that no matter the decision that he makes at this point, the narrative already established about him, partially due to Liberal fortunes since 2003, which opens him up to more significant criticism than any other leader currently faces. He has, however, made significant strides to be able to put the Liberal Party in the position of being the opposition party and being able to assume those duties.

By the account of right decisions that appease few, Stephen Harper has flourished by doing precisely the opposite. He has perfected the art of politics in a minority government, making few if any 'right' decisions, but so many blatantly wrong, divisive, decisions that have done more to regionally divide and define Canadians against other Canadians - but this has served his purpose of scraping together support from one area to the next in order to continue his strategy to achieve his desired goal of attaining a majority government. The by-elections last week are one example of this. His response to the proposal coalition government last year was another. One seat at a time, alienating the masses knowing all he needs is to gain a little support in Quebec and a bit more in other areas his targeting strategy will, he hopes, deliver his majority.

The conservatives should not be underestimated by any stretch. I don't think people will quite see how frustrating it is to go up against tacticians like that. How do you politically out-maneuver a group of people who do not play 'by the book', or quite frankly, only give credence to those who will help their own agenda and the rest of Canada can quite frankly 'deal with it'.

Right now I think people are confusing 'taking the high road' with 'waiting to naturally be elected'. Working on a daily basis, I can assure you that the latter is not true. Perception, though, is reality for many. Narrative is underlying perception. The conservatives have mastered establishing others narratives. This is an overnight job to fix, when the Conservatives have been planting these seeds for years.

With that rant - being a young grasshopper myself - I believe that the solution isn't in one person. It isn't one leader. Politics has changed and we must rise to the challenge to ensure politics and government is what we want it to be. For as long as we allow the Harper's of the world to manipulate us to a majority territory the foundations of fauxmocracy will be set.

If anyone here has the solution lets get at it, I'm young and ready to work. For me, though, I do think that Kim Rudd is the person that will help foster those solutions. Say what you like about her winning the nomination - yes it was a well-oiled machine - but every person who came out to vote for her has known her for decades and see what she has done in her thirty years in this community. It wasn’t just a machine doing its job, the machine can only call people. Right when they heard Kim’s name they came out themselves.

My last in this long post (I don't post often, I might as well make it worth it). It is absolutely right for Rick Norlock to be criticized for his spending habits. After all of his rhetoric about accountability over the past four years it's a bit rich for this to be happening.

Believe me, Martin, I am keen to learn why a progr...

2009-11-13T13:06:19.639-05:00

Believe me, Martin, I am keen to learn why a progressive would vote to support the current Liberal leader, who last January declined an opportunity not just to force another election, but to actually be Prime Minister of Canada.

Past Liberal governments have certainly pursued and implemented some progressive policies. However, Ignatieff's refusal to lead a home-grown Yes we can! coalition government convinced me that any Liberal government he leads he is not likely to be progressive.

Though not my man, Jack Layton is a progressive leader. The coalition that he negotiated with Liberals and others was a stunning refutation of the mantra we have heard chanted for so many years: "There Is No Alternative.

There are alternatives, Martin, but Michael Ignatieff rejected an opportunity to seek them out. What reason do we have to believe that his mantra is any different?

My comments on this blog, Martin, are intended to support not merely partisan politics but genuinely progressive politics. Jack Layton is not the only progressive leader in Canada and his party is not the only progressive party. I'm happy to have all such leaders and all such parties active in our political system.

Now, Martin, let me ask my question again: Why would a progressive vote to support a leader who declined an opportunity to remove from power the most backward-reaching government in many years?

I have never voted Conservative. Once or twice in ...

2009-11-13T12:49:15.893-05:00

I have never voted Conservative. Once or twice in the past, I have voted Liberal on occasion when it looked like that was the only way to either unseat a sitting Conservative or keep one out. Most often in my life I have voted NDP and in recent years, I have voted Green about the same amount as NDP.

I am not a true acolyte for any party. I have difficulty with large swaths of all their platforms but with some parties I find areas that allow me to agree.

I wished Dion would help us get Harper out and keep him out. I wish the same for Iggy. Other than that, I don't like Iggy much. I did like Dion for other things than just being the anti-Harper. Others seemed not to agree with me on that.

I like the NDP. I really dislike Layton.

I like Elizabeth May a lot more than I like the Greens as a party.

When election time rolls around, I continue to read a couple of newspapers a day, I continue to watch the TV news, I talk politics a lot with people at work, neighbours, friends in coffee shops, etc. However, I usually make up my mind how to vote as the election unfolds. The only fixed point I have from the get-go is that I will never vote conservative (or for any other crazy fringe party but they don't run in my riding: Family Heritage Communist Flying Yoga etc). If I could, I would vote Bloc Quebecois. I like Gilles Duceppe and May the most of any of the current party leaders. I sorely miss the Rhinoceros Party, by the way.

This time out I have another fixed point: I will vote for Pat Clark ... unless some surprising development knocks me off that resolve. He is young, fresh, smart and we need that in politics.

I venture to say there are too many egotists in ND...

2009-11-13T07:09:36.537-05:00

I venture to say there are too many egotists in NDP and Liberal camps to unseat the Conservative defaultists. So much room left of the Tories on the political spectrum, so little wisdom.

Thanks Anonymous for another exciting reply - you ...

2009-11-12T12:12:45.723-05:00

Thanks Anonymous for another exciting reply - you are obviously passionate in your feelings about Rudd and Norlock.

Sorry to disappoint, I do not work for any politician, do not hold a party membership card, and have voted for both Lib and PC in the past. I guess for a partisan I'm a nightmare - can't be counted on for blind support, have to be convinced of the merits of a politico and their vision...

It is dissapointing that I appear to be anti-Rudd - I would love to be pro-Rudd, or pro-Norlock - unfortunately I haven't heard an original statement from either one of them.

Since you seem to be pro-Rudd yourself, perhaps you could suggest to her team that coming out with something POSITIVE, or ORIGINAL, might be a great way forward for her campaign, and for those of us just itching for a great candidate, someone with original thought and who has a clear plan to lead our communities forward - that would get attention.

Sniping at each other about postal spending - what a typically Canadian scandal.

Here is my thinking: Libs - go ahead and complain about this once you have come clean about AdScam. PC's - go ahead and slam the Libs after you have stopped using taxpayer bucks to send partisan mailings.

But until that (impossible) situation occurs - why not actually focus on developing an original plan, work that plan, and ultimately help the people who are in need - right now - that's beyond partisan attacks - it could actually be considered noble....

Alternatively, we can continue to pursue the supposed scandal that Norlock is in over his mail outs.

An interesting choice for Rudd to come out swinging on.

The husband of a co worker of mine dismissed all p...

2009-11-11T18:24:51.081-05:00

The husband of a co worker of mine dismissed all politicians of all stripes with his favourite saying:

SAME WHORE, DIFFERENT DRESS.

That's about how I feel choosing between the liberals and NDP at the leader level.

William, I am genuinely confused. I thought, contr...

2009-11-11T15:19:08.750-05:00

William, I am genuinely confused. I thought, contrary to your most recent insinuation, that the Liberal opposition officially declared that it opposes and will continue to oppose the Harper government (thereby, to use your words, attempting to 'remove from power the most backward-reaching government in many years' -- a sentiment with which I of course agree). However, didn't your Jack Layton reverse his position recently, when the chips were down, and start supporting the Harper government? Who is the pot here, and who is the kettle? Perhaps I misunderstand your point.

The poll on NorthumberlandNews.com now has 66% of ...

2009-11-11T14:42:16.776-05:00

The poll on NorthumberlandNews.com now has 66% of 382 votes against Norlock and his mail-outs.

"The poll in the Northumberland News is sh...

2009-11-11T10:39:57.798-05:00
"The poll in the Northumberland News is showing 53% support for Norlock's mail outs."

A poll by Northumberland News is an incompetent, unreliable and meaningless poll. It is nothing more than a poseur of interactivity.

A vote for Kim Rudd is a vote for the man who decl...

2009-11-10T19:00:44.628-05:00
A vote for Kim Rudd is a vote for the man who declined an opportunity to remove from power the most backward-reaching government in many years.

Now, why would a progressive voter seeking to advance the role of government for the common good do that?

Oh just so "ArmchairQB" doesn't have...

2009-11-10T15:40:55.351-05:00
Oh just so "ArmchairQB" doesn't have to loose any sleep the slanderous inferences in his/her post that she/he is refering to in my post was not posted during any working hours anywhere nor do I work for Rinaldi. Nor am I Rudd's Communication person.

I think the refernce to Lou Rinaldi in Ms. Rudd's letter was obvious he is the only other elected official who would be doing mass riding wide mailouts like Norlock.

As to ArmchairQB's ridiculous assertions against Macklin & Stewart it can be gauranteed that neither spent close to Norlock's outlandish amount on mailouts as Rick is the highest in Country at almost $ 90 000 not including another 30-35 thousand in postage. Macklin and Stewart never sent anywhere near the heaps of junk mail Norlock does.

Ms. Rudd has been clear in the media that some mailouts regarding government information are of course obvious but 2-3 a week is pattenly an abuse of public monies.

As to "waking Ms. Rudd up" not true but Armchair QB is anti-Rudd so not point saying anymore other than for all we know ArmchairQB could just as easily be on R. Norlock's payroll.

I don't f**king believe it - today I got ANOTH...

2009-11-10T14:28:33.594-05:00
I don't f**king believe it - today I got ANOTHER MAIL OUT from Norlock!

What timing, what genius!

It is to weep. The poll in the Northumberland News is showing 53% support for Norlock's mail outs.

The tories just won two by elections recently.

We are doomed.

wow.. let's hope the first posting on here isn...

2009-11-10T12:46:33.504-05:00
wow.. let's hope the first posting on here isn't Rudd's communications director! Local Libs need to remember they are supposedly working to win an election - nothing like coming out swinging at anything that moves!

Ben, the really nice thing about this spending issue is that it has at least woken the Rudd Team up to make a comment about SOMETHING.

Basically all the public has heard is that she won the nomination, thanked her supporters, and gone into hibernation.

With the detailed response today, from Team Rudd, I wonder if there is going to be a commitment to not undertake the same mail outs if she is elected? Stewart and Macklin used the mail outs, as most MP's do according to the published materials. What is the Rudd definition of "too much" use vs the just enough approach of her Liberal predecessors?

With the Rudd campaign quoting Rinaldi's success, one has to wonder, is her campaign team, like her nomination team, based out of the MPP's office? Talk about spending scandals - I would of course never imply that these hard working politicos would ever dream of undertaking Rudd campaign work during the workday when they are supposedly doing their Ontario taxpayer paid duties for our esteemed provincial representative, but as always, just curious...

Mere seconds of searching would have revealed that...

2009-11-10T11:15:29.707-05:00
Mere seconds of searching would have revealed that Rudd had responded, long before you posted that she had not. We know you are squarely in the NDP camp, and no one expects you to be supportive of Rudd, but you can at least be fair.

To comment #1 You don't what i meant to say yo...

2009-11-10T06:37:13.586-05:00
To comment #1
You don't what i meant to say you read what i said, and that last sentence was bit snarky and totally out of character for anonymous!

Kim Rudd's detailed open letter on this was pu...

2009-11-09T22:17:30.609-05:00
Kim Rudd's detailed open letter on this was published today.
http://www.kimrudd.ca/Kim_Rudd/Working_For_You.html

Rudd weighs in on the leafletting: http://www.kimr...

2009-11-09T19:58:00.864-05:00
Rudd weighs in on the leafletting: http://www.kimrudd.ca/Kim_Rudd/Working_For_You.html

Does he do duct cleaning on the side? If not, what...

2009-11-09T19:19:42.816-05:00
Does he do duct cleaning on the side? If not, what the hell is he trying to tell us?

Not true Kim was the prominent interviewee by vari...

2009-11-09T18:46:03.636-05:00
Not true Kim was the prominent interviewee by various media and has sent an open letter to the media calling for Rick to stop this waste of taxpayers dollars.

Again your partisan bent for the NDP candidate doesn't change the fact that Kim has responded.

But you are right the "Wright Team" does certainly handily win nominations!

What you meant to say is that Kim or her team did not comment on your blog that is not a fair statement to imply she has not commented or done anything to publically comment across the riding.