Categories: Megapundit

Did someone ask for issues?

Sigh….

by selley on Tuesday, September 30, 2008 4:45pm - 17 Comments

Sigh.

Tags: , , ,

Bookmark and Share
  • john g

    Chris, I might also point you to the first version of this Canadian Press story that is currently running in the G&M.

    I wonder why the Canadian Press felt it needed 2 drafts of this ridiculous piece?

  • boudica

    john g, this was a photo op, yes? Harper invited the press to witness him taking his daughter to school.

    But you have issues with the press for writing about it?

  • Dave

    Now I see why Harper is too busy to show up on Cross Country Checkup or Your Turn and discuss the issues with voters.

    Picking out sweater vests and staging bungled photo-ops takes time!

  • sbt

    I also quite enjoyed the piece where Dion’s wife says he discusses politics with her. Discussing work with your spouse. How intriguing! Does the Canadian Press write these stories because they think someone out there actually cares?

  • http://carnewsandviews.com jwl

    From your title, I thought you were going somewhere else with this, Chris.

    I have been amazed at how many comments have been posted today about this plagiarism scandal, the most activity I’ve seen on Macleans blogs in a while, and most of those posters have been moaning about the fact that media focuses on minutiae and not the issues.

    Well there were two posts about economy today and barely rated any comments but commentators felt 5 year old speeches were significant. Sometimes I think media is giving us exactly what we want.

    Not sure what the story is about Harper and his daughter. I can’t think of too many kids older than 5/6 who are keen to kiss their parents in public, never mind for national news audience.

    I wonder if it was a stunt again – I remember reading how Harper and his son thought it would be funny if they shook hands – because Harper had to know the press would make a big deal out of this.

  • Clarence Seunarine

    You think it’s easy to stage a photo-op?

  • Just visiting

    Just because Harper is warm and fuzzy with his daughter doesn’t mean they weren’t also talking to each other about important things that matter to hard working Canadian families, like any “loving father”. You can bet they weren’t talking about plagiarised speeches.

  • http://demosthenes.blogspot.com Demosthenes

    Well, five-year-old speeches wouldn’t normally be relevant, jwl, but

    -he stole the content; and

    -it was about a war that hasn’t, um, ended yet. One that he wanted Canada to be in.

    It’s pretty relevant, actually.

  • Pingback: I saw something nasty in the woodshed « Empire of Dirt

  • dan in van

    What Demosthenes said…

    and i really don’t care if Harper hugs or pats his kids for the cameras.

    I do think it’s rather bizarre that he’d want cameras along, especially if it makes him uncomfortable.

  • D. Jones

    Harper staged the photo-op, called the press, and it went bad.

    The question is:

    why is he using his daughter as a human prop? nasty.

  • MJ Patchouli

    D. Jones swims to the crux of the matter. Harper’s willingness to use his children as photo opps and commercial fodder make me uncomfortable.

    Of course, so do his right wing policies, his eyeliner and lip tint, and his caucus, and his lack of platform during this illegal election he has called.

    I don’t believe a word that guy says any more.

  • D

    Maybe it’s time for the media to focus on more pressing issues such as: what the Conservative platform is, what the Cons intend to do given the recent economic turmoil, what their long term plan for the environment is, what they intend to do to address child poverty and native issues, etc. etc. etc.

    The Conservatives may be blocking reporters from asking too many difficult questions but perhaps it’s time the media got a little more agressive than they have been so far.

  • Ian

    Good point, D. Maybe a headline like “Harper refuses to release plans” might shake something loose.

  • kody

    Note to Canadian media:

    see the partisan liberal NY Times’ stock prices, circulation numbers and ad revenues. (they’ve all plummeted)

    We know you can’t resist, it’s in your worldview,

    YOU desperately want this to be on the forefront of voters’ minds,

    but the public thinks this is ridiculous and petty.

    And if you think the rag tag band of hyper partisan Liberal commenters is a good indicator of you being headed in the right reportage direction,

    think again.

    Here’s a pretty good guidepost: if “ti-guy” thinks you’re story is great, the vast majority of the public is likely repulsed by it.

  • john g

    The Conservatives may be blocking reporters from asking too many difficult questions but perhaps it’s time the media got a little more agressive than they have been so far.

    More aggressive?

    Right now, at this moment, on the G&M election page, the list of stories include:

    - The plagiarism story
    - The “Harper won’t touch his kids” story
    - The “Totally non-partisan Sierra club says don’t vote Tory” story
    - The “Canadians are scared to give Harper a majority” story
    - The “Conservatives are faltering in Quebec” story
    - The “Tory breakthrough a hard sell in the environs of Montreal” story
    - The “Charest distances his government from Federal Tories” story
    - The “Tories opened patronage doors before election” story

    - And ideas for how the Liberals can reclaim the economy issue.

    This is ridiculous. The G&M has officially jumped the shark.

  • D

    @john g:

    Ok, I could have replaced the word “aggressive” with “penetrating”, or perhaps “substantive”.

    For every story on Conservative wackiness including Harper not hugging his kids, groups who don’t support the Cons, etc. there has been plenty of stories in a similar vein on the Liberals (check out CTV, CanWest outlets and the National Post if you doubt this). And I would argue the plagiarized parliamentary speech and patronage appointments are more serious issues, and fair game for the media.

    But my main point is that substantive questions in the media about Conservative platform positions and their long-term vision (if they, in fact, have one) are clearly missing in action. Maybe this is a reflection of the Cons’ limiting media access or just due to a lack of curiosity from the reporters covering them. I don’t know which it is.

    However, I sure would like to know what the Cons specifically plan to do for the next 4-5 years for the environment, how they plan to deal with the economic downturn in the U.S. with respect to our economy, and how they plan to address native social issues now that the parliamentary apology has been given.

    You know, minor things like that…

Previous

Next

From Macleans