Categories: Feschuk on the famous

Like a mighty wind, but even mightier

Take your index finger. Place it in your mouth. Remove. Place index finger in…

by Scott Feschuk on Friday, June 5, 2009 8:07am - 27 Comments

Take your index finger. Place it in your mouth. Remove. Place index finger in the air.

Can you feel it?

Can you feel it coming?

Can you feel the “great wind” that apparently will sweep Stephen Harper’s government from office?

If so – if you can feel it – you just might be Michael Ignatieff’s speechwriter. Or Christopher Guest. Unless they’re one in the same, which presents itself as a distinct possibility these days.

“This wind will bring back hope to Canada,” Ignatieff told an audience last night in Montreal.

I’m not usually down with people trying to give themselves their own nicknames, but fine – from now on, Michael, we’ll call you The Wind.

After listening to you talk recently, the name seems fitting, believe me.

That said, as a general rule I think it’s fair to suggest that aspiring political candidates ought to get their parties above 35 per cent in the polls before they begin comparing themselves to an epic force of nature. (Obvious exception: The waves of charisma emanating from Jack Layton’s moustache can continue to be likened to a storm surge.)

ALSO: I’m intrigued by another line in Ignatieff’s speech: “The best Canada possible is a Canada inspired by Quebec.”

What does that mean exactly?

Does he mean Canada should be inspired by Quebec in the same way the movie Pirates of the Caribbean was inspired by the theme-park ride?

Or does he mean Canada should be inspired by Quebec in the same way that the obese should be inspired by Valerie Bertinelli?

For the record, either way works for me. I’m just curious.

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  • Anon

    The answer is blowing in the wind, my friend. The answer is blowing in the wind.

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/robert_mccl6309 Robert McClelland

    Can you feel the “great wind” that apparently will sweep Stephen Harper’s government from office?

    As a matter of fact I can feel it.

    Canada's unemployment rate rose to an 11-year high of 8.4 per cent in May as employment dropped by 41,800, Statistics Canada said Friday.

  • http://www.intensedebate.com/people/robert_mccl6309 Robert McClelland

    Can you feel the “great wind” that apparently will sweep Stephen Harper’s government from office?

    As a matter of fact I can feel it.

    Canada's unemployment rate rose to an 11-year high of 8.4 per cent in May as employment dropped by 41,800, Statistics Canada said Friday.

    • Paul Wells

      So unemployment is almost as high as it was when Jean Chrétien won his second consecutive majority. You're right, the incumbent is doomed. How scientific.

      • Anon

        Dat's not da proof.

        Chrétien was running against a splintered Tory party. Wasn't it the same year Bouchard left and Duceppe had his head-diaper moment?

        Also, the unemployment rate in Ontario was lower.

      • http://intensedebate.com/people/Sir_Francis Sir_Francis

        Chrétien's second majority was a bare majority; he got slaughtered in the West and the Maritimes. Besides, Ontario's manufacturing labour force is now the weakest it's been since 1976. Was Chrétien facing that in 1997?

      • http://intensedebate.com/people/robert_mccl6309 Robert McClelland

        The difference is that unemployment numbers were moving in the right direction for Chretien.

      • swhh

        geez what's with the sarcasm lately? does anyone know when the first chance will be for a non-confidence vote?

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/WDM WDM

    Not only can I feel it! I can smell it! Funny, the wind smells an awful lot like the farm up the road…

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/Sir_Francis Sir_Francis

    "The best Canada possible is a Canada inspired by Quebec.”
    What does that mean exactly?

    Perhaps it means a Canada that is willing, nay eager, to think of itself as a nation.

    Heh. Fat chance of that ever happening. Our political class actively discourages it…

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/Sir_Francis Sir_Francis

    "The best Canada possible is a Canada inspired by Quebec.”
    What does that mean exactly?

    Perhaps it means a Canada that is willing, nay eager, to think of itself as a nation.

    Heh. Fat chance of that ever happening. Our political class actively discourages it…

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/SeanStok SeanStok

    I'm not sure I'd blame our political class for the heterogeneous nature of our population. The very logic of "Canada" has a heck of a lot to do with accomodating regional interests and variations.

    But I agree that it would be hard for the ROC to model ourselves after Quebec, in the absence of some greater political sugar daddy to throw money and concessions at us every time we held our breath and stamped our feet. Every provincial "child" is on their own, in that respect.

    • http://intensedebate.com/people/Sir_Francis Sir_Francis

      I'm not sure I'd blame our political class for the heterogeneous nature of our population.

      Other federal nations manage to be heterogeneous while remaining, well…nations. The U.S. pulls it off fairly well, despite being host to sundry ethnic, class and regional tensions. Americans violently re-annexed their entire southern half in the 1860's without damaging their sense of nationhood.

      Ultimately, it has been the techniques by which Dominion governments have negotiated the challenges of our federal nature that have pre-empted the solidification of a pan-Canadian nationhood while institutionalising regionalist grudge politics. By and large, the populace has resigned itself to what our élites have reified as being normative.

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/robins111 robins111

    Is it kinda like passing wind? Because I can't feel it, must be a SBD

  • Sisyphus

    Can we just extend the wind to it’s musical conclusion and call him Maria ?

    • MJ Patchouli

      Mariah.

      And Scott, we know you wrote this entire column just so you could link that photo of Valerie Bertinelli in a bikini.

      "the wind will bring hope back to Canada" is a very bad line, isn't it? A dud of a metaphor, or delivered badly in any case. Since really, the wind just blows…

  • Wayne

    The Wind : just visiting thank god. I rememeer a few years back I lived down wind from a pulp mill and when the wind changed .. well … imagine a combination overflowing septic tank and some sort of critter dead in your basement – pretty well sums it up!

  • Wayne

    only 8.4 per cent unemployment -> hmm I think this means we are managing to get through a global recession with 91.6 per cent employment – not bad at all ..

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/OntarioTown OntarioTown

    The world is closing in
    Did you ever think
    That we could be so close, like brothers
    The future's in the air
    I can feel it everywhere
    Blowing with the wind of change

    Take me to the magic of the moment
    On a glory night
    Where the children of tomorrow dream away
    in the wind of change

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/SisyphusThis SisyphusThis
  • Andrew

    Is that what that was? I just thought it was a blustery day. But why did it take my beach ball with it? It was a good ball, but I didn't think it would help bring hope back to Canada. God speed beach ball.

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/Crit_Reasoning Crit_Reasoning

    The part that amazed me the most about Iggy's unbelievably windy Montreal speech was his frankly disingenuous response to the Tory attack ads:

    "I've lived abroad. The horror! But what they don't understand is that it's not just about me. If they attack me, they also attack all those who have lived in foreign lands, and all those who have come from foreign lands. Let's get serious."

    It's official. Ignatieff really does think that Canadians are stupid. He certainly talks to them that way.

    • http://intensedebate.com/people/Sir_Francis Sir_Francis

      I think the most disingenuous part of the speech was when he said, "Let's get serious". He knows that's not going to happen.

      • http://intensedebate.com/people/Crit_Reasoning Crit_Reasoning

        Heh.

  • Calgary Junkie

    What job is Iggy auditioning for ? He talks more like a political analyst than a PM in-waiting.

    What he should be doing is advocating and explaining his policy positions. I know he will have a chance to do that during an election campaign, but it's got to be a good idea to lay the groundwork now.

  • Fred

    Iggy . . now channeling the Obama Hopey-Changey thingy.

    If it worked for him, maybe it'll work here. After all, if there is one thing Iggy understands, its America and being American

    • Janice Rose

      You guys are hilarious! Nice close to the week.

      I think Obama beat everyone to the punch with the charisma/hope/change thingy. But he's inspired a bunch of wannabees. Gawd, its better that than SH's uncharismatic/negative/attacky thingies.

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