Comments on: Playing against type

By: PoliticalPundit

PoliticalPundit — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:30:41 +0000

This is a balanced article by Geddes. But the overall presentation by Macleans Magazine on Harper's well planned gig comes off as being over the top, to the point of being nauseating!! Macleans has lost its objectivity and its credibility. It will loose subscribers.
Yes, charisma is beyond PM Harper as it was way beyond PM Mackenzie King. Yet, King ruled Canada largely unchallenged from 1921 to 1948 except for PM Bennett's one term, 1930-35.
A dull and drab King looked good in comparison to both Arthur Meighen, an uptight, intellectual, arrogant Conservative aristocrat ( I am smarter than everyone in the room type) and PM Bennett, a bombastic, self-made millionaire who bought the leadership of the Conservative Party in 1927 and then ran King out of office in 1930 with his stupid promise to end the depression overnight.
Harper's strengths are two fold. His unwavering sense of confidence that comes from his Christian fundamentalist beliefs and values. He is right and they – the opposition and his critics – are wrong! Mackenzie King had the same attribute and it came from his embracing of theosophy! And he spoke with his mother via a clairvoyant!
Two, Harper has remarkable communications skills. His populist-inspired strategy of communicating directly over the heads of Canada's federal and provincial political élites ( he avoids the national media) goes over very well with Canada's working middle class whose members feel they are hard-pressed and overworked. The new middle class of the 1990s and 2000s is far more socially and fiscally conservative than its post 1960s predecessor.
Harper's weakness comes from his excessive partisanship à la Brian Mulroney!! This is demonstrated by his decision to equate his Conservative Party with the government of Canada by the adolescent trick of making out government stimulus cheques under the logo of the Conservative Party and signed by himself of his Cabinet ministers and MPs. This is truly juvenile and it undermines the much needed distinction between government and party.

By: PoliticalPundit

PoliticalPundit — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:28:16 +0000

This is a balanced article by Geddes. But the overall presentation by Macleans Magazine on Harper's well planned gig comes off as being over the top, to the point of being nauseating!! Macleans has lost its objectivity and its credibility. It will loose subscribers.
Yes, charisma is beyond PM Harper as it was way beyond PM Mackenzie King. Yet, King ruled Canada largely unchallenged from 1921 to 1948 except for PM Bennett's one term, 1930-35.
A dull and drab King looked good in comparison to both Arthur Meighen, an uptight, intellectual, arrogant Conservative aristocrat ( I am smarter than everyone in the room type) and PM Bennett, a bombastic, self-made millionaire who bought the leadership of the Conservative Party in 1927 and then ran King out of office in 1930 with his stupid promise to end the depression overnight.
Harper's strengths are two fold. His unwavering sense of confidence that comes from his Christian fundamentalist beliefs and values. He is right and they – the opposition and his critics – are wrong! Mackenzie King had the same attribute and it came from his embracing of theosophy! And he spoke with his mother via a clairvoyant!
Two, Harper has remarkable communications skills. His populist-inspired strategy of communicating directly over the heads of Canada's federal and provincial political élites ( he avoids the national media) goes over very well with Canada's working middle class who feel they are hard-pressed and overworked.
Harper's weakness comes from his excessive partisanship à la Brian Mulroney!! This is demonstrated by his decision to equate his Conservative Party with the government of Canada by the adolescent trick of making out government stimulus cheques under the logo of the Conservative Party and signed by himself of his Cabinet ministers and MPs. This is truly juvenile and it undermines the much needed distinction between government and party.

By: shoopak

shoopak — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 07:49:15 +0000

I'm surprised at the read on the article here. cyprus car

By: tigerinexile

tigerinexile — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 15:01:31 +0000

Here's the May 2005 piece.
http://www.macleans.ca/article.jsp?content=200505…

Okay, maybe "pro-Harper" is stretching it a bit. But it certainly presents the PM as an interesting — even fascinating — study in Canadian political leadership.

I just don't see these as articles that make the PM look bad. On the contrary, it makes him look like someone you might want to keep around for a while as head of the government…

By: tigerinexile

tigerinexile — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 14:57:07 +0000

I'm surprised at the read on the article here. Don't see it as anti-Harper at all. Quite the contrary.

By: tigerinexile

tigerinexile — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 14:50:49 +0000

I'm surprised at the read of this by commenters above as an anti-Harper piece…

I thought that this piece, just like Geddes' piece in May 2005, is quite pro-Harper.

"And yet, through all the miscues, something real about Harper kept coming through." Viz., that the 'real' Harper is one that many Canadians like and even trust.

The PM's darned interesting. More interesting, to my mind, than the guys on the other side…

"The advantage on competence can be credited to Harper’s no-nonsense political style; the solid trustworthiness rating reflects a public reading of his underlying character."

That's a solid compliment. If I were in the Conservative war room, I'd be forwarding this article around.

By: bluesman13

bluesman13 — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 03:00:36 +0000

What is this? So many people see this as a such a great thing, a light attempt at Harper being the guy next door… Seriously, everthing this dictator does is calculated to the nth degree. His hypocrisy knows no bounds… 1 year ago he trashed every person who performed and attended this same event. So it's ok to show up and pull off this stunt. The man has cahones, that's for sure.

What amazes me is that Canadians have such a short memory. This is what happens when the opposition is so impotentent. It's embarassing…

By: danby

danby — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 18:54:15 +0000

I'm sure Mr Harper can be personable, but he is also a very shrewd politician. Was the sweater vest a peek at his softer side, or a calculated attempt to soften his image?
Like it or not, "image" is a big part of the game and if Stephen has the cojones to belt out a tune, then well done, I say.
The thing is, this excellent piece of showmanship should not give him a free pass on addressing concerns about his government. We deserve better than being told he's won Finance Minister of the year when we question the huge discrepencies in Jim Flaherty's numbers. What happened to transparency and accountability? Kevin Page? The list goes on.
Mr Harper is lurching towards being outright dismissive when anyone raises concerns with his government and/or leadership.
He may belt out a good tune, but I need good government, not a song and dance

By: kcm

kcm — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 20:12:44 +0000

Actually JG is merely giving us the benefit of his, i presume, considered opinions. You and HH on the other hand are reacting like a couple of Harpermania groupies. " How dare he say our guy doesn't have charisma; who does he think he is"? Never mind that most reasonable observers would agree with Geddes. Harper as Trudeau; Harper as Obama? Get real! Don't despair boys, Harper may not have charima but he can bang out a tune and put the boots to his political opponents. It's admittedly not much, but it is something for you to fawn over. Fawn over harper if you will, just don't be so juvenile when someone else desides not to.

By: Sweet Loretta

Sweet Loretta — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 05:50:29 +0000

Yo-Yo Ma was caught earlier this year, pretending to perform live at Obama's inauguration. This time the canned music came from Canada's PM. "Won't Get Fooled Again" should be the next refrain.

By: Guest

Guest — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 19:22:11 +0000

"Respectable as the memorable first track on a landmark record.."

Yes it was a landmark record, one of the greatest ever and yes a very memorable track but no, it was not the first track, so I guess not so memorable for you.

By: Ed_Sweeney

Ed_Sweeney — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:45:34 +0000

I stand corrected.

By: hosertohoosier

hosertohoosier — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:32:09 +0000

Sorry, try this link for the picture. http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&source=...

By: hosertohoosier

hosertohoosier — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:31:20 +0000

Do a google image search on John Geddes (I kid you not) – this is the first hit you get (http://jaydixit.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/… Is speaks to one clear fact: Geddes IS charisma.

The evidence?
-When Geddes turned 18, they gave him a Nobel peace prize for all the ladies he would surely make very happy.
-Geddes once solved the Israel-Palestine crisis, dressed as a Nazi holding a cartoon of Muhammad.
-It is against the constitution for Geddes to run in elections, because he would win in every seat and Canada would become a dictatorship.
-The washboard was invented by taking imprints of John Geddes' abs.

The votes are in, John Geddes IS the final arbiter on charisma.

By: Ed_Sweeney

Ed_Sweeney — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:32:09 +0000

Why does Geddes so often have an undertone of sheer pettiness. Phrases like 'charisma is beyond him' – as if Geddes is final arbiter on charisma- terms like 'at least this once', and the presumption that if you prefer to keep your family life a low profile it means that you must pretend they do not exist. It all seems so petty.