Categories: Andrew Coyne, Capital Read

None dead in crash of metaphor

by Andrew Coyne on Tuesday, July 13, 2010 10:10pm - 0 Comments

The bus carrying Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff broke down just outside the Eastern Ontario town of Hawkesbury Tuesday, just before 6 p.m.

The breakdown occurred on the first day of the Liberal Leader’s six-week, cross-country excursion to promote the Mr. Ignatieff’s and his party’s fortunes.

A similar malfunction on the first day of Ontario Liberal leader Dalton McGuinty’s 1999 election campaign was seen as emblematic of the party’s mismanagement and inexperience, leading to its defeat at the hands of Conservative leader Mike Harris.

In 2008, Mr. Ignatieff’s predecessor faced similar woes. Stéphane Dion’s Air Inuit plane was forced to make an unexpected landing in Montreal in the early days his failed election campaign.

For the last time: the physical world does not conform itself to journalists’ desire for metaphors! Mechanical breakdowns are not “emblematic” of anything, except to reporters who like to press the facts into pre-defined templates of spurious significance (see: narrative), or who think the universe is governed by magic.

Tags: bogus metaphors, lazy journalism, Michael Ignatieff

More by Andrew Coyne

http://intensedebate.com/profiles/phantomobserver PhantomObserver

What you're forgetting, Mr. C, is the bad-luck meme. Which basically says that troubled campaigns will continue to attract trouble.

And in this case, there are lessons learned. For example, in the Liberals' campaign blog they made the specific point that they bought carbon offsets for using the bus, playing the environment card. Now, however, people will point out that the money would have been better spent on a maintenance check of that bus.

The other lesson learned is that having a backup plan is a good thing. That they were able to organize transport in an emergency is good; that a plan didn't exist in the first place, not so much.
Mulletaur

I don't know why you insist on disabusing people of the idea that the "universe is governed by magic." What others fear one must also fear.
John D

This is clearly very relevant because… oh wait, Ignatieff wasn't the mechanic? Carry on…

http://www.zombo.com Out There

Unless the Liberals cut corners by renting their bus from Big Al's Discount Rent-A-Bus, they can't be faulted for this.

The Conservatives would likely rent a whole fleet of buses, so that an emergency backup bus would be available if needed. The extra expense and needless burning of precious fossil fuel would not concern them. And they would never admit that one of their fleet of buses had broken down – after all, Conservatives, like the Pope, are expected to be infallible. The PMO would issue a press release stating that their primary bus had been taken out of service for "planned maintenance", and then would refuse to discuss the matter any further.

http://intensedebate.com/people/hollinm hollinm

Out There…..and there lies the difference between a professional political party and a bunch of rank amatuers. I know you post was critical of the Conservtives. However, the irony is delicious.

D.D.S

prostitutes could be called profesionals too…….

Orson Bean

I think you forgot to mention that the Conservatives would also have kicked a cute little puppy and strangled a kitten. Because, well, they're just evil.

http://intensedebate.com/people/lgarvin lgarvin

Okay everyone, quit with the grab-*ssing and the hi-jinks. Coyne is back and he's brought his yardstick.
hollinm

Wrong Andrew. God is getting Ignatieff for his ill-advised sulphur comment. A joke? Not by a long shot. It looks good on the Liberal party and its feckless leader.

If this is a precusor of things to come from the Liberal party then it will indeed be a good summer on the BBQ circuit.
http://intensedebate.com/people/Crit_Reasoning Crit_Reasoning

World's Largest Metaphor Hits Ice-berg
Titanic, Representation of Man's Hubris, Sinks in North Atlantic / 1,500 Dead in Symbolic Tragedy

New York, April 15 — Officials of the White Star Line have confirmed the sinking, during her maiden voyage, of the R.M.S. Titanic, the world's largest symbol of man's mortality and vulnerability.

First reports of the calamity were received Monday at the London telegraph office of the White Star Line, which owns the nautical archetype. At 4:23 a.m. Greenwich Standard Time, the following message was received from the rescue ship Carpathia:

"Titanic struck by icy representation of nature's supremacy STOP insufficient lifeboats due to pompous certainty in man's infallibility STOP Microcosm of larger society STOP"

It is believed at this time that upwards of 1,500 passangers aboard the metaphor may have perished in the imperturbable liquid immensity that, irrespective of mankind's congratulatory "progress," blankets most of the globe in its awful dark silence. Seven hundred more passengers survived to objectify human insignificance in the face of the colossal placidity of the universe.

http://www.theonion.com/articles/april-16-1912,10…

http://intensedebate.com/people/FVerhoeven FVerhoeven

:)

hosertohoosier

Maybe there is a relationship (beyond confirmation bias) along the lines that failing campaigns are strapped for cash, and may go for less reliable buses and/or have less competent (or numerous) staffers. They may also be less skilled at spinning news stories.
http://intensedebate.com/people/john_g2708 john g

It could be worse.

He could have chartered a plane.
http://intensedebate.com/people/s_c_f s_c_f

I heard that while waiting for repairs, Iggy ran out of Grey Poupon.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_pGT8Q_tjk
bonneau

Thanks MSM for the breaking news.
By the way, I was wondering if any journalists managed to get a good whiff of Iggy's farts, or at least notice the color of the socks he was wearing this morning, before the downpour that is?
chet

Except, Mr. Coyne,

That busses don't break down because of "magic" they break down due to poor servicing.

That the Liberals can't even run a smooth bus ride in their signature summer campaign tells us something, beyond mere symbolism.

John D

Except that parties use contractors for buses and don't do their own mechanical inspection before tours. It's the equivalent of you taking a taxi to work and then being blamed when the taxi breaks down.

chet

So who is in charge of vetting the contractors? The Liberals, or the mythical contractor unicorn?

Guess how many contractors the Liberals would be responsible for sourcing if they ran the government? Here's a start for you: a teeny bit more than one.

http://intensedebate.com/people/tedbetts tedbetts

Like what? They don't have enough mechanics in the OLO?
http://intensedebate.com/people/tobyornotoby tobyornotoby

When my busses broke down my ex found herself a better kisser …
Dave

I wasn't aware that any of the major parties owned and operated their own ground fleet.

chet

The average professional taking out a potential client would be very embarrased if their car broke down mid visit.

A restaurant catering to a food critic would be devastated if the meal couldn't be provided because the oven broke down.

A potential boss would be none too please if an interviee didn't make it because his alarm clock didn't work and he slept in.

Yet here we have the apologists, telling us "nothing to see here, this means absolutely and completely nothing."

Oh yes it means something.

http://intensedebate.com/people/s_c_f s_c_f

Stuff breaks down. That's why tow trucks exist. And plumbers. And electricians. And warranties.

John Bennett

Stuff definitely breaks down, all the time. That's why a prepared professional has contingency plans to deal with problems before they occur.

http://intensedebate.com/people/s_c_f s_c_f

Who said they did not have a contingency plan?

John D

You are thick
http://intensedebate.com/people/Style Style

Ignatieff made all his scheduled events. A replacement bus arrived to collect his stuff and whatever entourage remained behind. The fact that the Liberals focused so much attention on the bus itself, rather than the events, was silly but they weren't actually stupid enough to rely solely on one specific bus.
Dave

Whatever it means, I'm pretty sure it means it about the bus company.

hosertohoosier

Also, it is worth noting that Michael Ignatieff is normally pretty adept at magic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYmRpjU4SsQ&fe…
andre derrick

Regardless of all the fun and jibes, the reality is the libs lose time on the road and that makes for a very unhappy Iggy.
http://intensedebate.com/people/Party_of_One Party_of_One

Well…at least the bus broke down in Canada!
http://intensedebate.com/people/Stewart_Smith Stewart_Smith

Ignore the facts all you want Coyne; just a few days ago Ignatieff had the nerve to call out Lucifer himself,
Now he is bus-ted.
Coincidence?
http://intensedebate.com/people/Stewart_Smith Stewart_Smith

That's a particularly icky mental image to broadcast.
http://twitter.com/mark_dowling @mark_dowling

"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. Three times is Enemy Action."

Chris

You think the Cons have something to do with this?? That would be the news of the century and the best laugh of the summer!! How can I help spread the rumour!!???

http://intensedebate.com/people/PeteTong PeteTong

I didn't really appreciate Rosemary Barton's coverage of the incident on CBC. She was smirking and being quite smug about it. It's disappointing how unprofessional she can be sometimes.

RDB

Professionalism and the CBC are only occasional partners unfortunately. I don't think they have a bias so much as some of their journalists are barely competent.
http://intensedebate.com/people/hollinm hollinm

Pete Tong…..I guess her smugness is only good when it applies to Conservatives eh. The fact the bus broke down is great media for a slow summer of news. That is why it is being covered. The Libs made such a big deal about the tour and raised expectations as to its results that the media is following it with a great deal of interest hoping there will be more breakdowns and gaffes coming from the mouth of the leader. Sulphur anyone?

http://intensedebate.com/people/PeteTong PeteTong

I don't like her smugness when it applies to Conservatives either and I'm not sure why you would imply that.

http://intensedebate.com/people/madeyoulook madeyoulook

She didn't get to Cornwall on time. I know I would be annoyed, too.

Dave

Wouldn't it be equally annoying to get to Cornwall on time? It's Cornwall!

John W.

Our national media just seems to rejoice and gloat over Iggy's problems whether self inflicted or not. Of course the hyper partisans in the Conservative war room see his personal and political destruction is seen as the best possible thing that could happen to Canada at this time. Hyper Libs feel the same about Harper.
But it so unseemly when the media get into that tone of unrestrained exuberant joy when some irrelevant unimportant event which they see as a personal blow, occurs.
Power and Politics is an orgy of smirking, gloating, personality based, horse race politics. An issue free, intellectually empty, vacuous hour.

http://intensedebate.com/people/jasonhickman jasonhickman

It was ever thus, John. I wasn't there, but I heard Stanfield caught that g*ddamned football a bunch of times before he dropped it. Guess which pic hit the front page? And let's not even get into poor ol' Joe Clark's lost luggage….And yes, Libs and others have suffered from it, too.

As for P&P, all I'll say is, I miss Don Newman, whether or not I agree with him.

Smith

I went into serious mourning when Don Newman left. I still haven't erased his last week's shows from my PVR. I fear for our country when we've gone from witty diplomats like Mr. Newman to smirking, brawling juveniles on our public broadcast system.

But I think the problem is CBC management, not necessarily the on-air personalities (except for those horribly abrasive "power panel" guys). You can't change "character" that radically in one short summer break unless your misguided management is purposely trying to make that happen. I think they're trying to be "young". And apparently young in their minds means disrespectful, arrogant, derisive and snarky.

OTOH, perhaps our panel guests were always that abrasive and it was Don who smoothed out the rough edges. As a good moderator should. Are you listening Evan?

http://intensedebate.com/people/PeteTong PeteTong

Not just one vacuous hour but two!

Chris

it's worse they just repeat the first hour for the summer months….

http://intensedebate.com/people/VinceClortho VinceClortho

Smirk and smugness is standard Roemary Barton, it has nothing to do with Iggy and everything to do with her.

http://intensedebate.com/people/PeteTong PeteTong

If she can't be bothered to be professional the least she could do is be nice to look at (i.e. lost some weight).

(We'll if this gets moderated out)

http://intensedebate.com/people/auntie_em_m auntie_em_m

Lost me now, Pete. :- 0
Chris

that should have been moderated out. shame on you Pete.

RDB

Oh yes and that guy Robert Stanfield fumbled a football which was "emblematic" of him not being able to win elections. I'd like to blame journalists but there's also these rubes who swallow these tales of bad magic. Don't misunderestimate the smartness of us peoples.

Lord Kitchener's Own

At least with the football toss STANFIELD fumbled the football. I'm reasonably certain Mr. Ignatieff didn't personally check out the bus' engine and declare it fit for the road.

VinceClortho

After catching it numerous times before and after, which there were photographs of. Stanfield was actually athletic., surprisingly

The editors at the Star made a choice of which of the photos to run
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Stanfield

"Also during the campaign, a photo of photojournalist Doug Ball showing Stanfield fumbling a football at a stopover became one of the defining images of his career. To this day, Canadian political commentators still point to this incident as one of Canada's foremost examples of "image politics", because the photo was chosen for the front pages of newspapers across Canada even though many other photos of Stanfield catching the same football were also available"

RDB

So next time you're wondering why politicians are so careful and protective of their image . . . look in the mirror you shallow image-obsessed fool, you.

John W.

But journalists don't look back on this incident with a sense of pride or accomplishment. It's seen as more of a shameful episode.

http://intensedebate.com/people/zamprelli4731 Zamprelli

By industry-wide decree, journalists must now use the word "ill-fated" every time they use the words "Liberal bus tour."

Please note that the edicts mandating the consistent and obligatory use of the word "embattled" when referring to Michael Ignatieff or his leadership, and "hapless" when looking back on Stephane Dion or his campaign, are still in full effect.
JamesHalifax

I guess the whiff of sulphur coming off of Harper had an adverse effect upon the chemical makeup of the transmission fluid of Iggy's bus.

Of course……..this just gives Iggy another reason to look down his nose at the "little people" who do such menial work as fix mechanical things.

Thinkers….run for politics………little people…get their hands dirty.

Iggy may now start to realize that not everyone who is useful comes with a degree or rich family pedigree.

Though I doubt he'll catch on in time.

http://intensedebate.com/people/madeyoulook madeyoulook

Uh, hey, James? The bus conked. It was taken for repairs. By someone able to do the repairs. Meanwhile, the politician went about politicking.

How does a mind get from that to "Thinkers….run for politics………little people…get their hands dirty," and its implication that therefore the politician looks down on the repairman?

http://intensedebate.com/people/PeteTong PeteTong

In the video footage you gotta love the way Iggy starts to duck down to get in the car realises the cameras are rolling, turns around and smiles. He wasn't going to give them that shot.

http://intensedebate.com/people/Style Style

He probably got a prompt from one of his associates already in the car. The tour, of course, will train Mr. Ignatieff to think like a natural politician, while also giving him a deep understanding of Canadian culture and Liberal politics. It's a shame nobody thought to get a Liberal leader who already had these attributes…

http://intensedebate.com/people/psiclone psiclone

This is just way too easy .. the stuff writes itself! …. of course the wheels falling off the tour bus on the first day is news and pundits will eat it up .. I mean really folks .. although it has nothing to do with any partisan point of view .. our media on this file are completely open minded and any politician who starts a tour invites the press along and then the tour comes to a grinding halt as the bus pulls over to the side of the road can not complain when the invariable negative press comes along. This is indeed symbolic and oh so appropriate after Iggy himself starts off his new open and high minded and no insult approach to campaigning and then immediately insults not only Harper but everyone who voted for him by labelling them satanists … good grief folks ..

RDB

Well, negative would be one thing, reaching for the narrative imagery is another. But I think that was made clear enough in the post. Reading comp classes, maybe?