Beyond The Commons

Beyond The Commons

Beyond The Commons

Aaron Wherry covers all the goings-on in and around Parliament Hill. Follow Aaron on Twitter: @aaronwherry

Your dad at a wedding

by Aaron Wherry on Friday, July 30, 2010 9:03am - 0 Comments

And now there is this video (which the Liberals themselves have made available to the world).

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

    Be still my heart!

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

    Really? This is the best we can do on a friday morning?? :P Thanks for the laugh : )

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/Skinny_Dipper Skinny Dipper

    Ignatieff is showing some style! If Harper were to dance, he would probably perform "the robot."

    • Loraine Lamontagne

      To each his own. I find that Harper makes a pretty good imitation of Liberace – he's got the looks, the makeup, the hairdo, he just needs to practise at the keyboard a lot more.

      • Patchouli

        And get a personality. And some sequinned capes.

        • Charles H.

          Baby steps. Baby steps.

          First it was the cowboy hat & vest.
          Then it was the sweater-vest.
          Next time it'll be an ironic ball-cap.
          Then, and only then — once he's loosened up enough — can we move on to the cape.

          So give it two elections.

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

        Plus he wishes his brother George was here…

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

      Harper would have to have a stage, extra makeup, entourage and others doing the dancing to make him look like he's dancing.

      • BCer in Mtl

        He did – remember he was just visiting (TM) India? He was on stage with some Bollywood dancers, and he clapped his hands to the beat when invited to dance.

    • chet

      I guest you missed Harper playing the piano and singing with the help from my friends.

      Well done and full of humility.

      This is just weird.

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

    The look on his face says "I have no idea what I'm doing, but that's okay, this is fun."

    • http://intensedebate.com/people/CTM Claudia Lemire

      I know good for him!

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/Mike514 Mike514

    Maybe he shouldn't have ducked inside for a little powder… that stuff can make you do crazy things.

    • Orson Bean

      Plus if there's tell-tale residue around your nostrils, it makes for a bad photo op.

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

    I wish! maybe the far-better-looking uncle at a wedding.

  • JamesHalifax

    Actually…..he looks like a bit of a doofus.

    I think Iggy is at his phoniest when he's trying to mingle with the "little people" who are not (as he put it) part of the political (ruling) class.

    I would prefer "His Phoniness" stay restricted to when he pretends to know about the average Canadians' concern……..or economics.

    this is just embarrasing.

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

      Wow. Overreact much?

      Long weekend dude, Have a cold one, lighten up.

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

        It's a Reform thing… We wouldn't understand.

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

        There's an ugly colour of green – it's called jealousy. While these petty people are jealous and angry, the one they're jealous of goes on with life and they spend their time in the same spot, being angry, petty, jealous.

        Sad

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

          An unnamed Conservative source reports that Prime Minister Harper is feverishly practicing "the Hustle" in an underground Ottawa bunker.

          • http://intensedebate.com/people/CTM Claudia Lemire

            Hey, he has the right outfit for it : )
            http://impolitical.blogspot.com/2007/10/stephen-h…

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

            I just lost the ability to have children.

          • http://intensedebate.com/people/CTM Claudia Lemire

            Hahaha, another reason to hate SH…

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

            I would have thought line dancing or turkey in the straw would be the choice of the Reformers

  • bennji

    You are so right James – he could have simply slapped on a pastel colored sweeter and saved on the embarrassing dance steps.

    Or, may be instead of holding all these pesky open forums with "ordinary Canadians" he could simply see if Senator Duffy would be available moderate a series of pre-screened questions from high school kids.

    All in all, I am sure that Iggy would like less rigid if only the OLO would agree to flip the bill for a personal stylist.

  • wascally wabbit

    He ain’t THAT bad a dancer – but don’t his handlers realize that something like this is going to pop up in CPC election ads in the fall – it is just too juicy not to throw it up – out of context of course – somewhere?
    Heck – they let him run free like this – but keep the overall thrust of his policies (except for a little vague peekaboo) locked up – in the closet – presumably – because they will be so good the other parties are bound to steal them!
    Er – Mr. Donolo – and all the Earnscliffe gang you have surrounded yourself with in the last while – we don’t CARE whether he can kiss babies and even dance up a storm – we want to know he has the cohones – and the freedom from strings pulling from above – to do something FOR CANADIANS and NOT just for the last gasp of the Liberal party.
    You will gain respect Mr. Ignatieff when you find a way to harness all the close to 70% of Canadians who do not want Mr. Harper to continue governing in his style and following his ideology – and since 45% of them do not want to vote for you at this time – AND ARE UNLIKELY TO CHANGE THEIR MINDS before Mr. Harper forces you (and them) into an election.
    An intelligent politician would assess the situaton as being broader than the purely partisan interests of his party and look for ways to solve problem #1 – removing Mr. Harper – before he considers the longer term job of rebuilding his party!!

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

      I actually agree with most of what you say here, but if you want to hear some policy, I suggest you come out to one of these events. He's telling everyone he meets, highlighting different policy things all the time. He's not hiding it from the media, they just aren't reporting on it very much.

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

        You're right about that. The media are NOT giving us much about policy. What little i could dig up after the first 36 hours had me bothered and annoyed (taxpayer money for the kids to travel and work elsewhere! More taxpayer money for the CBC and the arts! Ugh…).

        Is there a spot, dear Jenn_, on the LPC website tracking (and, ahem, costing) Ignatieff's policy utterances somewhere, so that I may be more, um, comprehensive in my analysis as a voter of his plans for the country?

        • bennji

          I agree, I hope that when the election finally comes that the Liberals are open and transparent with the true costing of their platform.

          If they happen to form the next government, it would be a travesty if they put forward legislation without informing Members of Parliament as to what the true cost will be; http://www.nationalpost.com/story.html?id=2958526

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

            Ya, because Harper's been so good at it……..sigh.

            Harper's like a kid with daddy's credit card (daddy being taxpayers)

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

          My dear MYL, that is a very, very good question. I do not believe it is up as yet, and I believe I know why that is.

          In the spirit of rebuilding our party and reconnecting with the base, the grassroots are very much involved in the policy discussions. I even have a nametag with "policy matters" on it! As you might imagine, it takes time to get everywhere on every major issue. We here in Southwestern Ontario are having another policy meeting within the next two weeks or something (got the invitation today, but without the invitation attached, heh, oops) which will be my fourth. I understand that all policies will be fully costed and I'm sure many of the initiatives have already gone through that procedure.

          It is slow, it is frustrating. But I think it is being done thoroughly and with even me getting some input. I'll let you know if I hear something's posted.

      • John

        Yeah, the libs have been announcing policy like crazy for the last two months. go to their website.

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

      Can't live your life in politics constantly afraid to look goofy. Gilles survived the cheese hat, Harper lived through the Cowboy Pride outfit, and Michael will live through the Gettin' Jiggy with Iggy moment.. The net and cameraphones mean you'd go crazy trying to protect the image 24/7.

      People place too much importance on these small obsessions. Stanfield would have lost the election without the football incident.

      • http://intensedebate.com/people/CTM Claudia Lemire

        I love the "Getting Jiggy with Iggy" , he should get some t shirts and maybe make some money for their party.

        • Mike R

          There are a number of things that politicians should stay away from – dancing, funny hats and animals are the top three. All have the capacity to create embarassment and take away any hope of your message being taken seriously. Youthful political aides are always urging politicians to do something like this because it will be "fun" and show them to be youthful. It seldom works out well.

          At least he didn't put anyone's eye out.

  • Gaunilon

    I guess this is the answer to "I get by with a little help from my friends."

    Dude.

    • http://intensedebate.com/people/CTM Claudia Lemire

      Ignatieff can't compare, Harper really rocked that one!

      Yes Emily, I know you will thumb me down but he was really good!

      • http://intensedebate.com/people/NotStephen Not Stephen Colbert

        Yeah, that was by far the best thing he's done as Prime Minister. Actually, it probably would be even if he were a good Prime Minister.

  • JamesHalifax

    Heck….I don't want to see any politician dancing. What next? The chicken dance while Iggy's "down on the farm?"

    At least Harper has a modicum of talent. (Bob Rae's a trained pianist as well I believe)

    • bennji

      Yup, simply clapping with a stupid grin on your face looks a heck of a lot better
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5p1ppudD30&NR…

      Check out the 11 sec. mark, or fearless leader is even challenged in walking upright.

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

        If not staged, Harper doesn't cut it…..walks/TRIPS on stage and claps – wow

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

      You claim to know about piano talent, yet you keep hitting the same note over and over…

      Beer. Patio. Ladies in shorts. Answer the long weekend call. Ottawa will be there on Tuesday.

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

      That puky jealousy green doesn't look good on you. I was forced on every news channel and newspaper to see paper mache Harper play that piano.

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/CTM Claudia Lemire

    Mandatory Jedi is right, he does look like Jar Jar Binks ; )

  • chet

    Forced and creepy.

  • Dee

    I'd like to see Stephen "Freezer-Hair" Harper bust a move like Iggy. Steve dancing Caribana-style? "Does not compute… does not compute…!!"

  • knick

    The Harper party would do well to consider the fallout from trying to make this clip another 'poopin' puffin' style attack ad. The Caribana folks might not appreciate the humour.

    • knick

      oops, did it again – that should have gone here: wascally wabbit · 21 hours ago

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

    I think he's genuinely enjoying himself and Carolyn Bennet is enjoying herself as well. But regardless of how well he can appear genuine participating in summer fun activities, I don't know what his vision for Canada is and I don't find his leadership style particularly appealing. But I'm a huge Mike Harris fan waiting for a Mike Harris-type to appear on the federal scence which is rarity I'm sure on the macleans comment boards.

  • Ariadne

    Common people, don't be too uptight, let him have some fun!

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