John Geddes

 John Geddes

John Geddes writes on politics and policy, with occasional reporting and comment on arts and culture.

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Rossi's leap: in politics, worry is constant, happiness elusive

by John Geddes on Wednesday, February 2, 2011 10:15am - 20 Comments

Interesting to hear former Liberal Rocco Rossi, on announcing that he’s switching teams to run for the Ontario Conservatives, describing the province’s Liberal government as pursuing a “don’t worry, be happy” strategy. That’s supposed to be bad, right? But I looked it up and “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” was a Number 1 single in 1988, and garnered best song, record and male pop vocal Grammys for Bobby McFerrin (who’s gone on to be welcomed as serious fun in interesting places). Not bad. Meanwhile, the provincial Conservatives have seen their polling lead shrink from wide to thin.

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  • Emily

    Rossi just wants to be elected to something…ANYthing.

    After a disasterous, and entirely stupid, run for mayor, he found all the provincial ridings already have Liberal candidates…so the only thing left open is to run for the Cons.

    Probably another bad decision on his part.

  • Richard_S_Argent

    I'm not sure what Rossi is thinking. Last we heard of the former Liberal organizer he was dropping out of the Toronto mayoralty race after running an abysmal (and non-affiliated) campaign where he embarrassingly likened himself to Tony Soprano (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/goodfellas-never-quit-rocco-rossis-team-insists/article1716693/)

    What makes him think that switching to the PC's will help him win a riding that has gone Liberal since it was formed in 1999?

    • Emily

      Yes, that was possibly the worst campaign idea I've ever seen!

      All of the great Italian things he could have linked himself to…if he wanted to do an ethnic campaign in the first place….and he chose Tony Soprano!

      PS…can't get your link to come up

  • tedbetts

    Rossi is ready to pull his weight.

    And if history is any judge, that weight will pull the Hudak-Hillier polling numbers down, just like he did with the federal Liberals (from 30% in 2008 to 24% when he left) and his own election campaign (from 12% when he officially entered the race to 7% when he bowed out of his failed campaign).

    • Blue

      I heard just recently that tedbetts was to blame for the federal Libs polling numbers dropping from 30% to 24%.

      Now that was a downright stupid and foolish statement for me to make.

    • sourstud

      One could just as easily blame Warren Kinsella for each of those failures.

  • Mike T.

    My guess is that he thinks he can ride out a Hudak disaster and cruise to leader of Ontario's natural governing party on a middle of the road platform.

    • Emily

      Ont was PC for 30 years, then a quick switch to Lib, NDP, Con….and now Lib again

  • mhiggins

    I have never gotten the impression that Rocco Rossi cares about public policy.

  • MostlyCivil

    So, instead of the "Don't Worry, be Happy" club, Rossi wants to join the "Details Blurry, But Be Scrappy" group.

    Actually, that second one matches his mayoral campaign pretty well.

  • LdKitchenersOwn

    I completely understand the arguments against a "don't worry, be happy" strategy, however, I still prefer it to the "worry constantly and be miserable" alternative.

  • JamesHalifax

    If I were a Liberal, I'd feel betrayed.

    As for being Conservative…..why accept someone you know is switching sides because he feels he has no choice?

    I've never respected the guy…………..and now I know why. Traitors…..never change.

    • MostlyCivil

      "If I were a Liberal,"

      Couldn't get past that part. Was laughing too hard to read further…

    • Emily

      Yes, the Loose Cannon immediately came to mind….LOL

    • Mike T.

      Traitors…..never change.

      ***
      Makes the idea of Mackay as defence minister chilling, doesn't it?

  • sourstud

    Watching Warren Kinsella lose his marbles over this is just marvelous!

  • Mr Integrity

    Rossi is a turncoat…Never to be trusted again

  • Skinny Dipper

    I would feel kind of queasy having him as my Member of Provincial Parliament.

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