The Commons: Who is this man?

By Aaron Wherry - Wednesday, June 17, 2009 at 5:37 PM - 68 Comments

The Scene. Near the end of his visit to the National Press Theatre the other day, having completed his prepared statement and having finished his response to the last of two dozen questions from the assembled reporters, Michael Ignatieff was afforded a chance to make an exit. But he was not ready to leave. He had one last answer. To a question that hadn’t been asked.

“If you’ll allow me to conclude on one note,” he said. “My stake in this is actually proving to Canadians, who are very skeptical about politics and our political system, that we can make this system work for them. That we can hold a government to account, get them to improve their performance, get good government for Canadians. That’s the big prize here actually. Make Canadians feel we got a pretty good system here and it works for Canadians and it delivers results for them. We get that, good result.”

He then turned to his right and walked away from the podium, a pensive look on his face—perhaps considering his own words, perhaps worrying that he’d said something he shouldn’t have, perhaps wondering if he’d made much sense to anyone in the room.

It is dangerous to believe what a politician says, or even to believe that he believes what he says. It is impossible, ultimately, to separate the individual from his stated purpose of persuasion and his unending pursuit of public approval. But it is tempting to believe Mr. Ignatieff genuinely believes this much. If only because, in relative terms, it sounded so odd. So out of sync with everything else, simultaneously quaint and precocious, alluring and disorienting.

Continue…

Don Cherry, conservative icon

By Aaron Wherry - Tuesday, April 7, 2009 at 4:58 PM - 10 Comments

Monte Solberg is a big Coach’s Corner fan.

When Don Cherry talks about the code in hockey fights, he’s talking about a code of honour. When he takes aim at visors, he’s advocating self-discipline and responsibility. When he tells hockey players not to hotdog after a goal he’s preaching humility…

On wintry Saturday nights, in a gloomy and self-absorbed world, Don Cherry stands at the pulpit of hockey and encourages us to be better people, and he reminds us all of what is good and right and just.