Cheerleading Stephen Harper
Before I forget: Stephen Harper held his first press conference in months yesterday. It was excellent. He was forthright, articulate and intelligent. At the risk of alienating lots and lots of young left leaning readers, I have to tell you that Harper is my favorite Prime Minister in many years - which isnt to say I'm thrilled with everything he is doing. It just means I'm even less thrilled with many of his predecessors.
For those that now want to wretch, cast aside any ideological blinders you might possess and find a way to watch yesterday's press conference (this is all I've found so far. Can't find a video link.) Afterwards watch George W. Bush in action. Then count your blessings as Canadians.
My order of favorite recent PMs so you can have some context
1) Mulroney - Free Trade Agreement, Doing a lot of the heavy deficit lifting that Martin got to take credit for. Noble if misguided attempts to fix the structural problems in the country with Meech and Charlottetown. Deserves a lot more credit than he gets and pretty much none of the hate.
2) Trudeau - Charter of Rights, a winning Yes referendum, nipping FLQ terrorism in the bud. All of this trumps the bad economics and the NEP.
3) Harper - Its only been a year. Its the way he handles his office and issues that truly impresses me. His command of his files and his desire to steer the country is truly impressive. With more time and more cabinet talent I think he would rise in the rankings for me. As a person he exceeds Mulroney and matches Trudeau in my opinion. He just doesnt have the achievements necessary to justify a higher ranking. Its funny how he is getting killed on the environment file after doing more than the Liberals ever did. More on that another time though.
4) Pearson - Nobel Prize Winner. Put Canada on the Global map. Need more be said?
5) Chretien - good politician, but nothing very memorable in the way of policy until the legacy agenda of the last 18 months. Biggest accomplishments were winning elections and the deficit cutting credit he needs to share with Martin and Mulroney.
6) MacKenzie King - Successful PM, but ever so crazy.
7) Clark - I have met Clark on numerous occasions. I'm sure he has his good points. Honest.
Confuses intractability with integrity.
8) Diefenbaker - You were a grand old campaigner sir, but you were crazy.
9) Martin - Let me be VERY CLEAR. It is my TOP PRIORITY to mention that you are not one of my favorites. Loved you as finance minister just like everyone else did.
10) Turner - He may have made a fine PM but he really didn't get any chance to demonstrate that.
11) Kim Campbell - sorry Kim, I actually almost forgot to add you to the list.
5 comments:
....Save the free trade agreement...
....save the world.
Good Lord Cory, Harper? Let's review: this is the man who said he was going to reform the Senate and then appointed one in order to give him a Cabinet post; the same man who also said that all committee Chairs would be elected and then nominated all of them his first couple of weeks; the same man who appointed a Montreal party fundraiser with no previous experience to head up PWGSC, one of the most difficult and corrupting of posts; the man who distains the press like a 19th Century lumber baron; the man who re-opened the same-sex marriage debate despite THREE previous votes--that Harper? Does anyone remember this guy's campaign of democratic reform and government accountability enough to review the delta between talk and action?
Yep, Andrew. Sorry. I love Harper.
1) He's still reforming the senate. 2) Senators in cabinet is not new. 3) Fortier will run in the next election. 4) But it really is necessary to have Montreal represented in Cabinet. 5) He didnt appoint Fortier because he's a crony. Harper's not exactly down with the nepotism. Everything he is doing demonstrates a commitment to clean government 6) If previous policy experience is the test of a cabinet minister, most of them need to resign. If its previous political experience they need, Fortier has loads. 7)There's no evidence of corruption whatsoever. 8) if anything the accountability act is too rigid and imposes too many restrictions on government officials in order to keep them accountable. 9) See my position on same sex marriage above, but understand that Harper isnt actually a Social Conservative. He's a pure economist, who knows he has so-cons in his coalition that need to be appeased. If you havent noticed, he's giving them the very bare minimum. I know they've noticed. They are grumbling about him regularly. But the man wouldn't do the country one bit of good by ignoring them and causing a new schism on the right. He has now managed to a) put the issue to bed b) appease his so-cons c)and not split the party. Smart Leader. Good Leader. 10) Hating the Ottawa Press Gallery as a Conservative Prime Minister isnt paranoid. Its just smart. He's managed in one fell swoop to give himself more control over his communications and to taint any negative stories about him. The press in an effort to prove him wrong are bending over backwards to play fair. It also isnt only Conservatives that do it. His behavior is, dare we say it, positively Trudeau-esque.
Harper wants to accomplish a long term political goal along with many long term policy goals. He wants to end the domination of the Liberals as the natural governing party. Personally, I think thats very good for the country. I don't like natural governing parties, no matter who they are.
Longest. Comment rebuttal. Evar.
Wheeeeee!!!
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