Citizen Black + Interpretive Dancers = Vindication?

Check this out:

This morning on the bus, I find the following newslet in this morning's Metro

CHICAGO -- When Conrad Black sits before the jury that will decide his fate on fraud charges, observers say his lawyers likely want him facing artists, writers and others who "see nuance," rather than blue-collar workers with a firm faith in the chain of command. Prosecutors will be looking for "law-and-order, follow-the-rules type\ s who also believe in chain of command and that the buck stops at the top." (Here's a link to a longer version I found later in the London Free Press)

I almost laughed out loud in my seat. I've been a proponent of the belief that Conrad Black has been getting a raw deal for some time now. But if this is his defence teams jury strategy then it may be about to get rawer (yep, I know that it isn't a word. thanks.) Conrad Black is a bete noir to the left. Artists and writers are almost uniformly leftist. They have absolutely no history of seeing nuance when thinking about class struggle and rich grumpy looking old men who remind them of robber baron villains and trophy wives who've been recently painted as Imelda Marcos lite.

And who said blue collar people don't see nuance? There are an AWFUL LOT of blue collar people out there and an AWFUL LOT of them have no problem seeing nuance. Maybe these lawyers should meet some.

Finally, WWHD gentlemen. What Would Howard Roarke Do? I don't call myself a Randian anymore (I guess I'm a lawyer who can't help seeing nuances) but there is a scene near the end of The Fountainhead that might prove instructive.

Alright - I'm being a little cheeky with that last part - but suffice it to say, this jury strategy - as articulated in the press - seems dodgy. Looking for people who see nuance is quite wise - but an attempt to find nuanced people based on their profession and with no mind to their ideological prejudices could easily backfire. It is so dodgy in fact, that I doubt that his incredibly competent and well remunerated team has such a simple minded strategy. Methinks the observers may be moderately off base.

But hey - what do I know? That Rona Ambrose decision of the PM seems to have turned out just fine for him - contrary to what I would have had you believe . She's snug as a bug in a rug and quiet as a church mouse (and as comfortable as a folksy old cliche?).