The world is headed in the wrong direction. It's getting really scary. I don't know if North Korea has the capability to launch nuclear missiles. I hope they don't but let's be honest, we really don't know what capabilities are in their arsenal.
North Korea is not an open player in the global community. They spew out a lot of propaganda which is so blatantly over the top, it's hard to know what actual technologies are at the North Korean regime's disposal.
Here's the thing, I don't think that North Korea is the biggest wild card.
Donald Trump is not doing a very good job of being President of the United States of America. He cannot seem to get any of his legislative agenda moving. He is losing the faith of the Republicans in the House of Representatives. It has be making him question himself. However, just because it's going poorly, you don't try to pick a fight with North Korea.
The 'Fire and Fury' rhetoric has got to go. It does not make President Trump or his nation look strong. In fact it makes them look weak. President Trump looks like the kid who was bullied and all of a sudden his parents won the lottery. Now he feels like he can say and do what he wants.
Blunt force democracy can work in some situations. When you are dealing with simple people on simple issues, you can simply force things through. The world of geo-political posturing is much too complex and much too important to be handled with blunt Trump diplomacy.
Donald Trump won the general election by using a very simple message to a very specific audience. That's what the Trump Organization is good at. They know a lot about branding. Most of the products with the Trump name on them are licensing deals. They come from the world of hype. They really don't spend a lot of time operating entities. I'm not saying they don't run anything but they put their name on a lot more than they operate themselves.
The world needs President Trump to dial it back, take a measured approach, listen to the experts and most importantly, delete his Twitter account. He can't be spewing any more garbage. Everything coming out the White House needs to be reviewed and vetted. It needs to go through all the experts.
That's the first step.
Next, America needs a new President before the next election. That's all I can really say about that.
The world needs to chill out, especially Mr Trump. If we are not careful, we are all going to pay dearly.
Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
Saturday, August 12, 2017
Monday, November 21, 2016
What We Have to Do to Prevent Another Trump
It really bothers me that Donald Trump could use a platform of fear and hate to become President of the United States of America. We can't let it happen again. However, I get how it happened.
I truly believe that most of the people who voted for him are not bigots. I truly believe they feel trapped in the current version of America. The other option spoke about continuing the good work that President Obama has started. That will not inspire someone to vote for you who wants change. The only road to improvement goes through change. We must remember this.
America, this is what you have to do.
1. Vote. For a nation that talks a lot about democracy, you really don't practice it. You only get about half of your eligible voters to vote. This changes your strategy to win. If three quarters of your population voted every time because it is important and did not need to be motivated to get out and vote, you would see different platforms and different results. If you know most people are going to vote, now you need a platform that appeals to at least half of your eligible voters.
2. Speak to the majority as well as the minority. Both sides of the aisle stopped listening to and asking about white working class voters. I truly believe most don't mind if other people do well but, if it feels like everyone but you is getting some help, eventually you are going to do something drastic to shake things up.
3. Simplify the message. There is a lot of clutter out there. People are working hard to grab your attention. People don't want to feel like they don't understand. People want to receive communication is a manner that they understand. As much as Trump's message was short on substance, it was simple and it spoke to a lot of people.
America, you have made a real mess. It didn't start when Donald Trump announced he was running for President. It didn't start this century. This has been building for a long time and finally it came to a head. Too many people who thought they were smart stopped listening to a lot of people who have just as much say in the general election as they do. They didn't break down the message into easy to understand and digestible bites. They dismissed millions of people as insignificant. Look what happened. A guy who knows how to reach people came along with a very simple message and won it all. He used the establishments perceived strengths against them. He spoke directly to the people. He used consumer data to understand what mattered to them. He went to them. He didn't ask them to come to him. He sold ball caps to people who wear ball caps and he wore one as well. He knew what he was doing and the other side didn't even notice. It was in plain sight. He didn't hide it.
So, what we have to do is, listen. We have to listen to the minorities. We have to listen to what may be perceived as the ideal. I know a lot of people think life is easy if you are a white man in America. It may be true but it really doesn't matter if you feel like things are not going well. You only know your own experiences and we have to listen to everyone's experiences. We have to acknowledge their problems because they are real to the person facing them.
Someone else is going to try and do what Trump did, and their agenda may be much more evil than his. We need to prevent this from resulting in the next guy's success.
I truly believe that most of the people who voted for him are not bigots. I truly believe they feel trapped in the current version of America. The other option spoke about continuing the good work that President Obama has started. That will not inspire someone to vote for you who wants change. The only road to improvement goes through change. We must remember this.
America, this is what you have to do.
1. Vote. For a nation that talks a lot about democracy, you really don't practice it. You only get about half of your eligible voters to vote. This changes your strategy to win. If three quarters of your population voted every time because it is important and did not need to be motivated to get out and vote, you would see different platforms and different results. If you know most people are going to vote, now you need a platform that appeals to at least half of your eligible voters.
2. Speak to the majority as well as the minority. Both sides of the aisle stopped listening to and asking about white working class voters. I truly believe most don't mind if other people do well but, if it feels like everyone but you is getting some help, eventually you are going to do something drastic to shake things up.
3. Simplify the message. There is a lot of clutter out there. People are working hard to grab your attention. People don't want to feel like they don't understand. People want to receive communication is a manner that they understand. As much as Trump's message was short on substance, it was simple and it spoke to a lot of people.
America, you have made a real mess. It didn't start when Donald Trump announced he was running for President. It didn't start this century. This has been building for a long time and finally it came to a head. Too many people who thought they were smart stopped listening to a lot of people who have just as much say in the general election as they do. They didn't break down the message into easy to understand and digestible bites. They dismissed millions of people as insignificant. Look what happened. A guy who knows how to reach people came along with a very simple message and won it all. He used the establishments perceived strengths against them. He spoke directly to the people. He used consumer data to understand what mattered to them. He went to them. He didn't ask them to come to him. He sold ball caps to people who wear ball caps and he wore one as well. He knew what he was doing and the other side didn't even notice. It was in plain sight. He didn't hide it.
So, what we have to do is, listen. We have to listen to the minorities. We have to listen to what may be perceived as the ideal. I know a lot of people think life is easy if you are a white man in America. It may be true but it really doesn't matter if you feel like things are not going well. You only know your own experiences and we have to listen to everyone's experiences. We have to acknowledge their problems because they are real to the person facing them.
Someone else is going to try and do what Trump did, and their agenda may be much more evil than his. We need to prevent this from resulting in the next guy's success.
Sunday, October 9, 2016
It's Her Judgement
In Canada we are celebrating Thanksgiving this week-end. I am most thankful that I do not have to make a choice in the US Presidential Election.
Trump is not fit for the job, he keeps digging a deeper and deeper hole. Hillary Clinton should be running away with it but she isn't. I don't like her either but, I've never really been able to put my finger on why. She has the right education and experience. President Obama has even declared that she's the most qualified candidate ever. That's high praise from the guy currently doing the job. The thing is, a lot of people don't like her.
This week I figured it out, at least for me.
Keep in mind, I have no dog in the fight. I'm Canadian.
With all her experience and education, Hillary Rodham Clinton lacks judgement. She lacks the fortitude and foresight to see how her actions can be seen. She does not make the right decision. Don't worry, I have examples.
There is that email scandal that just won't go away. At the time she was Secretary of State, there was a policy that all official email must use the government system. This is common for most organizations. It's hard to believe that she didn't know the policy. She chose to operate outside the policy and her defence has primarily consisted of stating that others were also doing it. She says it wasn't that uncommon at the time to use your own email server. This is not the judgement of a leader. A leader would use the proper system, even if it was inconvenient. A leader would also help to make the system better for everyone. She didn't take this approach.
I recently read a profile about Secretary Clinton and it mentioned how that even before she married Bill, she knew he liked attention from women. I can't speak to why each couple decides to marry or why they choose to stay together but she married a philanderer and stayed with him after multiple instances of infidelity. She married a man that many people knew wouldn't be faithful. This begs the question as to why? I believe it's a lust for power. She is giving up a lot to try to be president. She just won't admit it publicly. I think if she said she was with Bill for the power, people would accept it. Her talking about families just comes off as fake, at least to me. She doesn't come from a place where she can talk about the sanctity of the family unit, at least to me.
Hillary Clinton lacks judgement. These are two examples but once you know what you are looking at, you can find more.
When it comes to the options out there, She is the best of a bad group. Nobody should vote for Trump. I hope she wins, not because I want her to be President but because I really don't want her opponent to hold the keys to that kingdom, even if they hate the idea of a King.
Trump is not fit for the job, he keeps digging a deeper and deeper hole. Hillary Clinton should be running away with it but she isn't. I don't like her either but, I've never really been able to put my finger on why. She has the right education and experience. President Obama has even declared that she's the most qualified candidate ever. That's high praise from the guy currently doing the job. The thing is, a lot of people don't like her.
This week I figured it out, at least for me.
Keep in mind, I have no dog in the fight. I'm Canadian.
With all her experience and education, Hillary Rodham Clinton lacks judgement. She lacks the fortitude and foresight to see how her actions can be seen. She does not make the right decision. Don't worry, I have examples.
There is that email scandal that just won't go away. At the time she was Secretary of State, there was a policy that all official email must use the government system. This is common for most organizations. It's hard to believe that she didn't know the policy. She chose to operate outside the policy and her defence has primarily consisted of stating that others were also doing it. She says it wasn't that uncommon at the time to use your own email server. This is not the judgement of a leader. A leader would use the proper system, even if it was inconvenient. A leader would also help to make the system better for everyone. She didn't take this approach.
I recently read a profile about Secretary Clinton and it mentioned how that even before she married Bill, she knew he liked attention from women. I can't speak to why each couple decides to marry or why they choose to stay together but she married a philanderer and stayed with him after multiple instances of infidelity. She married a man that many people knew wouldn't be faithful. This begs the question as to why? I believe it's a lust for power. She is giving up a lot to try to be president. She just won't admit it publicly. I think if she said she was with Bill for the power, people would accept it. Her talking about families just comes off as fake, at least to me. She doesn't come from a place where she can talk about the sanctity of the family unit, at least to me.
Hillary Clinton lacks judgement. These are two examples but once you know what you are looking at, you can find more.
When it comes to the options out there, She is the best of a bad group. Nobody should vote for Trump. I hope she wins, not because I want her to be President but because I really don't want her opponent to hold the keys to that kingdom, even if they hate the idea of a King.
Monday, September 26, 2016
Justin, You are Slipping
So I'm not sure which is worse, having a toddler rebuff your high-five or telling his parents, "Let's get this over with," as they line up for a photo. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, had both of these happen to him this weekend while meeting with Prince William and his lovely wife Kate in Victoria BC.
I can let the toddler thing slip. It's a cute, fun antic dote. It's a story they can all tell when they are old and sitting around. However, to say such a thing to the future King of Canada, after you specifically invited him and his family to visit your country is simply unacceptable.
Here's the thing, photo ops are all the Liberal government really does. It's the Prime Minister's specialty. That being said, he often likes to take his shirt off and that really would have been out of place in this instance.
I would understand that if the Prime Minister was busy passing legislation he may want to rush through this encounter however, as the Globe and Mail reported last week, since taking power, the Liberal Government has passed ten (10) bills into law. That is not a typo, ten.
This is hardly the work of an activist government.
People are starting to notice. Mr Trudeau was a media darling when he was elected and now the press is starting to ask question. They don't really know why a majority government isn't really doing anything. They aren't seeing the words and actions lining up. Why has the United States of America and China ratified the climate change accord that was agreed to in Paris last year when our Prime Minister walked in, said Canada is back and declared we would be taking a leadership position on climate change? Maybe he should have been paying attention to what was going on instead of taking selfies.
Canadians elected a party without a recent track record. It's hard to judge what someone will do when they really haven't done much. It looks like a lot of Canadians were duped.
With the Conservative Party of Canada and the New Democratic Party taking their time choosing a new leader, you would think it would be clear sailing for the Liberals to reset Canada to what they want. However, they are taking pictures and well, I'm not sure what else.
Mr Trudeau, it's only a matter of time before a majority of Canadians see how little you are doing for them. Of course this is often the result of being elected because of what you are not instead of what you are.
I can let the toddler thing slip. It's a cute, fun antic dote. It's a story they can all tell when they are old and sitting around. However, to say such a thing to the future King of Canada, after you specifically invited him and his family to visit your country is simply unacceptable.
Here's the thing, photo ops are all the Liberal government really does. It's the Prime Minister's specialty. That being said, he often likes to take his shirt off and that really would have been out of place in this instance.
I would understand that if the Prime Minister was busy passing legislation he may want to rush through this encounter however, as the Globe and Mail reported last week, since taking power, the Liberal Government has passed ten (10) bills into law. That is not a typo, ten.
This is hardly the work of an activist government.
People are starting to notice. Mr Trudeau was a media darling when he was elected and now the press is starting to ask question. They don't really know why a majority government isn't really doing anything. They aren't seeing the words and actions lining up. Why has the United States of America and China ratified the climate change accord that was agreed to in Paris last year when our Prime Minister walked in, said Canada is back and declared we would be taking a leadership position on climate change? Maybe he should have been paying attention to what was going on instead of taking selfies.
Canadians elected a party without a recent track record. It's hard to judge what someone will do when they really haven't done much. It looks like a lot of Canadians were duped.
With the Conservative Party of Canada and the New Democratic Party taking their time choosing a new leader, you would think it would be clear sailing for the Liberals to reset Canada to what they want. However, they are taking pictures and well, I'm not sure what else.
Mr Trudeau, it's only a matter of time before a majority of Canadians see how little you are doing for them. Of course this is often the result of being elected because of what you are not instead of what you are.
Friday, May 20, 2016
Elbowgate
On May 18, 2016 the Prime Minister of Canada briskly walked across the house of commons to grab the arm of the Opposition Whip and in the process, elbowed another opposition Member of Parliament in the chest. She was surprised and he didn't mean to hit her. He has since issued the requisite apology.
The New Democrats have gone on a big rampage about how this is workplace violence against women. It isn't. He didn't mean to hit her. She was not targeted because she was a woman. It was an unfortunate incident. He meant no harm. This is the hoopla surrounding the incident however the real issue is deeper.
There were ten votes scheduled for that evening. It was going to take a while to get through them all. Votes do not normally start until both the Government and Opposition Whips are in their seats. (That being said, you can start a vote when only the Government Whip is seated.) There were a few New Democratic Party Members of Parliament impeding the progress of the Conservative Party of Canada Member of Parliament who acts at the Opposition Whip. This delayed the start of voting.
This is political gamesmanship. Every party does it. Using procedure to make a point happens in every government around the world.
The House of Commons is a stage. It is a scripted pageant. Most of the real work happens behind the scenes. Members stand up and say things that result in clapping and booing. The opposition uses procedure to make their point, knowing that the government has the votes to do what they want. They do their best to hold the government to account. Some of it seems petty like slowing someone from getting to their seat. It can be frustrating but, it is known to be part of the game. These things happen and you move on.
Except Prime Minister Trudeau didn't just let it happen.
He got out of his seat and headed over to physically help the Whip get to his seat. This is where he messed up.
Only six months into a four year mandate the Prime Minister has been tripped up by gamesmanship. He has sent out a notice that he can be rattled in a public forum. He can let his frustration boil over and react to the games that inherently come with his job.
What is even more damaging is he ran on a platform which included a more inclusive House of Commons and better decorum.
Because he let his emotions get the better of him he inadvertently struck a woman on the floor of the House of Commons. This is not very good optics for a man who makes claims to being a feminist.
By acting without thinking, the Prime Minister has put a target on his back. He can't afford another incident like this. This opens the door to ramping up the games in the House of Commons. He can't react. He has to behave above reproach. He's given away a lot of power. His ability to get things done has taken a big step back.
The discreet act of hiking across the floor wasn't so bad but all the fallout he is going to suffer because of it may severely hamper his ability to deliver on an ambition mandate. He didn't rave much of a record when he came into office but he is building one now, even if it isn't the one he wants.
The New Democrats have gone on a big rampage about how this is workplace violence against women. It isn't. He didn't mean to hit her. She was not targeted because she was a woman. It was an unfortunate incident. He meant no harm. This is the hoopla surrounding the incident however the real issue is deeper.
There were ten votes scheduled for that evening. It was going to take a while to get through them all. Votes do not normally start until both the Government and Opposition Whips are in their seats. (That being said, you can start a vote when only the Government Whip is seated.) There were a few New Democratic Party Members of Parliament impeding the progress of the Conservative Party of Canada Member of Parliament who acts at the Opposition Whip. This delayed the start of voting.
This is political gamesmanship. Every party does it. Using procedure to make a point happens in every government around the world.
The House of Commons is a stage. It is a scripted pageant. Most of the real work happens behind the scenes. Members stand up and say things that result in clapping and booing. The opposition uses procedure to make their point, knowing that the government has the votes to do what they want. They do their best to hold the government to account. Some of it seems petty like slowing someone from getting to their seat. It can be frustrating but, it is known to be part of the game. These things happen and you move on.
Except Prime Minister Trudeau didn't just let it happen.
He got out of his seat and headed over to physically help the Whip get to his seat. This is where he messed up.
Only six months into a four year mandate the Prime Minister has been tripped up by gamesmanship. He has sent out a notice that he can be rattled in a public forum. He can let his frustration boil over and react to the games that inherently come with his job.
What is even more damaging is he ran on a platform which included a more inclusive House of Commons and better decorum.
Because he let his emotions get the better of him he inadvertently struck a woman on the floor of the House of Commons. This is not very good optics for a man who makes claims to being a feminist.
By acting without thinking, the Prime Minister has put a target on his back. He can't afford another incident like this. This opens the door to ramping up the games in the House of Commons. He can't react. He has to behave above reproach. He's given away a lot of power. His ability to get things done has taken a big step back.
The discreet act of hiking across the floor wasn't so bad but all the fallout he is going to suffer because of it may severely hamper his ability to deliver on an ambition mandate. He didn't rave much of a record when he came into office but he is building one now, even if it isn't the one he wants.
Saturday, December 20, 2014
I Don't Know
If we had a Canadian federal election today, I have no idea who I would vote for. I know who I would not vote for, the New Democratic Party. I am not a socialist and I think their policies would slow development in Canada. I'm sure many of the party faithful are nice people but I live in a nation where it is ok to disagree on how to run the country and when it comes to Canada, I have and most likely will always disagree with the NDP.
Here's the thing, I'm not a card carrying member of any political party but I vote. Like many with no affiliation in Canada I am starting to get Harper fatigue. I don't think he has done a bad job but he's been the Prime Minister for a long time and a change is nice from time to time. It keeps things balanced. That being said, I am not getting swept up in any sort of Trudeaumania 2.0 and as time passes, I'm questioning his ability to be an effective Prime Minister on the national and more importantly international stage.
It isn't the Conservative Party's attack ads. It isn't anything from either propaganda machine. It is simply a feeling that if I had to step behind the cardboard stand, I don't know if I could make a choice.
The Conservatives have been faced with and made some very difficult fiscal decisions and I think that despite what a lot of people may think, the quality of life of the average Canadian is better for it. However, I'm not entirely a dollars and cents kind of guy and some of the cuts have come to programs that provide unique benefits to the community. We can live without them but do we want to?
I don't know what the Liberals stand for these days. They are not saying a lot of concrete things, but they have a very small presence in the House of Commons so they don't really have to say much. I'm sure as the next general election moves closer, they will have something to say. A lot of their popularity seems to be coming from charisma and floppy hair. I hope they are cooking up something a bit better than that for the long haul. They have made some mistakes, to the level that some people have publicly torn up their Liberal Party of Canada membership cards. That's never a good sign and I'm sure it will be brought up in the weeks before we go to vote. You can't give your political opponents those types of moments, especially if they are known for running attack ads.
I don't know if the Liberals were justified in not permitting some people to seek candidacy in specific ridings but if you are going to declare open and transparent nominations in all ridings, it should look like open and transparent nominations. Again, that is low hanging fruit for your opponents. If you can't keep your own house in order how can you run the country?
Ultimately someone will earn my vote. A lot will happen between now and the day we do vote in Canada and my choice will become clear. At least I hope it does, because nobody is impressing me now.
Here's the thing, I'm not a card carrying member of any political party but I vote. Like many with no affiliation in Canada I am starting to get Harper fatigue. I don't think he has done a bad job but he's been the Prime Minister for a long time and a change is nice from time to time. It keeps things balanced. That being said, I am not getting swept up in any sort of Trudeaumania 2.0 and as time passes, I'm questioning his ability to be an effective Prime Minister on the national and more importantly international stage.
It isn't the Conservative Party's attack ads. It isn't anything from either propaganda machine. It is simply a feeling that if I had to step behind the cardboard stand, I don't know if I could make a choice.
The Conservatives have been faced with and made some very difficult fiscal decisions and I think that despite what a lot of people may think, the quality of life of the average Canadian is better for it. However, I'm not entirely a dollars and cents kind of guy and some of the cuts have come to programs that provide unique benefits to the community. We can live without them but do we want to?
I don't know what the Liberals stand for these days. They are not saying a lot of concrete things, but they have a very small presence in the House of Commons so they don't really have to say much. I'm sure as the next general election moves closer, they will have something to say. A lot of their popularity seems to be coming from charisma and floppy hair. I hope they are cooking up something a bit better than that for the long haul. They have made some mistakes, to the level that some people have publicly torn up their Liberal Party of Canada membership cards. That's never a good sign and I'm sure it will be brought up in the weeks before we go to vote. You can't give your political opponents those types of moments, especially if they are known for running attack ads.
I don't know if the Liberals were justified in not permitting some people to seek candidacy in specific ridings but if you are going to declare open and transparent nominations in all ridings, it should look like open and transparent nominations. Again, that is low hanging fruit for your opponents. If you can't keep your own house in order how can you run the country?
Ultimately someone will earn my vote. A lot will happen between now and the day we do vote in Canada and my choice will become clear. At least I hope it does, because nobody is impressing me now.
Sunday, April 14, 2013
A New Trudeau
I don't know who I'm going to vote for in the next Canadian federal election. It's still over two years away and a lot can change between now and then. That being said, The Liberal Party of Canada has chosen Justin Trudeau as it's new leader.
I'm not sure what to expect from this. I have been disappointed by the Liberals for a long time. Stefane Dion was not a good choice for the leader. I'm sure he is a nice man and tries to do his best but I could not support the idea of him being the face of Canada in the international community. Michael Ignatieff treated the Liberal Party like a hobby. I didn't like him either.
So far, Justin Trudeau has not alienated me.
There are some things he has going for him. This may sound trivial but he has great hair. It matters in a business that image matters so much. He can give a speech, also very important in politics. Those two things along with his famous father give him star power. Again this is important in politics.
He can start to remake the image of the Liberal Party. Right now, they seem like an old and stogy party. Trudeau is a young 41 and he may be able to get younger Canadians excited about politics. He may be able to make things that matter to people under 40 a priority.
There are still a lot of questions about the man. He hasn't said a lot about what he would do if he was running the country. He may have great ideas, he may not. Today we just don't know.
It's too early to tell if Justin Trudeau can fix what's ailing in the Liberal Party of Canada. It's too early to see if they can become a credible alternative for Canadian. If I can give him one piece of advice, drop the "Canada's natural ruling party' rhetoric, That doesn't sit well with anyone but card carrying Liberals and there are not enough of those to win the election.
I'm not sure what to expect from this. I have been disappointed by the Liberals for a long time. Stefane Dion was not a good choice for the leader. I'm sure he is a nice man and tries to do his best but I could not support the idea of him being the face of Canada in the international community. Michael Ignatieff treated the Liberal Party like a hobby. I didn't like him either.
So far, Justin Trudeau has not alienated me.
There are some things he has going for him. This may sound trivial but he has great hair. It matters in a business that image matters so much. He can give a speech, also very important in politics. Those two things along with his famous father give him star power. Again this is important in politics.
He can start to remake the image of the Liberal Party. Right now, they seem like an old and stogy party. Trudeau is a young 41 and he may be able to get younger Canadians excited about politics. He may be able to make things that matter to people under 40 a priority.
There are still a lot of questions about the man. He hasn't said a lot about what he would do if he was running the country. He may have great ideas, he may not. Today we just don't know.
It's too early to tell if Justin Trudeau can fix what's ailing in the Liberal Party of Canada. It's too early to see if they can become a credible alternative for Canadian. If I can give him one piece of advice, drop the "Canada's natural ruling party' rhetoric, That doesn't sit well with anyone but card carrying Liberals and there are not enough of those to win the election.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Ralph
I never lived in Alberta but I know a lot of people that do or have at some point in their life. Many of them lived there when Ralph Klein was Premier of that province. The sometimes bombastic and off the cuff politician passed away a couple of days ago. I hadn't thought about him or how he was so unique for a while but this is a good time to review why he was so unique.
The thing that I liked about King Ralph was he allowed us to see his human side. He made human mistakes, some of them were embarrassing. Somehow he was always forgiven, at least by most.
Politics is a dirty game where image can often overshadow substance. It often doesn't matter if you have a better idea, it only matters that you appear to be squeaky clean. This is the disturbing part, since everyone knows that politicians do not get to where they are by being squeaky clean.
Ralph was a bit of an open book. he let us in and we could see his failings. He had a couple, mostly brought on by his love of fun.
I don't know if there will ever be another character in politics like Ralph. Today's climate will not allow for it. It's too easy to know what the public wants and people are too willing to deliver the image.
In the same vein, a while back, I was watching The Late Show with David Letterman. Alec Baldwin was the guest and New York City had just had one of its crises. Dave asked Alec if he wanted to be the mayor of New York City. Alec replied that he would want the job but not do what you have to do to get the job. This points out how people just don't want to touch politics because you can't be yourself and if you are yourself, you may not be around too long. Ralph was the exception to that rule. He was beloved in Calgary for being himself.
Ralph Klein was an original and maybe the last real person in politics.
The thing that I liked about King Ralph was he allowed us to see his human side. He made human mistakes, some of them were embarrassing. Somehow he was always forgiven, at least by most.
Politics is a dirty game where image can often overshadow substance. It often doesn't matter if you have a better idea, it only matters that you appear to be squeaky clean. This is the disturbing part, since everyone knows that politicians do not get to where they are by being squeaky clean.
Ralph was a bit of an open book. he let us in and we could see his failings. He had a couple, mostly brought on by his love of fun.
I don't know if there will ever be another character in politics like Ralph. Today's climate will not allow for it. It's too easy to know what the public wants and people are too willing to deliver the image.
In the same vein, a while back, I was watching The Late Show with David Letterman. Alec Baldwin was the guest and New York City had just had one of its crises. Dave asked Alec if he wanted to be the mayor of New York City. Alec replied that he would want the job but not do what you have to do to get the job. This points out how people just don't want to touch politics because you can't be yourself and if you are yourself, you may not be around too long. Ralph was the exception to that rule. He was beloved in Calgary for being himself.
Ralph Klein was an original and maybe the last real person in politics.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Trudeau-maybe-a
As it has been reported by every news agency in the country, Justin Trudeau has indicated that he will be seeking the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada. I for one think this is a good thing. That being said, he hasn't won it yet and has no record as the leader of any political party.
I still think its a good thing.
He's got a few things going for him. He has brand recognition. His father ran the country. Despite some blunders like fuddy-duddy, he did fairly well. He is young, fit, energetic, charismatic, and has good hair. Lets be honest, at the end of the day elections are just popularity contests. You are not vetted based on your knowledge, skills, abilities, or effort. You simply have to be either the most liked or the least hated person on the ticket and you are in. When Justin Trudeau walks into a room people notice. It gives him a chance to share his ideas.
The most important point in my eyes is, at least today, he comes across as someone you would be comfortable to have as the nation's leader in the international area. I think a lot of good hard-working people who ran for the Liberals in the last two election did not win based on their credential but because a lot of people did not see the leader of the party as a good person to be the leader of the country in the international area. Remember, an election is a popularity contest and those leaders were not very popular.
I'm not saying I'll vote for the Liberals in the next election if Justin Trudeau is leading the charge but I'm not saying I'll vote against them either. In the era of the internet it's easy to get info on all the candidates and as always I will do my research and see who has the answers I want on the issues that matter to me. However, if Justin Trudeau brings his A-game, I'm sure the Liberals will have a fighting chance and the discussion will be a lot more interesting.
I still think its a good thing.
He's got a few things going for him. He has brand recognition. His father ran the country. Despite some blunders like fuddy-duddy, he did fairly well. He is young, fit, energetic, charismatic, and has good hair. Lets be honest, at the end of the day elections are just popularity contests. You are not vetted based on your knowledge, skills, abilities, or effort. You simply have to be either the most liked or the least hated person on the ticket and you are in. When Justin Trudeau walks into a room people notice. It gives him a chance to share his ideas.
The most important point in my eyes is, at least today, he comes across as someone you would be comfortable to have as the nation's leader in the international area. I think a lot of good hard-working people who ran for the Liberals in the last two election did not win based on their credential but because a lot of people did not see the leader of the party as a good person to be the leader of the country in the international area. Remember, an election is a popularity contest and those leaders were not very popular.
I'm not saying I'll vote for the Liberals in the next election if Justin Trudeau is leading the charge but I'm not saying I'll vote against them either. In the era of the internet it's easy to get info on all the candidates and as always I will do my research and see who has the answers I want on the issues that matter to me. However, if Justin Trudeau brings his A-game, I'm sure the Liberals will have a fighting chance and the discussion will be a lot more interesting.
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