Monday, December 30, 2013

You (and Harper) already blew it!!

Harper knob polisher, Michael Den Tandt offers up the results of gazing at the Conservative crystal ball with a set of 2014 predictions on what to expect from (missing in action) Harper. It's actually quite stunning. Den Tandt pines away for the "Charm Offensive" he has oft predicted from Harper but which has never happened. It seems to escape Den Tandt that Harper doesn't have it in him and if it's scripted for him, that fact becomes obvious. More on that in a minute.
... Harper in 2014 will make a visible effort to re-engage – likely through more frequent speeches, perhaps even more frequent press conferences. He will do so not by choice, but by necessity.
Really?! Because, the gods forbid, when he was handed a late 2013 opportunity to "re-engage" he refused to come out of his hole. If, at any point, he had wanted to appear to be a leader in any way, shape or form, all he had to do was actually show up. But that ice-storm was a natural, short-notice event - not something scripted well in advance by the short-pantsers running the PMO. Re-engagement, as Den Tandt is suggesting will happen, requires long, detailed preparation. No rehearsal - no show.
The Wright-Duffy mess, the sheer scale of the venality and dishonesty exposed within his own office, among people he appointed, has shaken his personal standing. The only practical remedy is to shore up his positives, namely his reputation for competence and intelligence. He can only do so by communicating.
Competence and intelligence in a leader would suggest being able to read the character and qualities of individuals appointed to positions of prominence and influence. We haven't seen any of that and Den Tandt says so before he makes the impossible leap in the other direction. I question Harper's intelligence at times but his competence is not up for debate. This is one of the least competent prime ministers Canada has ever endured. Owen has more to offer on that along with this very poignant observation:
For a man who doesn't like people, Harper has chosen a curious profession.
Which is why when hundreds of thousands of Canadians are without heat in the middle sub-zero temperatures at the darkest time of the year the "re-engagement" comes in the form of a solitary 14-word Twitter offering. 

9 comments:

RossK said...

Well.

You know...

Pre-planned and scripted or not...

Fourteen words is quite a lot of letters.

.

Dave said...

Oh yes, indeed. I'm expecting Pookie to start announcing thngs on Twitter. Should be entertaining.

the salamander said...

.. There's no shortage of evidence that Canada has ended up with a sociopathic, omnipotent narcissist as Prime Minister.. Stephen Harper leaves an endless trail, nine miles wide.. and even more evident is that he has a cadre of possible thousands of active supporters and operators.. some of which were actually elected as MP's ..

All other evidence of deceits, obstructions, atrocities, frauds aside.. Canada has a new revelation to grapple with..

Stephen Harper has either ordered.. or is completely unaware that his operatives have ordered.. most of Canada's science libraries closed and the majority of the books, texts, records.. priceless materials going back over 100 years.. 'culled'

BURNED, trashed, thrown out, disposed of.. without any records being kept.. The cover story is they are being digitized so that Canadians can have better access to them ......

Perhaps this bizarre action is part of the mythic Economic Action Plan.. .. But it strikes me as stone cold sociopathy or fascism

Simon said...

Hi Dave....good one ;)

I question Harper's intelligence at times but his competence is not up for debate. This is one of the least competent prime ministers Canada has ever endured.

I hope you don't mind being summoned as an expert witness to repeat your testimony at the Con Trials for Crimes Against Canada. I'm applying to be a judge eh?
Happy New Year to you and yours !!!!

Moon Rattled said...

Conservatives see performance rating plunge in latest poll.
http://fw.to/KpAlACL

56% of Canadians think Harper sucks.

e.a.f. said...

if stevie attempts to "re engage" he will expose himself to questions he can't or won't answer. had he surfaced during the snow/ice storms and demonstrated some leadership, the questions might not have been asked or he could have responded along the lines of, I;m busy right now working to help Canadians during these cold days. I'll answer your questions later, and then not. Now he won't have the chance to deflect, unless there is anther crisis in Canada and he shows up. Of course then those in the east may question why he showed up for the next crisis and not theirs. good going stevie.

Dave said...

Happy New Year to you and yours too Simon!

e.a.f - Bingo!

gingersnap said...

Well, didn't Hitler have books destroyed? By Harper's bizarre behavior, he is very much a sociopath.

After all, Harper was Policy Chief, for his Northern Foundation of 1989. Did not Harper hire Wolfgang Droege and his Heritage Front as, security for Preston Manning?

I used to vote PC, before Harper trashed the party into, a Fascist Dictatorship. Harper has no honor, decency, ethics nor morals, what-so-ever. Harper's list of degenerates is as, long as his arm. Some of them are even off to prison.

Harper needs a full mental evaluation. No-one in their right mind, would ever destroy historical libraries.

Boris said...

Yep. PMSH is his and his party's actual nemesis. The longer he sticks around, the worse it'll get for them.

I get two reactions from people here in Europe about Canada/Canadian politics. 1. An ignorant, Canada is such a nice country. 2. What the hell happened to you guys, and what the fuck is wrong with your prime minister?

I walked across Trafalgar Square yesterday for the first time in years. Once upon a time Canada House, like the South African High Commission opposite, had a single national flag. Today, Canada House is festooned in giant flags and looks gaudy and cheap in the context of the aesthetic of square. It's embarrassing.