Did I ever get a chuckle reading John Ivison's piece in The National Post on Guy Giorno. Is Double G about to get the "Double Shuffle"??. Only his Prime Minister knows for sure, and for the moment, Harper isn't telling!
Ivison describes the prime ministerial irritation this way: "The Prime Minister has never minded criticism, but in this case all the flak he's taken since the start of the year must be galling, since he had to be talked into prorogation against his will, according to a number of senior Conservatives."
This sorry episode has shone a bit of light into the inner recesses of the mind of this Prime Minister. It reminds us that Harper is at his strongest (and sometimes weakest) when he personally charts the way. More often than not, his political instincts have not failed him. But when they have, it's been doozy time.
The lesson revealed here which all leaders can benefit from is to remember that nothing good ever comes from being "talked into" something. In fact, a properly seasoned subordinate will know better than to even try.
Preston Manning got it exactly right when he said "THINK BIG!". Leaders are meant to show the way and followers -- to prevent screw ups.
Forgetting that pesky Iron Law of Politics inevitably leads to repeated mistakes, some more costly than others.
Guy Giorno knows that the clock is ticking. He hasn't got much time left. We'll soon find out if he manages to make the best of it.
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I did not think taking a swipe at the Guy Giorno highlighting his religion, his past employment at the Catholic Register.
ReplyDeleteIt might just be me, but after the last two stunts trying to win back the Catholic vote, you would think the Liberals would be a little more respectful.
Remember that study by McGill Prof? As I have said a long time ago, it has been a slow and steady loss of key voting blocs that have been marginalized for too long.
Those special interest groups who are vocal on the Hill can't deliver the votes in the ballot box.
Planned Parenthood, Court Challenges Program, Insite, Omar Khadr groups are not the road back to power.
CanadianSense,
ReplyDeleteNice red herring. (Must come from watching too much red Olympic coverage!) You're still in fine form but remember, that paragraph was written by Ivison not the Liberal Party of Canada.
However, I will confess that I did not like this sentence: "Those who know him say he is far less confident and determined in person than when he is in full chief-of-staff spate."
Big news, he's like the REST of us, a mere mortal. Now, if that ain't a shot, I don't know what is.
Thank you, but why was his previous post at an a religious post was point added for?
ReplyDeleteHas Guy Giorno held not other jobs?
The last few weeks has been an organized backlash to a stunt to bring up a hidden agenda and that a CPC majority would immediately take away rights for women.
Peter Donolo either was asleep or MI went rogue with that gem suggesting demanding abortion is a marker regarding maternal health for mothers and children in the third world.
Sorry Ronald, but I support a thorough policy debate which we are NOT getting.
CanadianSense,
ReplyDeleteWe both know that no Government of Canada is foolish enough to attach those type of conditions to our aid for the Third World. This isn't the good old USA where every issue is seemingly somehow tied to abortion or the unborn.
This Prime Minister knows political suicide when he sees it. That's why he won't touch that one with a ten-foot pole and neither will any other federal party.
But as an opposition party, part of our job is to raise concerns and watch like a hawk. You don't regard that as playing fair? I thought it was just the normal thrust and parry of the Hill game.