Monday, June 21, 2010

Michael Ignatieff has his George Bush Moment

And this poor bastard gets crucified for telling the truth.

7 comments:

penlan said...

Jim,

I think it's wrong to focus on just one phrase that has a whole lot more said around it. Taken out of context, in a way. Did you read the comments in Scott's post? There's more said there by people who attended the closed door gathering.

penlan said...

Just to add, Jim, that I'm in no way adding my support to Iggy in the above comment. Just trying to look at the situation objectively.

Anonymous said...

Penlan,

I think the message from Iggy and his people has been clear from before he even became leader.

They couldn't abide by Dion's win in 2006 and they either sat on their hands or quietly undermined Dion's leadership.
Since taking over the leadership, they have ignored every single grassroots policy initiative and offered nothing of their own to give the party faithful something to hang onto.

Now, after more than a year, with the Liberals consistently low in the polls and not gaining traction anywhere in the country, Michael Ignatieff, Leader of the Liberal Party lashes out at people who paid hundreds of dollars a head to participate in yet another policy discussion that will likely be ignored.

Context or no context, it was wrong. The message was wrong and so were the words he chose.

Let's see how well the Leader's approach has impacted membership numbers and fundraising.

When you look at these real indicators of the strength of the Party, maybe you will join the chorus of grassroots members ready to throw in the towel.

thescottross.blogspot.com said...

Penlan I would pay money for anyone with video footage of the speech. Ignatieff said the comment out of the blue, he did not qualify it or add to it. Of the commentators on the post only one other attended the conference and that was Brian.

Brian G. Rice said...

I don't think Scott is being "crucified", Jim. If anything, many of those people who have disagreed with his point of view have supported his right to have it, at least in the comments I have seen.

Scott, I do take exception to the idea that this comment came out of the blue. There was a lead-up to it, starting with the rejection of the Liberal Party as a Left Wing party (We are Centrist party!), and ending in a plea for loyal members of the party to talk loudly about our party, our values and our vision for Canada this summer. The shut-up comments came in the middle of those two points, and was specifically directed at those who would tear down our party from the inside for their own personal or political ambitions

Anonymous said...

To Jim - (and Scott by extension)

This is not the first time the "shut up" modus operandi has been used during the last 18 months - but the first to be directly attributed to Michael Ignatieff!
To Brian - it must be painful to put together these somewhat scripted events - where frankly - policies are delivered to the masses on graven tablets from on high when they should be discussed and put to the general membership for support and approval!
Brian - you and I have debated on En Famille in the past - and all of those interractions were civil and constructive. Trouble is - the output from those exercises - even when they were voted on by the grass roots - were ignored as far as I can see by Mr. Ignatieff and his team of advisers - and since May of last year - all we have seen is time wasting, false starts - zigging and zagging - and a lot of silly cheap shots at the government.
When he announced his foreign policy strategy last year it sank like a lead balloon. His re-announcement last week got a bit more coverage - but really - the only time the Liberal party has moved forward is when he has actually got to grips with policy and showed the difference between HIS vision of Liberalism and the CPC or any of the other parties.

Before I finally threw up my hands and walked away from this arrogant team - I like many - waited for ever it seemed - for this guy to get his act together. The waiting as far as I am concerned is over!

Wascally Wabbit

Brian G. Rice said...

Anonymous: Anyone who believes that there was anything scripted about our policy process here in BC was obviously not in the room. No one would have written that script, believe me.