Let the door hit you in the ass, if that turns your crank
Babble on.
Svend is done. We get Fried Hedy instead. Six of one, half a dozen of the other. Would the people of Vancouver Centre please nominate some real candidates next time around.
St. Paul's is the example to follow. Carolyn Bennett, one of the best of the current crop of Liberals. Peter Kent, an intelligent and worldly former journalist for the Conservatives. And Paul Sommerville, a Bay Street economist for the NDP. While I would have hoped for a Kent surprise win here, any of these candidates would have raised the level of debate in Parliament.
Vancouver Centre needs to rise to that challenge. Toronto shouldn't be running a better race than you.
Babble off.
posted by Babbling Brooks @ 11:57 p.m.
4 comments
4 Comments:
What exactly do you know about the candidates from Vancouver Centre, anyway? (no googling!)
And from a purely logical point of view, why aren't you comparing Vancouver Centre with Toronto Centre? - those are the comparable ridings. St. Paul's is more like a cross between Vancouver Quadra and West Van.
Still, we can compare Van. Center to your hand-picked choice.
Bennett vs. Fry: Talk about comparisons, these two have very similar biographies, and similar records. But Bennett has been less controversial than Fry and she doesn't have a large group of people who only know her for one dumb thing she said a decade ago (not many people look good when they're only known for their dumbest comment of the last decade!), which has helped keep her in cabinet ahead of Fry, so we can give the edge to Bennett.
Fogarassy vs. Kent: Another good comparison - the intelligent, moderate, respected world travelling career journalist vs. the intelligent, moderate, respected, world travelling career lawyer (and geologist). Call it a draw, (although I'd be inclined to give the edge to Fogarassy because I've never heard him whine about media bias - but that's just my bias).
Robinson vs. Summerville: Here, the comparison is tougher as Robinson and Summerville represent opposite ends of the NDP candidate spectrum. On the one hand, someone who has spent decades effectively fighting for a number of causes before they became politically popular. On the other hand a well respected, well educated and well known economist.
They're both great candidates and it's tough call, but given that the NDP is likely to be in opposition, I'd see Robinson as the more effective candidate. If they were going to be governing, I'd go with Summerville.
Overall it looks about even to me, but maybe the view is different from 1,000 miles East.
Declan, you missed one key point: Sommerville is sane, whereas mere months ago Robinson was pleading that he is not. Until an election came along, at which point he declared himself cured.
The man is a complete embarrassment, and your defence of him is misguided.
He's made mistakes, as have we all. I think it's your unwillingness to forgive that is misguided, but to each his own.
The question is who would make a more effective MP and I don't think there is a clear answer either way between those two.
Declan, I think Damian is right about Carolyn Bennett being a much, much better Liberal candidate than Hedy Fry.
First of all, Hedy's "one dumb thing she said a decade ago" was 1) very dumb - the notion that you could claim crosses were burning when they really weren't, and believe that it would both advance your point or cause, however arcane or wild, to do this and that no one would call you on it is absolutely egregious; 2) it was not a decade ago, but on March 21, 2001, that she made this slur against the city of Prince George; and 3) most definitely not the only outrageously offensive comment she has made. Another example is her bigoted and demogogic attack on Stockwell Day's Christian faith during the 2000 election campaign.
Carolyn Bennett, on the other hand, seems to be a very decent, classy individual.
As for your comment about Damian not forgiving Svend Robinson, I don't see how bringing up the worst of the candidate's many bad moments, to describe how this candidate is a poor choice for a particular riding association, is evidence of unforgiveness.
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