“I think that if the [Stampede] founders could be here today and see the great city — see what has build up around this event — they would be amazed. They would be amazed to see that their Stampede has been part of giving birth to the greatest city in the greatest country in the world.”
Yes, the Prime Minister said that. At the Calgary Stampede last week. And why shouldn’t he? He does, after all, represent a Calgary riding, he’s been a resident for nearly three decades (despite having grown up in Toronto), and his professional career got its launch here. And, compared with a major Canadian metropolis like Toronto or Montreal, you’ve got to admit that Calgary does have quite a bit going for it.
Funnily enough, this is one of those statements that, oddly enough, can add to the Prime Minister’s personal appeal. Contrast what he said with the other party leaders.
Tom Mulcair: “I want to work hard for all Canadian cities. ‘I’m better than you’ is not the best way to get results.”
Bob Rae: “Toronto is my hometown. Now that I am a National Leader all of Canada is my home.”
The other leaders sound like they’re on a campaign trail, trying to be non-controversial and therefore sounding inauthentic. The PM, by contrast, sounds genuine.
Now, the PM’s proclamation isn’t going to make Canadians put Calgary on their travel itinerary. Jean Chrétien’s public affection for Shawinigan falls along the same lines: it’s a personal preference, like hockey and playing piano, a defining of the PM as a genuine person. You get the impression that journalists are trying to judo-flip this into something shameful, but so far the only person to take the bait is the mayor of Vancouver, who of course will boost his own city.
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The man is a natural whereby the rest of the clan are bad comb overs, but hey, it is a given when others attempt to mimic and articulate after PM Harper.
Go “Cons!”
Contrast that to a certain Calgary alderperson’s response which was to the effect of we’re getting there followed by her personal agenda of what makes a city great. No mention of Calgarians as hard workers, producing the money to fund her agenda.
Also, where else do you have the local symphony performing at a horse show?
I think it’s brilliant. There are now debates on which is the best city. Throughout the country people are defending their city, proving that Canada is amazing. For the record it’s Ottawa
“…why is this news?…”
It tends to keep McGuinty’s bullexcrementally-capped, bald-faced corruption and lies off of the front pages, out of the “top of the news” Radio and TV slots. Gotta give it to the Librano enablers – they know how to twist. And it ain’t just McGrinchty getting covering fire.
ANYTHING Harper sez or does gets the same treatment. How long did they run the stories of:
“he can’t become PM”
“… he’s never travelled outside the country”
“He shook his son’s hand when he walked the lad to school…”
“… he pocketed the host…”
Hellzbellz – were the fellow to do the AM weather forecasts and call for anything like rain and/or snow he’d be labelled a red-neck “anti-solarist – he’s not an economist, he’s not even a weather reporter.”
Conversely – were he to call for sunshine-filled cloudless days – the rumblings of the lamenting leftoid losers’ bully pulpit would likely be: “Ah – what an control freak trying to ruin Canadian farm families just trying to feed to world. EVERYBODY knows that the farmers NEED the rain…”
Bowl me over and call me Shoiley — waltz me ’round again willie!
t.e. & o.e.