When Asked If You Love Canada, Say “Yes!”
There’s a little bit of a hullabaloo over Harper’s sorry answer to a reporter’s sorry question.
The question: “Do you love this country?”
First off, that reporter should be looking for work right about now. He or she would be if I were their employer. You’ve got the leader of country’s official opposition taking questions and you ask him if he loves this country? That causes me some rage. But that’s not what this is about.
What this is about is Harper’s answer:
Well, I said Canada is a great country. You know, all of us who get involved in public life spend a lot of time away from our families to go across the country, probably get in many ways the most rewarding experience you could have, you know. It’s not tourist travel, you don’t see all the hot spots and all the great sights but you get a real sense — the kind old and the of traveling I’ve done, especially the last seven or eight months, you get a real sense of Canadians, where they live, who they are and what their challenges are. And I think the country has unlimited potential.
That’s why I think it would be so exciting to take over at this point in our history. But I think it’s necessary to make a change if we’re going to realize that potential.
It’s not what he said. What he said was actually quite fine, really. It’s what he didn’t say. Specifically, “Yes!” I mean we all know that he loves Canada. All he had to do was affirm that he did before going on with the rest of the answer.
Had anyone else given this answer, perhaps nothing would have been made of it. But the person who gave this answer is the leader of a party that doesn’t exactly have the public perception of loving this country. They’re a party that comes off (sometimes more than) a bit negative on core Canadian values and institutions.
I’d be shocked if Harper wasn’t aware that that is the public’s perception of him and subsequently, his party.
But it’s too late now. The media may run with this. So too will bloggers who aren’t exactly volunteering their time to help Harper get elected.
The false notion that Harper doesn’t love Canada will follow him for the campaign. It’s all about avoiding these little glitches and it seems that Harper has more trouble doing that than any other leader at this time.
All in all, not a stellar first day of campaigning for him.
Author: Halden : November 30th, 2005 at 9:29 am
I was shocked when i saw harper Hum and Haw on this question, not because he didn’t give a clear answer but because when on a capaign the natural answer to that question should be an automatic and immediate YES! The Libs will latch on to this to try and deflect all the Sponsorship attention to evil Harper and his lack of love for this country.
Author: Brad : November 30th, 2005 at 9:54 am
Martin has already come back emphatically claiming that he loves Canada.
How infantile. What are you people? A bunch of kindergarten-aged children? Have a daisy handy? Start yanking petals while declaring “Paul loves Canada” and “Stephen loves Canada” and see who gets the last petal… it’d be about as mature.
Politics is so smarmy to me.
Author: Brad : November 30th, 2005 at 9:54 am
I’m noticing that my comments are buggered. The comment gets posted but it doesn’t redirect you back to any particular page… it just sort of leaves you hanging on a blank page. Not sure why… working on it.
Author: Mark : December 1st, 2005 at 8:33 am
I think the point is simply this: Harper doesn’t love, or even like, what the country has become. He has a very different view on the inclusivity of the country, and on its progressive outlook on social issues. He answered truthfully. Canadians must simply decide if they want, as Prime Minister, someone who fundamentally (and I use that word advisedly) disavows their collective and diverse values (not to mention a party leader with disdain for the rulings of the Supreme Court).