Sorry. False alarm. Turns out it was the sound of Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath doing a fancy dance as she practices her routine for the November leadership review she is facing.
In Toronto this past Saturday, more than 200 members of the party's provincial council were witness to the reborn Horwath expressing her allegiance to essential party principles, principles that were decidedly absent in the provincial election she forced last June that saw her party lose the balance of power it had held.
Averred the rechristened leader:
“We believe in fighting each and every day for a more equal society,” ... We believe in a strong and active role for government, because there are many things that are more important than making a buck in the marketplace.”
As reporter Adrian Morrow observed,
The soaring rhetoric was a major change from last June’s election, when the NDP campaigned on a platform of small-ball populism, pointedly abandoning ambitious policies such as a provincial pension plan.
Despite those facts, Ms. Horwath tried to remind her audience of the party's proud history without mentioning how she herself had sullied it:
In a speech that bordered on liturgy, she rhymed off example after example of progressive values – from universal health care to fighting poverty to better pensions to public transit – that she would embrace over the next four years.
She went on to channel her inner Jack Layton:
“Love is better than anger, as a good friend reminded us a few years ago. We are the party of hope. We are the party of optimism".
While all of that may be true, some cannot forget that the party of optimism currently seems to be headed by a leader of opportunism.
Perhaps also significant is this:
MPP Cheri Di Novo, who has criticised the last campaign for moving away from the NDP’s traditional focus on social justice, wouldn’t say whether she thought Ms. Horwath deserved to remain.
“I’m going to leave that to the party, the party makes that call,” she said.
The party will get that chance in November.
Since the future of her leadership rests on making a good impression, perhaps she can take some instruction from Christopher Walken on how to make a grand entrance at the review:
Michelle Broadbent was our French teacher in grade school. She was a great teacher, and contained a fiery passion and compassion for her students that was only rivaled by her fiery red hair. This seems to be the missing ingredient with Ms. Horwath.
ReplyDeleteGreat clip too. I didn't know that Walken was a double threat - acting *and* dancing. :)
Passion is vital, Anon, in all walks of life; unfortunately, the only passion evident in most politicians these days seems to be the passion for power.
DeleteDidja notice that Mulcair has also taken to humming "The Internationale" since Ms. Horwath soiled her dainties? And, yes, Walkin was a hoofer long before he became an actor. Pretty good one, too.
ReplyDeleteCan 'Solidarity Forever' be far behind, Mound?
Delete