While people with normal cognitive abilities likely see the farce in Kevin O'Leary's effort to become the next leader of the Conservative Party, it would be unwise to underestimate the power of less able and less stable people to influence the course of events. If nothing else, the Trump spectacle attests to the importance of such a caution. It is therefore incumbent upon those who want the best for the country to warn about the worst, as these letter-writers do today:
Blustering of days past: O'Leary's views, unadorned, Jan. 21
In the last week the Star has detailed two opposite Kevin O’Learys. One would like to bust unions (Jennifer Wells); the other says he would like to make unions more “efficient.”
Can we really believe O’Leary suddenly wants unions to better represent workers (i.e. more gains) while saving money through efficiency? Both would make his nemesis more powerful.
He has started off following his idol’s path: he and Trump believe in lying big to fool ordinary workers. Let’s take a lesson from Trump and put the label “lying Kevin” on this impostor.
Will Presley, North Bay
It is wonderful to learn that Mr. O’Leary’s primary goal is to “go to bed richer than when he woke up in the morning.” The question now is: how many Canadians will be going to bed poorer because of Mr. O’Leary’s obsession with putting more money into his own already bulging pocket?
Herb Alexander, Thornhill
O’Leary espouses on corporate social responsibility, “Social consciousness, that’s ridiculous. Businesses do not have a social conscience” (like most people do).
It explains Citizens United (corporations with equal rights as citizens), and why the leaders of many of these corporations have no social conscience, to be polite.
So, as Mr. O-so-Leary clearly states, Citizens United is just a con, and why under their newly crowned “Orange Hitler” the U.S. should repeal Citizens United immediately.
He’s an astute U.S. businessman. The U.S. business elites should listen to him.
Richard Kadziewicz, Scarborough
I read with concern Kevin O’Leary’s decision to run. My fervent hope is that the media does not treat his campaign as a joke and give him excess coverage that he so craves. We see how that worked out in the U.S where Trump used that free publicity to prey on the fears and prejudices of people who bought into his fake message of doom and gloom and false promises.
Canadians should never allow opportunistic politicians whose messages of divide and conquer and racial overtures to gain a foot hold in our political system. The media has a responsible role to play and should not promote sensationalism and lies at the expense of truth.
Mort Achaia, Brampton
Con men are doing remarkably well these days, Lorne.
ReplyDeleteAnd P.T. Barnum's famous aphorism quickly comes to mind, Owen.
DeleteA lot of people jumping on the hate bandwagon without even knowing what they're hating – IMO. I have yet to hear O'Leary say much on the issues. All that we know is that he copied an idea from Donald Trump about a business-related reality TV show.
ReplyDeleteTrudeau isn't much of an improvement over Harper. O'Leary doesn't sound like he would be worse than Harper. Seems like a wash as far as I can tell.
In any case, you won't find Red Tories and red meat conservatives jumping on the bandwagon. They will just mock those who do as 'liberal lunatics.' Considering they make up 40% of the vote – and a fake majority happens on 40% of the vote – O'Leary will be the next Prime Minister if Trudeau is dumb enough not to implement ranked ballot voting.
While I agree that Trudeau's policies are becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish from Harper's, Anon, I'm not sure I can agree with your assertion that O'Leary wouldn't be worse than Harper. His vanity, his inexperience and his limited intellectual reach suggest we might see a replication of what is happening in the U.S. under Trump, should he ever attain office.
Delete.. Not sure a glib opportunist can 'win' the dubious prize called the Conservative Party of Canada while living in Boston.. Its the Harper Rump Residue ruled by Rawna Bwana currently.. Of course she'll stand down so's one of the Magnificent 14 can infest Stornoway.. and she and her rodeo guy investment guru can skedaddle back to her curious constituents.
ReplyDeleteI still maintain the ante for O'Leary to get free fawning media attention is cheap at whever its costing.. What.. some 50 or 75 thou to hold his hand and see who folds in the poker game? I don't care myself if Bernier is married to a stripper or dates them, Michael Chong of course needs to start his own party, Scheer is a farce, O'Toole a bare step up from Blaney the faintheart..
And that leaves the mystery woman of the Tar Sands, the Pristine Kristinn Kellie and her felonius drifting wooly wombat from Windsor Kouvalis.. who'd probably still be a drunk driver if he hadn't render his vehicle stationary while running himself off the road.. Texting by any chance as well? Or just lost his way, confused so to speak by a very straight section of highway?
Its important to remember.. how Lyin Brian found his niche with the so called Conservatives.. on arriving at M'Gill U he found the Young Liberals stacked.. and the Young Cons basically a husk.. He saw his opportunity & ideology in a flash.. the rest is history.. right to the paper bags of cash.
Let's face it.. O'Bleary can't be bothered even learning to spell Sir John A Macdonald correctly.. Leitch the same using Canadain Values as a weak attempt at spelling.. or at least spell checking.. or was that a clerical error by her elite house cleaner or pool guy?
We need new political parties.. the hoary old groundhog specimins seem to be loaded with stuffed dead taxidermy experiments.. Trost comes to mind.. likely believing he arrived just 6,000 years after jeehoba created the earth & man walked among the brontosaurus in harmony & plowed the prairie behind teams of T-Rex named Murphy..
Nobody really wants to lead the ReformerTories or the Dippers out of the wilderness.. but they sure want the luxury ride of Stornoway's chefs, limos, security & front row center Commons seat.. you betcha !
As always, Salamander, I am in awe of your extraordinarily descriptive assessments of the very shallow talent pool in today's politics. Thanks, as always, for putting these poseurs in such sharp relief.
DeleteI think the federal Tories better be careful here. O'Leary, while he may satisfy the need for election among many Conservatives, he may actually distance most of Canada from the Conservatives - assuming Trudeau gets his friggin' act together. (Canadians didn't elect Trudeau to be Harper-lite).
ReplyDeleteI don't suppose the NDP has anything worthwhile to offer? Greens? anybody? hello? hello?
Our political landscape is looking increasingly blighted, UU4077.
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