The Toughest Job in Politics
I won't say I feel bad for Pauline Marois - seeing the PQ implode a few weeks after the BQ was all but obliterated is Must See TV. But when looking at the problems besieging her, it's important to remember that Marois has the toughest job in politics.
Consider this. The PQ has knifed every successful leader they've ever had - even Rene Levesque and Lucien Bouchard were forced out. And now, Pauline Marois is under fire from all directions even though she has led in every poll released over the past year and earned a 93% show of support in last month's leadership review.
Three high-profile MNAs and Parizeau supporters quit on June 6th . They were followed by a fourth the next day. The official raison d'etre for their walk across the floor was a private members bill on Quebec City arena funding but, reading between the lines, it was obvious they left because Marois wasn't taking a hard line separatist position. Now, a fifth MNA has quit because Marois is too focused on sovereignty.
Talk about a tough crowd to please.
Consider this. The PQ has knifed every successful leader they've ever had - even Rene Levesque and Lucien Bouchard were forced out. And now, Pauline Marois is under fire from all directions even though she has led in every poll released over the past year and earned a 93% show of support in last month's leadership review.
Three high-profile MNAs and Parizeau supporters quit on June 6th . They were followed by a fourth the next day. The official raison d'etre for their walk across the floor was a private members bill on Quebec City arena funding but, reading between the lines, it was obvious they left because Marois wasn't taking a hard line separatist position. Now, a fifth MNA has quit because Marois is too focused on sovereignty.
Talk about a tough crowd to please.
Labels: Parti Quebecois, Pauline Marois
posted by calgarygrit at
6:00 p.m.
11 Comments:
Drat, I missed Téléjournal tonite....!
I hear what you're saying but I think Marois sucks. I liked Bouchard - Marois, meh. It's fun to see her in trouble like this.
Legault's obvs a big potential Next Premier In Waiting... interesting, bc he seems soft on sovereignty yet seems apparently a possible "separatist attractor" vote at the same time.
I hesitate to cheer but I'm becoming more and more hopeful that the separatists are giving up.
IMHO separatists, be they Parizeau or Malcolm X or Marcus Garvey or the ETA or Magneto can never win the battle for humanity. That war belongs to the togetherists, ultimately. It's not a "Canadian question", it's a global one, and the right side will be victorious (I'm personally an anationalist anti-nationalist who believes in one global federation of municipalities. For the record, I loathe Quebec and would gladly wipe my feet on it... I despise ALL the provinces and tihnk it's foolish to have 3 levels of government for 35 000 000 citizens. Federal and municipal are enough)
I LOVE French and am grateful for our ties to France as well as the UK and the USA, 3 countries with historic support for democracy for the people. Francophone Canada is waning, which I think is sad, and I blame the separatists entirely. The New World will eventually lose French, and the separatists are the cause.
It says everything that Spanish has flourished and grown stronger and stronger in an unofficially "English only" America while French has declined inside a G-7 economy bending over backwards to accommodate and support it.
The Tombstone for la langue francaise will have Levesque and Parizeau and Marois on it. Fuck those losers... it's Canada's and the world's loss. C'est la vie.
By
Jacques Beau Vert, at 7:41 p.m.
To be fair, it's possible these dissident MNAs could be swept aside in the next election by PQ loyalists, in a Helena Guergis fashion.
However, if most of the PQ support is from people who want a change from the QLP, instead of people who want an immediate referendum, we could see a third (and perhaps not in existence at the current moment) party that looks like a credible alternative gain support very quickly.
By
Daniel, at 9:09 a.m.
third (and perhaps not in existence at the current moment) party
Looking a lot like a Go for Legault's Avenir 'party' and he's certainly tops in the polls... would be interesting to see a new party step in and seize power almost immediately after formation
By
Jacques Beau Vert, at 10:25 a.m.
JBV - At least the National Assembly is the right place for separatists - not the federal legislature!
I wouldn't hate separatists as much if they dealt with the racism and bigotry in their community.
By
Robert Vollman, at 10:26 a.m.
Well Robert I agree, on both counts --- and one reason I supported Layton (not the NDP, but we're not allowed to vote for PM) was because I saw a chance to unite a progressive vote that would send separatists to Quebec where they belong. They are wasting everyone's time and money in Ottawa.
On your second point, I'd like to first say there's a clear and obvious difference between levels and intensities of racism. That said, I don't think there's a serious difference between "separatism" and "racism/bigotry". They're both based on recognizing, instituting, and submitting to what I believe are fundamentally shallow "differences" between humans that to most Alien visitors would not be terribly recognizable.
Separatism and racism are given a longer leash when they're on the part of a minority... personally I find it foolish on anyone's part.
By
Jacques Beau Vert, at 11:18 a.m.
Excellent points JBV.
But what about those who want to separate not on the grounds of shallow differences (nationalism?) but rather that there's too much compromising of interests in federalism?
P.S. I don't like Layton. He ran a very, very dishonest campaign, but again - I guess we tolerate such things from those without power.
By
Robert Vollman, at 3:10 p.m.
"P.S. I don't like Layton. He ran a very, very dishonest campaign, but again - I guess we tolerate such things from those without power"
More dishonest than Harper?
By
MPAVictoria, at 4:49 p.m.
More dishonest than Harper?
No. Don't be silly. But since when is that the bar?
By
Robert Vollman, at 4:56 p.m.
I dunno… to me that asks the question if Mississippi et al ought to have seceded because they couldn't compromise on slavery. Of course I see your point -- and in that example, it asks the question, "Can people who believe in slavery for personal profit and fun share a federal government with people who don't on a continent with vast tracts yet to be federalized?" Obviously, sticky issue to resolve.
As a queer person, I don't believe in queer-only schools, and I don't believe in artificial ghettoization of humans based on their race/gender/beliefs, and I do believe in the necessity of compromise, at municipal and federal and global levels. I do believe in division of democracy from authoritarianism, however. ie. if we were a province of China and wanted to be democratic, then have at 'er.
Obvs not everyone agrees with me, nor do I expect them to, either.
I don't believe Layton was more dishonest than Harper or Duceppe or Obama or Bush in his campaign -- altho certainly I do wish leaders were more honest and politics ran on truth more often.
Sometimes I wonder if CG minds his comments being the JBV/RV Show… hopefully not :-)
By
Jacques Beau Vert, at 7:31 p.m.
"No. Don't be silly. But since when is that the bar?"
Exactly. When it comes to dishonesty they both got nothing on me.
By
The Red Book, at 11:41 p.m.
Helpful advises above. I have noticed that many people are using twitter for marketing. I would love to try this too for my business.
By
wedding karachi, at 6:55 a.m.
Post a Comment
<< Home