Wayne Gretzky - We all know his story
Don Cherry - Spent most of his adult life in the US (more than 30 years), yet this doesn't stop Reformers/Cons from touting him as a "big name" possible (they hope) candidate...
General Rick Hillier - Care to guess how many years HE spent away from Canada? Try from around the 70s to just about NOW? He's the new Conservative leadership "golden boy"... Some Reform friends in Calgary recently contacted me about "drafting" him...
William Shatner - Yup... often hear his name in jest... but you know...
John Candy - Back when he was still alive, his name was frequently mentioned as a potential candidate for an MP position.
Stephen Harper - While his body was in Canada, his mind and his heart - for most of the past 40 years - has been in the USA...
Diane Ablonczy - Name had been mentioned for taking a run at the Reform/Alliance/Con leadership.
Conrad Black - Most Conservatives would drop their pants for him in an instant - and would LOVE to let him take a run at their leadership (well, maybe not now that he's in jail - then again, who knows?). Of course "His Lordshit" did renounce his citizenship so he could become a "Lord"... Makes us wonder... will Harper be doing the same thing (renouncing his citizenship to go on a US speaking tour sponsored by Fox - not necessarily going to jail)...?
What's interesting is, while Michael Ignatieff may have spent a lot of years getting to know the world around him (while Harper stewed in the single voice "Smallville atmosphere" of Calgary), it was other Canadians who know and LOVE this country who brought him back and convinced him to run (NOT Mr. Ignatieff's own "ego" as some are trying to say). Most of us know that story.
Now look at Harper's biggest supporters, financiers, and influencers: Big Oil (mostly based in Texas, USA), Right Wing media (NewsCorp - based in Australia), etc. Just WHO does Harper owe his leadership, and his very existence as PM to? He refuses to reveal his donors. He is OWNED by foreign (mostly US/right wing) interests.
3 comments:
This is silly. It's not Michael Ignatieff's time abroad that disqualifies him from being Prime Minister, it's his total lack of experience and involvement in Canadian policy and public life--that just happens to be a consequence of the fact he's lived outside the country his entire adult life.
Anon 8:41 - he's a fast learner and it's showing.
Just try to keep shovelling it there - it isn't working.
Lester Pearson spent a lot of time out of Canada.
Who was more worldly than Trudeau. You see, it's important that you understand the outside world in the global times.
Lyn
Anon? What's "silly"? Or should I say, what's sillier? Your statement that something "disqualifies" Ignatieff from being PM? That's pretty pretentious of you.
Firstly, he did NOT live outside Canada for his ENTIRE adult life. Try making up stories for an audience that doesn't know any better.
Secondly, beyond some ordinary Canadians, who may NEVER bother to vote, possibly hates politics and politicians, and avoids political conversation, Mr. Ignatieff has actually been in Canada (again) for SEVERAL YEARS now. Not just as an "ordinary citizen", but a Member of The House of Commons, where every single bit of the nation's most important political business occurs on a daily basis (when Stephen Harper allows Parliament to be in session). I would dare say that Mr. Ignatieff has more Canadian political knowledge and issue knowledge than most Canadians - including you - JUST from that experience.
Ever READ an Ignatieff book? He references Canada and Canadian affairs, and has for years. He's lectured about our system, and our role in the world.
His immense intellect let's him grasp many complex ideas in very short time. He's probably learned more about Parliament than most MPs - including many who have served decades.
On the OTHER hand, we have a Conservative (Reform) PM who knows or cares little about Eastern Canadian issues, First Nations issues, minority issues, Northern issues, environmental issues, and has a protracted LACK of knowledge about the rest of the world - to the point where he's helped alienate Canada in many circles...
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