- Harper the Super-Hype

Posted: 10:42 AM on January 6, 2011 The Globe and Mail
Julian Fantino: Superstar?, Robert Silver, Globe and Mail, January 5, 2011
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/second-reading/silver-powers/julian-fantino-superstar/article1858552/page2/

Fantino won the by-election because of two factors - very low voter turn out (20 points less than the '08 election) and die-hard Con support.

As was pointed out by Ivison, NP, the Con's received about the same number of votes as '08 but the Lib's were down by 10,000. With low voter turn out, having a sector that supports you and votes (with lower maintenance and effort to get them out to vote) can, and likely did, make the difference.

This is nothing to scoff at since the Lib's did so poor in '08 precisely because traditionally Lib voters stayed at home in droves.

However, this does not support the allegation that Fantino is a 'Superstar'.

It does suggest that if Harper had not made Fantino a Minister, his supporters, or possibly even Fantino himself, may have felt somehow let down - which would bode ill in the next election.

This would explain Harper giving Fantino the lowest of the low portfolios.

Also, listening to an interview the day after his win, I got the impression that Fantino was speaking his mind openly (I guess he felt that now that the election was over he could let people know what he thought and stands for) and would take some time before he adjusted to the Harper ways.

So, Harper if he felt compelled to give Fantino a post certainly would not want anything with any kind of profile.

Seniors are important. They are important because they can be in a more vulnerable circumstance in our society for various reasons. They, as with all others in vulnerable circumstances, require society's attention and the government's assistance, no matter whom they choose to vote for.

Any party that might ignore them is letting society down and does so at their peril.

Harper's attention to seniors may be totally partisan and Machiavellian, and the things like the "tough-on-crime" and reduction of GST by 2 points hype's may be all smoke and mirrors, hype designed solely to attract votes with no real substance or consideration for what actually works or what is really needed. But then, that's Harper, now isn't it.

Lloyd MacILquham cicblog.com/comments.html