Unearthed Job Application Stephen Harper 2005

The latest Conservative attack ad to discredit Justin Trudeau is childish at best with a strong scent of desperation.

It's a mock meeting discussing Trudeau's resume as he applies for the job of Prime Minister.

However, going back to 2005, when Stephen Harper himself was applying for the job, what were his credentials?

He quit most things he started.  He was a staffer for Brian Mulroney but quit when Mulroney refused to address cancelling Employment Insurance, or at least making it more difficult to obtain.

He was a Reform Party Member of Parliament but quit when things weren't going his way.

He ran the National Citizens Coalition, a corporate advocacy group initially created to end Public Healthcare in Canada.  He quit that to run for leader of the Reform Party/Canadian Alliance/Canadian Reform Alliance Party (CRAP)/Conservative Party of Canada (They had an identity crisis).

He won that race but when he lost the 2004 election .... he quit.  With a lot of misguided persuasion he got back on the horse, but in 2005 he was hardly Prime Minister material, though he did know how to cheat to win an election, a skill he has only gotten better at.

So what if we put ourselves in that room, with that group, as they determine whether or not Stephen Harper was right for the job.

"Let's talk about Stephen"

"I hope he's not as bad as his hair"

"What does he know about balancing a budget"

"He did study economics so would know that if you grow the economy, the budget will balance itself.  No economist would argue on that point, so let's move on. "

"What does he say about keeping us safe?"

"Well he has been on a celebrity Fox News tour telling anyone who'd listen that we should join George Bush in Iraq."

"That's crazy talk.  Iraq was not involved in the attack on the World Trade Centre.  Besides, even if they defeat Al-Qaeda as they suggest, there will always be another group, perhaps worse, ready to take their place.  Canadians have spoken clearly.  No Iraq War!"

"If his aim is to simply go where the United States goes, what kind of leader will he be?  Sounds more like a follower to me. "

"So what are his priorities, other than making war?"

"He wants to put a stop to same-sex marriage"

"Like that's our biggest problem."

Laughter

"I've read a copy of his speech to the Reform Party Assembly that earned him a round of applause.  In it he wanted to cancel EI, Old Age Security and Canada Pension"

"Yes.  A lot of seniors left the Reform Party after that.  He's not worth the risk.  Our seniors need those safety nets, as do our workers."

"And don't forget that he sued Canadians because he wanted corporations to determine the outcome of elections."

"I'm not saying some day, but I'm saying forever.  This man is not right for this country.

"Who does his hair?  I suppose if he got the job he'd hire a hairdresser. But can't he afford one now?"

"Stephen Harper.  He's just not right for Canada."

Stephen Harper Has Gone Full Circle and Faith in Him is Fading Fast

A member of Canadians Rallying to Unseat Stephen Harper has been sharing some wonderful old news clippings, and I found the one above quite relevant to today. In it former Sun Media columnist, Greg Weston, predicts an easy victory for the Liberals and the end of Stephen Harper's political career.

This was the fall of 2005, just months before the election that brought Harper to power, proving that columnists and pollsters know very little about how Canadians think.

There is an opinion piece in the Globe today, written by Harvey Schachter, who reminds us of the 1987 Ontario election, when Bob Rae managed an upset to become Premier of Ontario with a majority of seats. No one could have predicted that. Says Schachter: "Public opinion polls are really measures of public sentiment, not more deeply held opinions for the all-important uncommitted voters, and can change dramatically when an election is called."

Some comments from Greg Weston in September of 2005, when he thought he could predict how voters were feeling:

"recent polls show the ruling Liberals have regained a significant lead over the Conservatives, with support for the two parties essentially back to where they were last election day."

"Harper didn't exactly raise spirits at last week's retreat with a call to arms for a possible fall election the Conservatives currently have little hope of winning."

"if the polls are any indication, Canadians were underwhelmed by Harper's appearances ..."

"even Harper's most ardent devotees have apparently accepted the harsh reality that no matter how they dress up the boss, no matter how clever the sales pitch, most voters just aren't buying."

Any of this sound familiar? Different opposition leader but the same dire predictions.

Weston did have Harper pegged correctly though:

Only months before the next federal election, the opposition leader's office is a mess, with disillusioned advisers heading for the exits in droves. The Conservatives' all-important communications shop, for example, lost all but one of its experienced pros in a mere matter of weeks this summer.

Some of them have told me the problem is Harper tries to micro-manage all aspects of his organization — and obviously can't. Compounding the problem is a small coterie of longtime sycophants whose personal loyalty to Harper is evidently far more important to him than their professional performance.

The result is an insular control freak surrounded by a few fellow bunker dwellers ignoring the advice of more capable and experienced staffers who inevitably leave in frustration. If a leader is judged by those around him, Harper is certainly the architect of many of his own problems.

Harper still micro-manages everything and when he falls, he will be "the architect" of his own demise. With mounting scandals, it will be impossible for him to distance himself from them, given that his fingerprints are on EVERYTHING his government and caucus does.

And just as Greg Weston failed to predict the outcome of that election, he also failed to understand just how vindictive Stephen Harper is. Weston was fired from Sun Media for exposing the "fake lake" story in the lead up to the G-20.

Many pundits are suggesting that there is no populace movement to oust Harper, so he will probably be given another mandate, possibly even a majority.

Silly them. They need to get out more.