  
“Warren Kinsella can have an effect on as many Canadians as The New York Times.” - Peter C. Newman “Kinsella is a modern-day Machiavelli...the mastermind who ran war rooms for Jean Chretien and Dalton McGuinty...” - Sun Media “I really think that Warren guy is on to something.” - Stephen Harper “The top Canadian spin doctor.” - National Post “Kinsella knows how to run a winning war room.” - The Hill Times “Good news drives out bad, and Kinsella adheres to that golden rule.” - Pat Gossage, Press Secretary to Pierre Trudeau   “Stupid bloggers”
That’s what Leader-for-life Bob Rae called me, recently. I had thought (nay, hoped) he was referring to me, personally, but it may be that the Supreme Leader was also referring to all bloggers. That can be the only logical explanation for this, which is stupider than dinosaurs, and just about as modern. 45 Responses to ““Stupid bloggers””Leave a Reply |
Words
GET THE NEW SFH LP!
Not the smartest move for a party trying to rebuild and reach out to the grass roots.
I sense they will reconsider.
You know my feelings on Mr Rae, who I feel is doing a bang up job currently, but I have to agree….this is really stupid…..if we are going to have an open and honest discussion about the future direction of the party, and to make the Liberal party open and accessible to all, all voices must be heard…..bloggers included…..Dont just talk the talk, Mr. Rae, walk the walk……
Then send him an e-mail saying what you said here. Let him know that it is never a good idea to alienate any voter–whether they blog, smoke tobacco, or whatever else.
Because it isn’t.
Totally agree Warren. Sounds like something Conservatives would do but would never expect that from Libs. Media accredited… Jesus what is this 1950? Independent bloggers & social media activists *are* the new media. Someone with too much grey hair somewhere came up with this lunacy.
People with grey hair are the ones who vote.
Warren, I think you should go easy on the Liberal Party and don’t give Conservative shills like Stephen Taylor any excuse for crocodile tears. Why would they want people like him there anyway?
I can write whatever I want. If you don’t like what I write, you know where the door is.
Whoa, I’m on your side, I agree with you on the blogger issue but I do think cutting the LPC a bit of slack once in a while would be helpful.
They don’t pay me, and I don’t work for them.
If people want party taking points, they can go elsewhere.
Fair enough but relatively speaking, they are the good guys, mistakes and all.
Well Ted H.. supposedly, we were groundbreaking on that front. I was there as a nonpartisan blogger representing both Progressive Bloggers and another site back in 2006 at the LPC leadership convention, and I became a Liberal because of it. There were also Conservative bloggers there (Taylor and Tasha Kherridian) and other bloggers from Rabble and so on… but forget me.. we’ve always been bragging about how open we are compared to our Conservative friends. Yes, Taylor won’t be flattering about us, but would you rather him on the outside stirring up a stink over an entirely avoidable controversy?
It’s regrettable.
So now the Great Liberal party of Canada flinches at the like of Stephen Taylor? It’s not that we want him there. It’s that we don’t care whether he is there or not.
Bob Rae rescued the Liberal Party from extinction? What great news.
And Ted H….aren’t we all shills?
Lib Blogs and Blogging Tories are becoming one of the best ways to get more then just the news, they provide a hard core opinion thats missing in the media, why would the LPC not want that?
And can someone please keep me posted on Bob Rae’s next miracle?
Hey, we just recently raised a little over a million bucks in 12 days…..if that isnt bordering on miraculous for a party that some claimed, kaff, Newman, kaff, was in its death throes, I dont know what is……
I am thinking and thinking and I can’t come up with even one reason (let alone good reason) to do this. It is stupid on every level. “Dumb as a bag of hammers” comes to mind
Awesome renewal taking place at that convention in January. Let’s see.
Mike Crawley is running for president. Already had his kick at the can for 6 years as LPCO president.
James Morton is running for VP-English. Already had his chance when he held the second highest position in the land as co-chair (with my buddy Apps) of the Counsel of Presidents.
Maryanne Kampouris is running for VP Policy. Currently is VP Policy for LPCO. The same LPCO that is currently in violation of its own constitution thanks to the management committee (of which she belongs).
So you see folks, the last thing the Party needs are bloggers like us that might spread the truth once in a while. What they really need is the same old place holders – that have overseen the constant decline in electoral fortunes – holding their same old places. This cycle, of course, meets somebody’s definition of insanity.
We need Blogers who will write about how awesome we are.
Wouldn’t it be nice to elect a president who is combative, and attack dog, and fearless?
How about someone who’s won an election(s), fundraised? like say Copps
The game has changed and we need a tough MF leader who will kick ‘em in the nuts and laugh at them everyday.
We need a scrappy tough guy leader with scrappy tough friends who won’t complain about procedure.
He redacted documents! – it’s pathetic
Listen pal. You can have all the tough guy leaders you want. Without the membership that leader is dead in the water. Even General Patton still needed soldiers. Until this party quits screwing its members and its constitutions (and now its bloggers) its going nowhere fast.
Good post, James. Otherwise, that leader is like that dude in Monty Python & the Holy Grail, with no arms or legs and claiming to be really really tough etc.
To their credit, Mike Crawley and James Morton have both come out either on twitter or their websites and stated they support bloggers being given accreditation.
Well Morton is a blogger Scott. I would assume nothing less from him. My point was that it’s the same place holders doing the same thing over and over and over again….which, of course, is not much.
I am writing this from Saudi Arabia and what a place to read this Dumb move by the LPC… I hope and pray that they will change their mind. The LPC must open the tent wide enough to allow as many Canadians as possible to enter the LPC. If the trend continues in the global economy, Canada will face the ugly recession and it will be Mr. Harper whose fate will be decided on that. But the groundwork for that happen where people change their vote from Mr. Harper to LPC must start with openness.
I was replying to Gwynne Riaz. It’s just how comments land when you are replying to someone. Its not chronological.
Well said, Riaz!
Hooooo boy.
As I said earlier, everyone should send Rae an e-mail and state the case of the value of having skilled bloggers on your side. Rae should know unequivocally that the Liberal Party cannot afford to engage in snobbery and petty infighting over things like this.
We need all the voters we can get, and the meeting of minds should have started long ago.
It’s gotten bigger than the mere humans that make up the Liberal point of view. The issue is whether we are willing to let things like this stand in the way of getting our Canada back from the most destructive and dictatorial shit government I have had the displeasure of witnessing in my life.
Hatchets need to be buried, and quickly.
Addendum: We as Liberals need to ask ourselves if we can afford to let the ineptitude of the NDP carry on the way it has. Jesus H. Christ. That party’s a f***in’ mess. We can’t afford to miss this golden opportunity to take advantage of that f***in’ mess, because it ain’t gonna last forever.
Enough of the kid stuff, because what Harper is doing to our country requires the maturity that I know our party is capable of. Like it or not, Harper has declared war on all opposition parties, and in order to defeat Harper, we need to stand together as warriors. It’s now or never.
fuvking a
[...] has experience in knowing the importance of social media). You can read some of my fellow Liberals blogposts on the topic here and here and here. I’m sure there will be [...]
I don’t think blogs have that much influence because of confirmation bias. People who are already Liberals read Liberal blogs, Cons read Con blogs, etc. I don’t think a lot of minds are changed. The danger is that this policy shows up in the mass media and becomes the story. Party members might decide on a leader, but all voters decide the election and hardly any of them are party members or even donate money to parties. It’s all BS until we change our electoral system to at minimum a preferential voting system. Right now our system produces phony results, phony governments and unhappy voters.
I get a lot of Conservatives.
You do, Warren and I hope change some votes and maybe you do but I think most Conservatives are trying to agitate. Not saying blogs are useless (I think they help get some good talking points out there to supporters who then bring them to pubs and Christmas dinner tables but that’s an indirect route… Maybe I just changed my own mind on the subject!)
Warren, if I’m not mistaken, this was your stance about two or three years ago; that blogs were irrelevant?
[...] give out endorsements for internal Liberal Party elections to posts, (I’m just one of those “stupid bloggers”) and this probably won’t matter in the grand scheme of things Liberal, but here you are, as [...]
[...] a Stupid Blogger© of some standing, I continue to be amused by the Left Coast’s ongoing campaign to elicit [...]
Good Grief.
I’m sure he’d be welcome, and people would want to see him.
Really. Where I come from breaking a promise is just as good as losing. Watch and learn.
What’s wrong with Rae claiming his right of ascension? Now, I don’t think Bob will claim it’s his right. However, You are basically arguing for the leader of the party to represent every single stereotype this party is rightly trying to shed i.e. arrogance, sense of entitlement (like claiming a right of ascension after levelling a few good lines in question period) and a lust for power to fulfill ones own desires, not to serve at the pleasure of the Party and the country. God Gwynne, I swear I still can’t tell if you’re the most annoying pro-Bob anti-party democracy troll I’ve read or an expert in sarcasm.
To hell with constitutions? To Hell with You!
Mr. Kinsella, Mr. Ignatieff ( an amazing individual whom I had shared few drinks in London and not the guy CPC made him to be at all) and Mr. Turner are part of the Liberal Party and their presence should not be a question; it must be assumed. If the LPC does not want the merger with NDP and would like to return to power, they must be united 100% and once the leader is chosen, must stand behind him or her. There is no room for childish like attitude anymore. We need an alternative government in waiting when Mr. Harper is gone. Mr. Harper will not stay in the power forever; no one does. So, the work must start now. I know it is your blog Mr. Kinsellla but I will say it again: you must be inside the circle. I know if the call comes, you will help and I hope that it does.
What the hell do you care buddy? If there is anyone who doesn’t need to pass some dumbass commenter purity test, it’s Warren Kinsella. Not that anyone needs to stand up for Warren, but you have been spreading a lot of divisive crap on this blog. Why not just worry about yourself and your EDA. Worry about the convention when you get to Ottawa.
That’s nice, Riaz, but I’m not interested. I’m a Liberal, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to put up with bullshit. You shouldn’t, either.
Dear Ed:
Are you referring to me when you say that ” I am spreading a lot of divisive crap on this blog”? I think we should let Mr. Kinsella decide since it is his blog. By the way, I am not going to convention since I do not have card carrying affiliation with any political party. And what is does the EDA stand for?
Not thinking outside the box says the person who has seen Bob Rae lead the party for 8 months and thinks there’s no one else up to the job. I actually like the job Bob has been doing and don’t believe him to be anywhere near your level of entitlement over who should lead the party. If he breaks his promise, well, we’ll deal with that as it comes. However, to ask why he should not claim his right of ascension to the Liberal throne (did you really call it a throne? really?) is the highest form of arrogance I’ve heard yet.
p.s. I don’t think Mr. Rae’s whole life comes down to leading the LPC. The guy was premier of Ontario, among other impressive accomplishments.
Gwynn – We’ve seen what happens when someone just tries to “grab the top job”: you get Paul Martin and a divided LPC. Why don’t we follow the plan we put in place? It makes way more sense…
Preferential vote is different. You just rank candidates in order of preference. In order to win the riding you need more than 50% of the vote combining first second third choices etc. it’s kind of like a runoff vote in advance. If you only like one candidate just make one selection. This is roughly how the system works in Australia. It’s not as fair as proportional representation but at least is produces governments most people can at least get behind unlike the current phony government we have now.
As for PR limiting choice of candidate and who decides on them that’s a misguided objection. How are candidates chosen now? By a combination of member votes at the riding level and by party bosses who just appoint them. The electoral system has no bearing whatsoever. The “problem” with PR resides in the minds of party brass who think it’s OK to have less than 40% of voters pushing everyone else around. It’s the tyranny of the minority — and it’s what we’ve had in this country for the last 60 years except for one election that produced the big Mulroney majority.