09.19.2014 07:01 AM

Old man, take a look at me now, I’m a lot like you were, etc.

your-age-on-the-dot1

“Old men”?

Look, lots of us agree on his position on reproductive freedom. We were taking that position long before Justin Trudeau was, in fact.

But calling your opponents names – to wit, “old men” – is dumb. Makes him look defensive and callow.

Oh, and it probably won’t help him much with the many, many folks who are older than him. Many of whom, last time I checked, vote often and early.

40 Comments

  1. Joe says:

    What concerns me (an old man) has little to do with abortion. The subject is pretty much dead politically speaking. However the big rap on Harper is his “my way or the highway” style of governing. Here is Harper’s main opponent before he is even elected hand picking his candidates based on his (Trudeau’s) narrow point of view. If he will do this to would be candidates what will he do to his caucus an by extension his government and by further extension the country. I suspect under such a heavy hand Quebec and Western separatism will raise their hoary heads once more.

  2. smelter rat says:

    Defending the rights of 50% of the population is hardly a narrow point of view.

  3. Niall says:

    Speaking of Liberals with questionable judgement:

    Would anyone be surprised by this, his latest sleaze-o-rama ?

    http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/dalton-mcguinty-ex-ontario-premier-registers-as-government-lobbyist-1.2768576

    Niall from Winnipeg

    • Kaspar Juul says:

      Predictable as always

      Kaspar from Vancouver

    • Matt says:

      It does seem somewhat incestuous, but a lot of former MPP’s and MP’s turn to lobbying after they leave politics. As long as he’s followed all the rules in becoming a lobbyist, which he seems to have, it is what it is.

      • Kaspar Juul says:

        Agreed, and its nice to see you summarized it as an affliction of former politicians rather than the partisan straw man Niall attempted to put forth

  4. davie says:

    Be careful, Libs…we old men tend to vote.

    • MississaugaPeter says:

      I don’t think they care.

      As long as they get some of the older women and under 40 vote they think they can win a majority.

      Attacking old men, ignoring their previous contributions to liberalism, may actually be part of the plan to enamor the aforementioned groups.

      • smelter rat says:

        That bunch did squat to promote liberalism. Look it up.

        • davie says:

          ‘did squat to promote liberalism’? Are you kidding? First campaign I ever was working for a candidate was in electing Steve Patrick to the Manitoba legislature in an election in the early 1960’s, built signs, planted same, – put little flyers into mail boxes and on porches.
          Look it up.

          (Although, I must admit, I chipped in for him for the very good reason that he played centre for the Bombers.)

          • smelter rat says:

            I was thinking more of Wappel, Calder, Crawford etc. although i doubt any Lib elected in the 60’s was very big on LGBT rights.

  5. debs says:

    oh well maybe the old men will have their eyes opened, lol, the idea for me is that he stick to it being a women’s right to decide, let no man of any age be able to vote that away again.

    • Matt says:

      While I agree nobody should be telling a woman what she can or can’t do with her body, Justin’s claim abortion is a charter right upheld by the SCoC is a lie.

    • Joe says:

      Funnily enough debs most old geezers like me don’t give a rat’s behind about abortion. Well with the exception of wondering about who our grandsons are going to marry since a larger number of abortions are female fetuses than male fetuses. However I do see lots of anti abortion sentiment coming from young women. Must be that kinda anti-feminist new feminism I keep reading about in the papers.

  6. Reality.Bites says:

    Old man is a lot nice than anything I’d ever call Tom Wappell,, who devoted his life to trying to hurt gays while having an affair.

  7. Robert Jago says:

    Do so many people self-identify as ‘old men’? I’m sure there are a bunch of 50-something grey pony-tail types reading the paper and saying ‘yeah, stick it to those old men’ …

  8. Jack Peters says:

    1. Justin Trudeau is near 43 years old. Well into middle-age, married with children. In a mere decade, he will be oldish. In fact, this whole thing about “young” Justin Trudeau is sort of creepy.

    2. An absolutist stance on abortion is both the Beijing line and the line of other groups that practice gendercide – the abortion of female babies. The people behind this are prune-like, degenerate, sexist, really old men who only want to replicate themselves.

    The core issue is why the powers-that-be have made it so difficult for young women to have babies in this country.

  9. Matt says:

    Psssssst, Justin:

    Most of your caucus, and a number or your star candidates are “old men”

  10. Lance says:

    I know Trudeau doesn’t exactly them very much, but refusing to answer their questions (as he has done before) just because it is Sun News seems petulant –

    http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/sunnews/politics/archives/2014/09/20140918-165850.html

    • smelter rat says:

      Horseshit. SNN has never been and never will be fair to him. He shouldn’t give them the sweat off his balls.

      • Lance says:

        And is it “horseshit” when the CBC supposedly treats Harper likewise? Or is THAT petulant whining by Conservatives?

        No, he can’t handle tough questions from ONE news agency that will even deign to ask him, so……..he runs away. All the time. Harper CLEARLY has no love for the CBC for whatever reason, but he hasn’t ever FLED from their questions or does something childish like rolling his eyes and saying, “next question”.

  11. Justin being glib, and putting his foot in his mouth. Polls say he’s going to be the next PM, but Liberal backroomers must be terrified of the 2015 campaign and debates. I’m tired of Harper, like most Canadians are. But, I’m not voting for the Sarah Palin of Papineau.

    I live in TO. Lots of Justin supporters. When pressed, they admit that he’s not too bright, but are backing him anyway. This does not bode well for Junior.

    • Lance says:

      He is handled pretty heavily. And it isn’t him just him being glib or putting his foot in it. When questioned by media sources he doesn’t like, he either outright refuses to answer or it ends up being handed off to other people, such as “old men” like Marc Garneau. Its not just that he won’t say he has already answered, or openly referring it directly to one of his critics handling the file which would be fair; he just literally rolls his eyes, and says, “next question” or runs away, again literally. When let off his leash he wanders off script easily and gets flustered into making weird and perplexing off the mark statements, even with with a friendly crowd. He can’t handle being challenged, or thinking on the fly, and as someone who likely will be PM one day, that won’t bode well for us either.

  12. MgS says:

    Speaking as a woman, I for one am sick and tired of “angry old white men” trying to govern and regulate my sexuality. Take a look at who heads up the “anti-abortion” organizations – it’s amazingly consistent with the exception of RWOC.

    Sorry, Warren, but on this one, JT has it right.

    • Warren says:

      I know he’s right. He’s got the right adversaries.

      But the “old men” insult needlessly expands the number of adversaries he’s facing.

      Anyway, whatever. Conbots, Gritbots, Dipperbots. They’re all the same.

  13. Terry Brown says:

    Here’s a tip I’ve found fail proof: look at whatever position the National Post or Tom Wappell take and then take the opposite position and you’ll typically have the benefit of being both correct and not a gigantic asshole. The Post has this “story” on its front page, as a huge editorial and they’ve reprinted with approval this letter authored in (large?) part by Tom Wappell. This is a lock.

  14. Ridiculosity says:

    Old men. Young men. Middle-aged men. Men who like poodles. Men who wear skirts.

    It doesn’t matter. It’s not your issue – or your decision. End of story.

  15. Realist says:

    He’s not slamming old men. He’s not even slamming old men who have opinions. He’s slamming old men who purport to tell women what to do with their bodies. It’s a pretty clear distinction and this old man fully agrees with him.

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