— Musings —05.09.2016 10:58 AM
Showboating politicos don’t put out fires
And that’s why Justin Trudeau has rightly said he won’t be heading out to Fort Mac just yet.
In my own (personal) experience, politicians need to be very, very careful about disaster-related decision-making. Don’t listen to Central Canadian backroom advisors looking for a photo op. Case in point.
That’s why I think this was the tweet of the day, in response to something I said, not as well. You can’t (i) whinge about Prime Minister Selfie, Tories and Dips, and then (ii) simultaneously complain when he won’t head out to Alberta for a photo op. You can’t suck and blow at the same time, you know?
@kinsellawarren the people who hate his photo-ops want him to do one
— RobJ (@vinefan99) May 9, 2016
It seems to be a very fine line indeed. He, or anybody, would probably be best-served to either stay away or make a visit to the displaced people to assure them that the Prime Minister and the rest of the country are thinking of them and that we will support them and that we will be there for them. Showing up to take pics with beleaguered firefighters and pull them away from their important work is not beneficial at all.
Amen.
Entourage and hangers-on: 44 to Washington, 328 to Paris and 0 to Fort Mac.
If the Red Cross would pay him $30,000 to give a speech in Fort Mac, he’d be there tonight.
Liberals hate Alberta!!
They don’t care about the residents of Fort Mac languishing in in misery.
Justin Trudeau doesn’t care about Western Canada and is a heartless Prime Minister!!
We desperately need a kudatah to over throw these Laurentian Liberal elites.
Those heartless, greedy mofos.
Whoooooosh that was the point of this whole post gong right over your head.
Yeah. Cough. Ahem.
http://media.gettyimages.com/photos/prime-minister-jean-chretien-is-escorted-by-the-military-while-the-picture-id52022978
Warren,
Now, if only he had trained as a firefighter.
I think it’s almost unbelievable he hasn’t showed up in Edmonton. You know the capital of the province. Perhaps he could try to appear prime ministerial even. Completely tone-deaf. Not a leader.
I think he could/should visit Fort Mac from the air WIThOUT the photo opportunity. Canadians don’t need to see him showboating but he needs to see the extent of the devastation. He did the right thing by his statement and he was right to stay away during the time when the firefighters were battling to save the city but he should see what they are faced with rebuilding. Do it, then come back and tell Canadians what you saw. No parlour tricks. Just empathy- which he does well.
Maybe that will take some heat off flying his mother and in-laws to Washngton to meet with Obama.
The more statesmanlike Trudeau becomes the more tone deaf the loony right becomes. This is one of those moments when both left and right wingers show the rest of us how ridiculous they are.
I am not clear on the rationale for refusing the international aid offered.