, 09.23.2019 09:18 AM

My latest: in a campaign about nothing positive, don’t give them something negative

The land is strong.

Sound familiar? Remember that?

The old-timers do. It was an actual slogan that was deployed in the 1972 federal election campaign. Didn’t work out too well.

In yesterday walks tomorrow, they say, and that is certainly true when one compares 1972 to 2019. The similarities are striking.

• In 1972, a Trudeau led the Liberal Party, as in 2019.
• It was a Liberal majority government seeking another majority, as now.
• Back in 1972, as in 2019, the Conservatives were led by a kind of boring, bland guy who everyone underestimated.
• The Liberals’ 1972 slogan, “the land is strong,” sucked. So does the Liberals’ 2019 slogan, “Choose Forward.” It’s ungrammatical and uninspiring.

But the Justin Trudeau folks are wedded to their crummy slogan, just like Justin’s Dad was to his. Everywhere Trudeau the Younger goes, he robotically repeats the “choose forward” mantra, and no one knows exactly what it means.

That’s never a good idea, politically but it’s potential lethal when a scandal hits – like the blackface scandal. When you have no positive message, it makes it easier for a negative message to take its place. And blackface has.

Is an election won or lost on a slogan? Of course not. But a good one should give voters a pithy idea about what is on offer. Like, you know, “Melts in your mouth, not in your hands.” Or: “Just Do It.” Or: “The Quicker Picker Upper.”

The big problem with “choose forward” is that it actually reminds voters about Justin Trudeau’s biggest problem. Which isn’t LavScam, or the Aga Khan, or Gropegate.

It’s that he hasn’t done what he said he was going to do. And he hasn’t done much at all, really.

Let’s crack open the history book again.

From 1968 to 1972, when his Dad was Prime Minister and enjoying a strong parliamentary majority, lots of things were done: the Just Society, universal health care, regional development, parliamentary reform, bilingualism, multiculturalism, pro-NATOism, multilateralism, staring down separatism and terrorism.

When you examine the elder Trudeau’s first majority term – and whether you respected him or not, and this writer really did – it is remarkable how much was accomplished in a relatively short period of time.
But, despite all that, Pierre Trudeau was still reduced to a minority in 1972.

His son, meanwhile, doesn’t have much to brag about, legislatively. Legalization of cannabis, and … that’s it.

History will not remember Justin Trudeau for lots of important legislative achievements, because there haven’t been any. It’s been a lot of social media sizzle, but not much policy steak.

Broken promises and voter disappointments: they’re not predicaments unknown to incumbent governments, true.
But, if there’s enough of them, they’re why those governments get defeated.

And, at this point, Justin Trudeau isn’t known for any achievements at all. He’s known for being a racist, and wearing blackface.

Pierre Trudeau wasn’t defeated in 1972. But, despite a lot of legislative achievements, he almost was. He, the Northern Magus, lost his Parliamentary majority to the efforts of Bob Stanfield – who, like Andrew Scheer, was regularly mocked and maligned.

“Choose Forward” strongly implies that what preceded it wasn’t all that great. In Justin Trudeau’s case, he wants us to think of mean old Stephen Harper when we think about that past.

But what if voters start thinking about the more-recent past – and what, if anything, Justin Trudeau has achieved?

He hasn’t achieved much. There’s a reason why Justin Trudeau is less popular than Donald Trump, you know.

The land is strong? When compared to something like “choose forward,” the 1972 Liberal campaign slogan is practically a detailed 100-page policy platform.

Canadians are going to “choose,” alright.

Based upon his paltry, puny legislative record – based on his racist blackface stunts – Justin Trudeau may deeply regret asking Canadians to do so.

43 Comments

  1. Oscoe Blauq says:

    Couple of things. Actually a few..

    Everyone’s talking about the blackface, not many talking about the creeping pinky / grope. Who puts their hand on a woman like that posing for a picture? I’ll tell you who..

    There are 3 known occasions of him doing blackface. Over a period of years. This is not a one time thing, this is more like an avid hobby. Why is he not being grilled on this, like say, how Harper would have been had similar images of him in blackface surfaced?

    Does anyone seriously think CDN Media did not have these pics before TIME released them? This is probably the most disturbing thing. Why does Trudeau hold cult-leader like power over the media that they keep giving him passes?

    ONE incident of blackface would have finished the career of any other politician in the country. Trudeau has THREE and we know there is more out there simply by his refusal to acknowledge whether there is or not. Yet he survives – WHY IS THIS?

    He had a reputation at the posh private school he worked at, for womanizing the staff and being overly handsy with some students. He roomed with a pedophile who used their dwelling for some of his crimes, who was also being groomed for the liberal party until his crime became public. Yet the media is strangely silent on this. Can anyone imagine any other politician getting leeway from the media like this?

    His reasons for leaving the school are foggy, why isn’t the media digging into this?

    It’s all a tad disturbing, no?

    • Bill says:

      A tad disturbing? Yes indeed!

      I wholeheartedly agree – where has the media been and why aren’t they pounding away at Trudeau as they did with Duffy? What did they know? Simple, with few exceptions, the media and the public service is left-of-centre in Canada – just ask Jerry Dias.

      Trudeau would have been gone a long time ago if it wasn’t for the support of the Trudeau apologist media.

      BTW – how many Billion$ has Trudeau promised to get re-elected?

      Trudeau and his hapless cabinet must go.

    • Christoph Dolllis says:

      Justin Trudeau is not done using his privilege.

    • WestGuy says:

      Exactly. I can see the media not knowing about the video but the other two images were from readily accessible sources that at least one reporter should have seen or, at least, started looking for when he became PM.
      Also, I’m surprised more people aren’t questioning the way he’s holding the woman in the photo. This is not the way a man who “respects women” acts. The term “hover hand” exists for a reason.
      But hey, maybe she experienced it differently.

  2. Robert White says:

    My take on Trudeau the Younger is that he tried to institute gender parity in the legislature but failed when he pushed his strongest caucus members out on the Lav-Scam arbitrage deal gone awry.

    The marijuana legislation was expected anyways so I don’t really think that is a true success.

    In terms of adding up his current successes at this juncture I am at a loss. Positive attributes of his leadership seem to be absent but he must have some qualities aside from nice hair.

    How someone like Justine Trudeau can get to the top of politics in Canada without the appropriate vetting process is beyond moi.

    Frankly, even if one wants to work for the Government of Canada as an employee there is a vetting process that is fairly stringent IMHO. Nothing gets by RCMP security assessment & vetting for employment. They do their homework on every prospect for employment but somehow everyone missed the vetting process for Prime Minister Trudeau and his antisocial past history & behaviour.

    Bottom line is that I know I am naïve when it comes to politicians but I never assumed that the RCMP were as dumb as I am when it comes to the vetting process.

    P.S. The ‘quicker picker upper’ line made me laugh & chuckle like I have not laughed in a while, Warren. Thanks for the levity today. After the last few days of unhappiness I needed that chuckle.

    Cheers, Robert

    • Chris says:

      I’m no fan of Trudeau but I don’t think the RCMP vet any MP, nor should they. Anyone who is eligible to run in an election and manages to win has gone through all the vetting that is required. It’s up to voters, media, and competing political parties to find this bad stuff before election day. Blackface is stupid, repugnant, insipid, but not illegal.

      • Robert White says:

        Time Magazine was responsible for the release of the previously unseen photos that were never vetted by media in Canada at all. If the Liberals had vetted the photos and gave the go ahead for Trudeau to be party leader why were they caught off guard for the timed release by Time Magazine?

        Why did the Liberal Party not ensure that they would not be tripped up by an American news corporation like Time Mag if they really did know about the photos before hand?

        Would it not be prudent for the RCMP to safeguard Parliament by vetting all future PMs for embarrassing & degrading photos that could damage the office of the Prime Minister if they were released to media in the manner that Time Mag released these photos to disrupt our election and possibly topple government?

        Did we all fail to learn the lessons of J. Edgar Hoover?

        RW

  3. A. Voter says:

    I think it will take another strong hit to the Trudeau image to really weaken the Liberal party. Which makes me wonder about the “sworn affidavit” that supposedly is being held, and which supposedly contains info that would damage JT.
    If it can be mentioned in a national newspaper, why is it that no one can mention what is in it during a campaign? Surely someone could at least run a blind item in a newspaper or online.

  4. Bill says:

    “Choose Forward” But, But Harper!

    The Trudeau government can’t run on their record, so they want you to forget their abject failure and broken promises over the past 4 years – too long to list, but someone will no doubt help me out here. Going Forward, Canada “will be Back ” as soon as we remove Mr. Trudeau from office in October. Trudeau has gotten away with more lies, corruption, groping and downright hypocrisy than any PM in the history of Canada. His Blackface era spanned decades, with possibly more evidence to follow? But this is not enough to convince the Trudeau cult of his total unsuitability to lead this country. He’s singlehandedly made Canada a laughingstock to the rest of the world.

    Let’s “choose” to show Mr. Trudeau the exit door come October – he was clearly Not As Advertised!

  5. Christoph Dolllis says:

    Word.

    By the way, I’m one of those who don’t approve of most of Pierre Trudeau’s policy “accomplishments.” However, I always respected him as a tough and principled man of consequence.

    • Fred from BC says:

      “By the way, I’m one of those who don’t approve of most of Pierre Trudeau’s policy “accomplishments.” However, I always respected him as a tough and principled man of consequence.”

      Likewise. Official multiculturalism has been a disaster and official bilingualism isn’t much better; both have done nothing but divide the country. P.E. Trudeau’s arrogance, his love of Castro, his riding around Montreal with a Nazi helmet on, his open disdain for the west and a few other character failings should have made him a one-term wonder, but his intellect, charisma and leadership ability made him a force to be reckoned with, as you say.

      I remember feeling a certain amoutnt of “Trudeaumania” myself even though I was still in high school at the time and before I really understood what politics were all about.

  6. They may think they can hold on as his Dad did in ’72, only to come back big in ’74. The fantasy could also include losing in ’79, only to Welcome us to the 1980s in ’80.

    But, of course, they are full of shit. Justin Trudeau is not nearly the person required to pull off either scenario. I hated P-E-T’s incredible arrogance and being royally full of himself — but like him, or loathe him, the man WAS something to behold. Justin? Not so much.

    • J.H. says:

      Ron, give PET credit though, he never disguised the fact that he thought he was better than most.
      Also, interesting these days to see Progressives defending racism and racists. One day that dog is going to come back and bite them all in the arse!
      And do you think ant of those doing this will admit that if it was Scheer, they’d be demanding his resignation immediately and arming the villagers with pitchforks and torches?
      Finally, ‘It’s All Harper’s Fault!’
      ROTFLMFAO

      • J.H.,

        You know me. Not exactly Harper’s poodle in the past but I digress. In any event, I think it’s a totally reasonable and a fair statement to say that if this was Scheer (or MacKay) or anyone else as CPC leader, most of the media would be on it in a nuclear New York-minute. And what’s far worse is that they won’t even acknowledge their own internal biases to themselves — much less to the Canadian people. (Same for Connie on the Trump side, by the way.)

  7. Harry Belafonte says:

    The name of the teacher he was groping was Mariam Matossian. No Canadian media has mentioned her name. Why is that? Why don’t they ask her about the picture?

    Also learned from foreign media is that many people were disturbed by what they saw but didn’t say anything because he is Justin Trudeau. The privilege is not race, it’s wealth and power. He was free to be a racist fool because of his name. Now the left wants us to give him a pass because he’s rich and powerful? What are they thinking? This is setting their causes back decades.

    • Christoph Dolllis says:

      Because she’s not a public figure and unless she wants to talk about it, it’s no one’s business?

      It isn’t beyond the realm of possibility that rich privileged idiot Justin Trudeau had her consent to touch.

      • Chris says:

        Mariam Matossian is a folk singer who now lives in the US. Go listen to her music; she is very talented.

        • Christoph Dollis says:

          I googled her briefly this morning. She’s still beautiful and, while I hadn’t listened to her music yet, I was curious about her “Armenian folk music” when I heard it described thus. Upon your recommendation, I’ll listen to some now.

        • Christoph Dollis says:

          Lovely performance by her here: “TEDxAsheville – Mariam Matossian and band – Musical Performance”

          I had no idea there was such a thing as a Tedx musical performance.

          She also speaks—very poignantly in such a way as to send chills down my body—of the Armenian genocide. I don’t know much about her, but if this is all I knew, I’d like her.

      • Harry Belafonte says:

        How do you know she doesn’t want to talk about it unless you ask her? It takes one line to say we contacted her and asked and she said ‘no comment’. I believe the woman JT groped said the same thing and they didn’t hound her after that.

    • Bill says:

      “It was supposed to be a formal event with an “Arabian Nights” theme including belly dancers and Middle Eastern music.

      Some 500 guests showed up, the men in tuxedos. Except Mr Trudeau. He had painted his face, hands and feet black, donned billowing robes, and placed a giant turban on his head. Not one other person was in blackface.

      If Mr Trudeau felt any embarrassment at his jaw-dropping and racially offensive faux pas, then he didn’t show it.

      “We were taken aback when he walked in, but it just didn’t seem to register with Justin. It was not OK,” one guest, who..”. Nick Allen, vancouver
      21 SEPTEMBER 2019 • 5:46PM

      CBC not reporting this?

  8. Steve T says:

    The Liberals’ use of the “…but, Harper!” strategy reminds me of a certain Mango Mussolini who kept on about Hillary’s emails long after the 2016 election.

    When you don’t have anything substantive to say about current affairs, you dig into the well and attempt to summon things from years gone by. And the saddest part is that some voters are dumb enough to fall for it.

  9. Joe says:

    Trudeau – the best the Liberals can get.

    What a campaign slogan. 🙂

  10. The Doctor says:

    I’m kind of surprised, and disappointed, that JT isn’t being hammered harder for lying his face off about the budget deficit(s).

    It seems that fiscal responsibility is out of fashion these days, particularly among those who consider themselves progressive. Which means we may well drive ourselves into another debt/deficit ditch like we did in the early 90s. Which was no fun at all. But I guess historical awareness is out of fashion these days as well.

    • Doc,

      We’re too busy waiting for the next recession that’ll likely make The Great Depression look like an afternoon tea party! Course, none of that will be Trump nor Trudeau’s fault. (Their high-energy pep inoculation is only for good news.)

  11. John says:

    Disturbing story at the Maclean’s magazine website on Justin granting honorary consul status to a man in Montreal who is a supporter and promoter of the murdering dictator in Syria. I’m sure it has nothing to do with him attending a Liberal Party fundraiser for Trudeau. Nice picture of him standing with Justin.

  12. John says:

    Gerald Butts had Trudeau rant about Doug Ford today, mentioning him 14 times in his speech. Funny, I don’t remember Doug Ford wearing black face or taking money from a supporter of the dictator in Syria.

  13. Christoph Dollis says:

    This is a bit random, but speaking of “POSITIVE” I just remembered this anti-racism speech from the Hollywood movie We Were Soldiers. It is based on the all-too-real battle of Ia Drang, the first pitched battle of the Vietnam war to involved large units of the American and North Vietnamese armies.

    In the casting, they went out of their way to choose actors who not only reflected the ethnic diversity within the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry of the 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) and supporting units, they even went out of their way to choose actors who looked like the men who fought in the battle.

    Now, you may not like Mel Gibson much these days, in part due to an ethnic tirade he engaged in. Nonetheless, the character he plays, Lt. Gen. Harold “Hal” Moore (deceased), seems to have been one heck of an effective military leader and generally decent man. I’ve read his books, more than once, and been challenged and inspired. I’ll need to read them (especially On Leadership) again to get more challenged and more inspired and do better, but I digress.

    Of special note here, over Moore’s career right from his days as a West Point cadet, he was very opposed to and actively campaigned against racism within the American military specifically and society generally. I can’t see Hal Moore cavorting about in blackface three+ times in his life. Can you?

    Justin Trudeau is no Hal Moore.

  14. Shocked111 says:

    The “choice” is not between the PM and Abraham Lincoln. It is between the PM and Scheer.

  15. Walter says:

    Tarek Fatah raises some interesting points, and pokes many holes in the lie Trudeau is trying to spin.
    1: Trudeau said “I should’ve known better. But I didn’t.”
    2: Fatah points out that Trudeau took a course called Sociology of Education that helped him see his white privileged.

  16. Pedro says:

    To paraphrase Lloy Bentsen, ” Prime Minister, we KNEW Pierre Trudeau. Justin, you are NO Pierre Trudeau.” I grew up with PET as PM in Windsor with Liberal heavyweights like Martin Sr., Gray, McQuiggan and Whelan and I STILL became a lifelong Conservative. That said, PET was a country-changing Prime Minister of uncanny political instincts, a brutally effective delegator of responsibility and great legal mind. I didn’t agree with him but, he was great. That we have to thank the current Liberal brain-trust for using him and his name and that legacy for the merde we’ve seen for the past almost 4 years makes me yearn for PET, or a man of that, yeah, integrity.

  17. Cam Kroeger says:

    MY LATEST: IN A CAMPAIGN ABOUT NOTHING POSITIVE, DON’T GIVE THEM SOMETHING NEGATIVE

    I admit I’m a knuckle dragging, mouth breathing, gun owning, big bore bike owning, Neo-Con born in Alberta redneck. I’m right of the Reform party.
    I’m not here to troll.
    But when your guy is getting skewered, and rightly so, across the world’s headlines, and on late night US tv, it is time to throw in the towel.
    The Liberal party has to make a principled decision, at this very awkward time, and fire JT and replace him with an intern leader. I don’t care who, get Ralph, recall Stephany from where ever he is, (I don’t recommend Freeland….) put an electrolyte iv into Sheila for a week and see if her doctor will ok it… anybody….
    Seriously though, if Quebec pulls the Liberals even into a minority government, with the Greens or now the NDP propping them up, that will be bad news and make people furious, and I remember the “Stop Harper” and all the press about how Harper was evil.

    I do miss Prime Minister Harper

    It goes both ways, I am personally not happy with the Justin Trudeau government, and that’s my opinion, and I’m entitled to it. (but W Kinsella doesn’t have to share it on his site)

  18. Robin says:

    All the Sultan of Poutine wants is for voters to be good Canadians and eat their cheese curds from Quebec.

  19. John says:

    Trudeau’s CBC tackled the Maclean’s magazine story this morning. No mention that the supporter of the Syrian dictator attended fundraisers for Justin and the Liberal Party, that he donated money to Justin and the Liberal Party, or that he had a meeting and photo with Justin. They did report that Global Affairs Minister Freeland is shocked by the comments from the Trudeau approved Syrian hon. consul. She wants us to believe that she and her dept. knew nothing about it. In other words she knows nothing about his close Liberal ties. Just like she wants us to believe that Justin is not racist for wearing blackface.

  20. Phil says:

    I am going to start with a simple statement I am a baby boomer white male that votes conservative. There no hiding behind my allegiances.
    It is a very sad state of affairs, you have a public figure, not just any public figure but the freaking prime minister of the freaking country caught in what has been judged by decades as a racist act THREE times, Yet the public perception if you believe polls is that of “would rather vote for a racist fool than save the environment” or “would rather vote for a racist fool then support a small c conservative” or worse of all “would rather vote for a racist fool then support a left wing leader from a visible minority”. Nary a wimper from liberal cabinet ministers and MPs and candidates. All whom it would seem would rather serve a racist fool and stay in power than depose him, or even mildly opposed him. Warren as a liberal you are very lonesome in your condemnation which shows your own moral compass is well tuned even if we disagree politically.
    I won’t give Trudeau a pass, simple, he has smothered with arrogance the compassion that was my father and grandfather’s liberal party. He would give no quarter to old comments about Conservatives while out-lefting the NDP. He is an opportunist and like Donald Trump he has figured out just how to dupe the nation into thinking he is the best choice for leader.
    My five year old dead cat is a better leader today. But the people of Canada seem (if you can believe polls) to have not just given Trudeau a pass, they have rallied around a substance free racist idiot.
    My own personal fight to stand up to Trudeau with $500,000 thrown in will still leave me millions short of the message that needs to be broadcast. My money is staying in my pocket and not supporting any party because none seems capable of exploiting the incompetence of the man.
    All I can say is people have turned a blind eye to many things and have elected horrible persons around the globe. Looks like Canada is not that unique after all.
    Turdo is not Hitler, not even Donald Trump but he is sucking the grey matter from all who chant his name.
    Society is not in a very good place when Jagmeet Singh, Liz May, and Andrew Scheer are not viewed worth choosing to oppose this racist idiot.
    Someday we will have all had enough,I hope that day does not usher in an extreme populist from right or left but I fear one day we will vote selfishly for ourselves and not for the good of the nation. Liberal silence has me begging the question whose qualified and has the integrity to replace him?
    Divide and conquer served Rome pretty well and the country will burn here too while some fool fiddles.

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