KCCCC Day 12: What kids might say
- I was a bit under the weather this morning. So I didn’t get to do my favourite thing, which is drive the kids to school. On these journeys, the kids will listen to the radio – always set to CBC, if my sons are being ferried – and ask me questions. The questions are always thoughtful and interesting. Here’s what they might have said this morning, with my response.
- Dad, why are they saying Stephen Harper is in a bubble? “That’s what reporters say during an election campaign, when they think a politician is trying to hide from tough questions and from real people. Very fair reporters I know, like David Akin, say it is happening, so I know it is. Lots of Conservative friends I know are telling me they think Harper has made a big mistake with it. It may not hurt Harper, because a lot of people aren’t watching the campaign, yet, and because reporters tend to make the allegation a lot. But, if it sticks, it’ll make Harper look like a chicken.”
- I heard he kicked out some kids. Is that true? Why did he do that? “Yes, it’s true. A girl had her picture taken with Michael Ignatieff, and the Harper people spied on her Facebook page and saw the picture. It makes him like someone who bullies kids, and who lies about it when caught. If I were working on the Liberal campaign, I would do an ad about that [UPDATE: And they have, below!] , and make sure everyone in Canada knows. When things like that happen, and no one cares, we’re not in Canada anymore.”
- Daddy, the radio said he had a man who worked for Harper who was in jail. How did that happen? “That’s a good question. Harper likes to say he’s tough on crime, but he’s not tough on crime when it comes to his friends. I used to work for Mr. Chretien, and I had a Top Secret security clearance, and that meant the RCMP investigated me before I could get hired. I don’t understand why a convicted criminal was allowed to work there. What files did he see? Are there other convicted criminals who work for Harper? I’ll bet there are.”
- If Harper is doing so many bad things, why did the radio guy say he is winning? “He’s winning, but he’s lost support in the past week, because he’s had a lousy campaign, and Ignatieff has had a good one. He’s also always ahead at the start of campaigns, because his supporters tend to by angry old white guys who would come out for him in a hurricane. The supporters Ignatieff and Layton have are more laid-back, and they generally start to pay attention usually around the time of the debates. That’s when the polls will get closer, because Harper isn’t a good debater on TV.”
- Are you working for the Liberals now? “No, I’m not. I was working for Ignatieff for a while, there, but I didn’t like how he treated some people who are friends of mine, so I left. I think he’d be a better Prime Minister than Harper, so that’s why I’ve got that great big Maria Minna sign out front. She’s a friend of mine and is a great MP.”
- I’d vote for her if I was old enough, Daddy.“Good!”
- So you’re still working for Premier McGuinty, right? “Yes, I work for his caucus, we’re up early every day, working hard for him. Yesterday, he pointed out that his main opponent is splitting in two – with progressive conservatives on one said, and some pretty bad people, like racists, on the other. The last time that happened was in 1991, when I was working for Mr. Chretien and Mr. Mulroney’s party split in two. They lost every election for ten years after that.”
- Here’s that video!