11.25.2013 09:36 PM

In Tuesday’s Sun: I predict a Liberal win by the punk rocker in Brandon-Souris!

Even if he loses, Rolf Dinsdale is a winner.

Full disclosure, first part: The deadline for this column was well before all the votes were counted in Rolf’s Brandon-Souris riding in Manitoba on Monday. So my friend might win, or not.

Disclosure, second part: Rolf is, indeed, one of my best friends.

Now, to Canada’s political chattering classes, Rolf is a marvel. He’s the guy who erased the 60-point lead the Conservatives had in 2011’s general election.

He’s the wunderkind who turned Brandon-Souris Liberal red after it had been Tory blue for most of the past century.

But to me — and to his past and future bandmates Davey Snot, Bjorn von Flapjack, Rayman and Steve Deceive — he was our buddy and lead guitarist in our punk rock band.

He was a great guitarist, too. We did gigs for fun and raised money for Haiti relief, juvenile diabetes, G20 protesters, Russian political prisoners and food banks. The last song we recorded together was called Mayor On Crack, and we’re giving the proceeds to addiction counselling. (It’s on iTunes, folks!)

Punk rocker, political sensation and a good guy, too. A winner.

Our band bears the acronym SFH. You might have heard about this already because the Conservatives — in white-knuckle panic about losing the riding they arrogantly assumed would always be theirs — littered the riding with smears against Rolf.

He was in a punk rock band! With naughty lyrics and a naughty name! He wore a bowler hat onstage!

The smears didn’t work. Everyone laughed at them. They laughed, too, at the news the Cons had shipped in their campaign primus inter pares, Jenni Byrne, to keep Brandon-Souris in the Conservative fold. Byrne will now slink back to Ottawa, having been humiliated by — ha!— a punk rocker.

Now, in fairness, Rolf did not become a big winner all on his own.

For starters, Rolf’s surname didn’t hurt. His dad was the legendary Walter Dinsdale — a true Progressive Conservative who held the riding for decades and was a senior federal cabinet minister.

His dad won the Distinguished Flying Cross for killing many Nazis during the war. (We did a song about that.)

The surname of the Liberal leader didn’t hurt, either. Justin Trudeau attracted lots of support because older folks remember his dad with genuine affection. And a lot of younger folks support him because Justin is more youthful and positive than his opponents.

Other beneficial factors: The Conservatives made a five-alarm calamity of their candidate nomination process, thereby enraging plenty of local Tories.

The Senate scandal assisted Rolf, too — that sordid, fetid mess has now fully ensnared Stephen Harper with suspicions the prime minister knew a lot more than he claimed to know.

All of these factors, and more, helped my buddy Rolf. We talked about it over the weekend.

“Along with being a dad, this is the greatest thing I have ever done,” he said, exhausted. “Even if I lose, what an honour this has been.”

He won’t lose. The votes weren’t in as of this writing, but I’m going out on a limb for my friend. Along with being a punk rocker, Rolf Dinsdale is also this:

A winner.

14 Comments

  1. james Smith says:

    Here’s the cheer that we’ll be hearing tomorrow, no matter what!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLz07TaTDEA

  2. frmr disgruntled Con now happy Lib says:

    If Mr. Dinsdale can make it three out of four, oh Happy Day!……

  3. .. well .. a true nail biter .. but at 11:30 PM gots about 300 votes on the good side ..

  4. nez1 says:

    Really close right now…friggin’ Reformacons. Like Homer sez: How many times do I hafta tell you? Democracy doesn’t work!”

  5. debs says:

    well…its close…but it should warrant a recount, just because the cons have stolen so many electoral areas thru cheating:P

  6. Chris says:

    You are going to have to read some hateful comments over the next few days no matter what happens. Stay strong and know that there are many who truly appreciate what you do.

  7. Luke says:

    Damn. At 208/210 polls reporting, Dinsdale is behind ~400 votes. So it looks over.

    Still, I am sure many of us are pleased with the strong showing, and I bet many Conservatives are not so happy, despite the win.

  8. Grimley says:

    Justin now has 2 new MPs on his generational change team …. Christia Freeland (Minister of Finance) and Emmanuel Dubourg (Minister of Foreign Affairs)….. and byebye Ralph Goodale.

    Ever notice that Marc Garneau is no longer present in the HoCs … a conspicuous absence???

  9. Geoff V says:

    I guess Trudeau was right, The Chinese system of Govt works better.

  10. smelter rat says:

    Fuck. lost by 391. 44% voter turnout. However Liberal votes went from 5% in 2011 to 42% in 2013.

  11. e.a.f. says:

    after all that has happened there are still who are so blind they will not see. Obviously some people don’t care how unethical their politicians are.

  12. JH says:

    So much for the pollsters – again! Why oh why does the media keep believing them and making such a big deal out of them? One over the weekend had Dinsdale ahead by 29%.
    No wonder nobody believes the MSM or the pollsters any more, they’ve been let down so many times.

    • I do not blame the pollsters for a second. They tell their customers up front the probability of 1) Their poll sample NOT being an accurate representation of the whole population. 2) Margin of error on questions asked.
      If the entire population voted in every election, then the polls would be consistently correct, but getting out the vote, and voter apathy are significant when a third or more citizens do not cast a ballot. The population sampled (everyone) is not the same as the more dedicated population that actually vote. There is also the less significant chance that people will change their minds as they are voting. How can you possibly blame polling companies for not anticipating which party will get out their vote better in which place?

  13. Paul says:

    good show , this is way politics should work – close – lots of stuff out there – did Trudeau help or hurt , being a Dinsdale certainly helped , punk rocker – help or hurt, senate scandal helped, polls help or hurt , lousy turnout really, good to see some liberal voters in west … 3 want 3 horse races , we want active politicking… all good

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