Monday, March 26, 2012

ON THE ROCKS

He shows up for his first national press conference in blue jeans and a black sports jacket.

And we're talking here ratty blue jeans at that, not some designer conceit.

He's not a teen-ager. He's the leader of a national political party, just elected.

His name is Thomas Mulcair.

Where Bob Rae, former NDP politician, is now the interim, erstwhile, almost Liberal leader, Mulcair, former Quebec Liberal, is now the leader of the NDP.

Are you following all of this?

To make matters worse, he's what the writers of Seinfeld would call a "quiet talker."

Quiet talking, like a host of other devices, is not a nervous tic that visits its hosts unwillingly. It is a sick, sucking passive-aggressive control strategy, designed to bring everyone in proximity to his or her knees.

The quiet talker is a closet Ninja warrior who sees the whole world as a threat. He is always en guard.

Why should I be surprised to learn that this man's biggest deficit is himself? That is, his miserable, combative, uncooperative personality?

Volcanic temper, ego, refusal to work with others - these are the highlights of this fellow's rap sheet.

Why am I not surprised that Ed Broadbent tore strips off the guy last week?

So the NDP are tired of playing maiden-in-waiting. They want the whole schmeer.

Fair enough.

But be careful what you wish for.

This man is toxic.

If you think Stephen Harper is trouble - and I don't, by the way - you ain't seen nothing yet.

Mulcair is an intellectual snob, superior to me and thee in every way.

May he never be Prime Minister or anything even remotely close.

2 comments:

David Berner said...

FROM MY FRIEND, VICTOR

Hi David:

Your post on Mulcair was brilliant and not surprisingly, missed by the LSM ( Lame Stream Media, with eternal thanks to Sarah Palin for that perfect label. She got that right).

The LSM are drooling at the prospect of venomous exchanges between Mulcair and Harper in Question Period. Exactly how such sophomoric sarcasm will improve the lives of Canadians escapes me. As one who was paid to be in charge of Question Period for two years, I ask friends to explain to me a single thing in their lives that was improved by Question Period. I have never had an answer.

I never watched Seinfeld so I didn't twig to your reference. But upon reading it, I recognized what you meant. When I was in law school, Dalton Camp addressed the first year class and his voice was softer than a baby fart. Students moved forward but I wouldn't. As the only guy in that law class who had been expelled from high school at 16 and worked dead end jobs for 3 years before being admitted to university, I remember thinking that I had met his type before. At race tracks, poker games and in interviews where I knew they didn't want me.

I miss you still on radio. Bloated Bill (I refer to both his wattles and ego) couldn't carry your briefs, let alone your briefcase.

Le Boulevardier

Jeff Taylor said...

When I watch Mr. Mulcair speak, for some unknown reason, I feel extremely uneasy. There's just something about the guy. Can't put my finger on it. I just feel uneasy. I suspect that many. many voters in Quebec actually voted for Jack Layton (not so much the NDP) and now that he's no longer with us, the Quebec voting results will be somewhat different - the "Orange Crush" will be diluted at the very least I'm sure.