Apparently CBC Newsworld is talking about a rumour that Reform party founder Preston Manning might be appointed the next Canadian Ambassador to the United States.
At the risk of forever tarnishing my progressive credentials, I have to confess that, of all the leaders of the extreme right in this country, Manning is the one I like best. Stockwell Day was just the devil's gift to stand up comedians and Stephen Harper is ..well..Stephen Harper.
Of course, Manning and I agree on just about nothing but we do share a common background. I grew up in Saskatchewan while Tommy Douglas was premier and was constantly told by my relatives that Ernest Manning and those folks in Alberta represented just about everything wrong with the world. Preston grew up in Alberta at about the same time while his father was premier and, I'm sure, was told that Tommy Douglas and those people in Saskatchewan represented just about everything wrong with the world.
So I think it would be interesting to sit down with Preston over a beer (or whatever) and talk about the experience of growing up in that kind of prairie populist environment from two very different perspectives. I expect the shared background would likely overshadow the political differences. From that point of view, I think it would be a worthwhile experience and one that both of us might leave willing to repeat.
The foregoing not withstanding, there is no bloody way I think Preston Manning should even be in the running for that ambassadorship.
Good gopod, mahigan, you and I grew up in Saskatchewan at exactly the same time. I was in Regina, where were you?
I also grew up, prior to moving to Regina, in Calgary where my old da was a prof at a bible college in Calgary. The sun shone from Ernest Manning's fundament.
When we moved to Regina the sun shone from another man's fundament.
Howsoemever - I agree that Presto should in no way be our guy in DC. But, big but here speaking of fundaments, should he become our guy in DC I think a campaign by expat Cdns in the good ole asking Presto to come and speak to any and every conceivable group of whoevers and he'd rapidly tire of the laughter and ridicule and plead to be brought back to Blighty.
Good lord, Dismantle CBC & CRTC, now Preston Manning....
January 25th and we've got this ALREADY.
Gosh. I grew up in Medicine Hat and Calgary about the same time (I'm about three years younger than Preston), except our family was Alberta Tory. Remember them? Remember when there were Tory Tories in Alberta?
I always try to think well of Preston, but each time I catch one of his op-eds the good will fades fast. He is still so-con/neo-lib the whole way, even if he has mellowed over the years.
Och, weel: given the ambassadors that the Americans send us, I suppose Preston is more than a fair trade.
Aaarrgghh. Flatlanders. Where's the garlic? And the cross? We moved from the country into ..ya know.. the good looking city (that would be Saskatoon to the uninitiated) in the late 50's.
As I said Preston and I would disagree on almost everything but I always felt that Manning was fundamentally honest. He never pretended to be anything other than what he was or that the Reform Party was anything other than what it was.
As I understand it, that was basically the reason Harper left Reform. He felt that Reform under Manning would never be anything more than a social movement with no hope of ever gaining power. And we all know how power mad Harper is.
I can still respect an honest man even though I disagree with him. Which also explains why I don't want to share a continent with Stevie.
I also think Manning would get eaten alive in Washington.
BTW - skdadl - I hope you are doing alright.
Yeah, I have a fondness for Manning as well. Good man, don't agree with him on most things, but I trust him.
Wish I could say the same about Harper. Too much BS coming out of that boy. He's trying to sell himself as something other than what he is. Manning never did that and as a result was treated very badly by the media.
Lot of people prefer being lied to.
McKenna has resigned so the way is clear for Manning.
I have a hard time imagining that Stephen Harper believes he could control Preston Manning in Washington, when he couldn't control him in Ottawa when Harper was trying to play Svengali.
It's too bad in a way, because the culture clash of an honest-to-goodness Westerner like Manning with the wannabee ersatz version like Dubya would be unintentionally hilarious, particularly if old Preston wandered off the script and starting speaking straight while the cameras were rolling.
If he's smart, he should send somebody like Joe Clark to Washington, who might make some headway with Condi Rice. Since he's going to have sell you guys out, it's perfect, since Joe is eminently expendable.
That article that pogge quotes throws out the idea of Manning as ambassador and speculates it might be former Mulroney finance minister Michael Wilson instead. That would be a fitting appointnment. Wilson would have a lot in common with the Bush regime - Wilson didn't know how to balance a budget either.
Manning as Ambassador would be great. After hearing about 30 seconds of himself , none of the Americans will ever trouble his office of Canada again about anything. And any inquiry he ever made would be answered by the supply of a couple of tickets to a Disneyland. There are worse things than being invisible
It would be so nice to have the Conservatives ridiculed for what they are by outsiders as well as Canadians. They could take turns with a different Conservative each month giving the Americans a new embarassment of the month from Canada until Canadians are ready to vote in a Government they can be proud of.
A friend of mine knew Preston at U of A when he was a SoCred Candidate.
He phoned Preston and asked him what he was doing. Preston said "Watchin' TV".
My friend asked, "Aren't you campainging?" Preston replied: "The Party does all that".
My friend persuaded Preston to get on the phone and solicit votes.
I heard they did a TV movie of Tommy Douglas and shot it in his old home town. Apparently the town was exactly the way it was when Tommy left it 50 years ago. No progress at all.
It's really interresting that when you listen to American congressmen debate, they know there issues completely! American congressmen are experts in whatever they discuss. Whe we listen to socialists argue things in this country they do not know much about anything except that their opponent is a fiend! The lowest common denominator in Canadian society accepts hype and sarcasm and insults as compelling arguments! Substantive arguments are few and far between in Canada! What other reason is there for the apparent success of the Liberals or the Bloc or the NDP?
Oh don't be silly, the majority of Senators and Reps don't read the majority of the bills they vote on. They have no idea what they're really voting for most of the time - they do what their staff or their lobbyists tell them to.
There are certainly exceptions, but you can make anyone look good in Congressional style houses where they get to read from prepared scripts. Most of them would be eaten alive in question period.
Ian,
The fact remains that substantive arguments are boring, hype and hyperbole rule Canadian politics! Crap is what the people want and the news reports!
RE: This comment...I heard they did a TV movie of Tommy Douglas and shot it in his old home town. Apparently the town was exactly the way it was when Tommy left it 50 years ago. No progress at all.
Posted by: Wayne at January 26, 2006 12:40 PM
WAYNE - that is absolutely untrue. The majority of the film was shot in the Canada Saskatchewan Production Studio...the outdoor scenes were recreated in Gravelbourg, Saskatchewan (not Weyburn as indicated above) and required a complete retrofit - the magic of movies my friend. Do you really think that any community can sustain without change for 50 years...my word, perhaps one day soon Saskatchewan will see telephones, electricity and indoor plumbing.