Shameless Jack Layton....
- Thread starter r_s426
- Start date
And make it look like Harper was just one a' da boys 'cause they all went to Van with him, when he pulled the fire alarm and got school cancelled? I know you're obsessed with Layton, but that would make him even dumber than the suggestion. That stupid he's not.
Dear me, how very "Did", "Did not" this is getting. I certainly did, in the context of the OP, which I endeavoured to address, and which you resolutely ignored, repeatedly and at length. We now know that you were seeking to establish only that you don't mind la famille Harper travelling with him.
Apart from 'establishing' Layton was at Gretzky's, your "only interest" in the thread, now appears to have been to defend Mrs. Harper's presence. Which would only be an issue if we were trying to set general standards for pols' behaviour, as the OP.
But you're not, are you? So say what you like.
Another mind-reader heard from, although clearly THE TINFOIL IN YOUR HAT"S INTERFERING WITH YOUR RECEPTION.
Here's what I really think: The PM should have been in Ottawa, conducting the government, which includes showing up in Parliament answering questions in the House and prviding the members we elect to represent us with the information and resources they need to do the job. Like anyone I pay, what he does on his own time, who with and where is none of my business. Same with Jack. If either wanted to go to Van, to Gretzky's or HFH, it wouldn't be anything I'd care to know about. And just like Harpo decided repping Canada in Beijing wasn't important, I'll leave it to him to decide his official role in Vancouver. But not to shut the country's government down to watch a few games.
When Harper does an honest or even a passable good days's work, I'm sure you'll let us know loudly. All I know is he hasn't been on the job since prorogation.
HOPE THAT CAME THROUGH.
I'm not really pro Harper, or anti Harper. Regardless of whoever the Prime Minister happens to be, his/her place was in Vancouver during the games. I doubt that the PMO was shut down for two weeks. Harper's a notorious control freak, he probably just had an office set up nearby the events. Other heads of state and dignitaries attended the games. It would have looked ugly if he wasn't there, short of having some crisis to manage.
Layton? He was very self consciously trying to be the centre of attention at Gretzky's. To suggest that it was coincidence that he was there and just happened to be sitting dead centre in the middle of the screen, and just happened to be looking right at the camera (that's right, he was looking at the camera, NOT at the TV screen that was showing the game) every time, is a bit of a stretch.
I guess seeing the contrast of Jack being fake and mugging for the camera sandwiched in between shots of our troops in Afghanistan and hard working every day Canadians in Cole Harbour N.S., just made it all the more sickening.
Layton? He was very self consciously trying to be the centre of attention at Gretzky's. To suggest that it was coincidence that he was there and just happened to be sitting dead centre in the middle of the screen, and just happened to be looking right at the camera (that's right, he was looking at the camera, NOT at the TV screen that was showing the game) every time, is a bit of a stretch.
I guess seeing the contrast of Jack being fake and mugging for the camera sandwiched in between shots of our troops in Afghanistan and hard working every day Canadians in Cole Harbour N.S., just made it all the more sickening.
And to me, seeing the Prime Minister spending public money being at myriad events (and amazingly, being found on camera at all of them) after proroguing Parliament for an unprecedented, extended and unnecessary period (and even all but admitting that he was on vacation) was more sickening than the leader of the fourth party acting like a silly teenager in front of a camera in a bar in the riding and city he calls home.
I guess I value what our politicians do with regard to the job more than how they appear on camera. I certainly don't play Kreskin like some of the others here. Maybe Stephen Harper is that big a Winter Olympics fan and maybe he bought his own tickets? And maybe Jack Layton just wanted to be out with the crowds to experience the atmosphere in one of Toronto's Winter Olympic "it" spots?
All I know, is that on balance, I feel that Stephen Harper was the more shameless of the two - and he still got the two-week political bump out of it. Not to mention endless TV time including a self-serving and softball-esque interview with Brian Williams in primetime. It's good to be the king!
Let's see he shuts down parliament and gets to go the Olympics all on our hard earned tax dollars. What's to hate about him.
The PM's job is fun and games…
Nothin' wrong with being a fan and going to see sports. But they're games, not government. Don't try to pretend he was on the job.
Last first: The PM is not a head of state, But do name any head of state who was there for more than the opening ceremonies. Second: If a PM's place is in the host city during the games, please tell us about Montreal and Calgary, and how shameful it was not to have the PM there all the time. Third: Since you say "…it would have looked ugly if he wasn't there", what does that say about his opinion of the biathaletes, snowboarders and others he couldn't be bothered to watch? Ugly?
Nothin' wrong with being a fan and going to see sports. But they're games, not government. Don't try to pretend he was on the job.
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Hungry for camera-time, Layton assaults fan…
If you knew what you were talking about, you'd know the best reaction shot of a crowd is from a camera position in their eye-line. Which would be as close to the TV as possible. It's where CTV put their camera in Khandahar; it's where they put it at Gretzky's. No one wants shots of the backs of heads.
You can watch the vid. Guess everyone was as camera struck as him, eh? And wouldn't you try to get someone blocking your view to move their arm?
But don't let me confuse you with facts. You're a mindreader and above such mundane stuff.
Yeah, he was the only one looking right at the camera, wasn't he?
If you knew what you were talking about, you'd know the best reaction shot of a crowd is from a camera position in their eye-line. Which would be as close to the TV as possible. It's where CTV put their camera in Khandahar; it's where they put it at Gretzky's. No one wants shots of the backs of heads.
You can watch the vid. Guess everyone was as camera struck as him, eh? And wouldn't you try to get someone blocking your view to move their arm?
But don't let me confuse you with facts. You're a mindreader and above such mundane stuff.
…and funniest of all
Is imagining the thoughtful posts from r_s, and his completely impartial buddies, praising Layton for his dutiful, and prolonged attendance at the Games, if he were the PM.
In some Social Studies classes they actually teach that it's useful to have a GG to attend to such required frivolities, sparing the PM to do the demanding job of running the country.
Wanna bet they'd suddenly remember those lessons if it was their socialist whipping-boy and not their conservative other-kind-of-boy who was playing hookey watching hockey?
Is imagining the thoughtful posts from r_s, and his completely impartial buddies, praising Layton for his dutiful, and prolonged attendance at the Games, if he were the PM.
In some Social Studies classes they actually teach that it's useful to have a GG to attend to such required frivolities, sparing the PM to do the demanding job of running the country.
Wanna bet they'd suddenly remember those lessons if it was their socialist whipping-boy and not their conservative other-kind-of-boy who was playing hookey watching hockey?
The mindless partisan attempts by NDPers on this board to divert attention from the topic of this thread by attacking Harper for attending the opening ceremonies and the last few of days of the game are assuming. If they would have been smart enough to shut up, the thread would have long since died and terbites would have forgotten about the NDP leader’s embarrassments. Now they are even claiming that Harper was at the games all the time all the time. Clearly they neither read new papers, watch the news on TV or even visit internet news sights for anything other than sports. If they did, they would have seen reports of Harper’s travels. People should try to get some news from sources other than the NDP website.
Nice try, professor. If somebody points out that the attack on Jack Layton is silly, You take that as
"mindless partisan attempts by NDPer(s)" . In addition, you have determined that he or she is not
too smart.
The fact is that anyone who reads threads on terb knows that Oldjones simply believes whatever nonsense the NDP says. I am sure that you would not try to make some ridiculous argument that he actually thinks for himself. Thus, I stand my my statement that he is not too smart (to phrase it politely, previously I was actually polite enough not to even name him but it would be difficult to respond to you post without doing so).
The fact is that the smart move for NDP supporters would be to just laugh it off and let the thread die. Given this is more a matter of laughing at a foolish but harmless move on Layton’s part, if they had ignored it, the thread would have long since died. Successful politicians understand this and know enough not to try to endlessly defend themselves when they (or their party) gets caught doing something silly.
I am not going to argue with you if oldjones is a mindless follower of NDP or not.
I might point out that it is a common tactic here in the political forum to accuse anyone
of an opposite persuasion of blindly and mindlessly following leaders instead of thinking for themselves.
Is this thread actually about anything?
As for Jack Layton being front and center on the camera, I imagine that since he's a recognizable public figure the camera operator intentionally put him front and center. Why wouldn't they? I imagine they would have done the same thing had he been any sort of public figure, actor, actress, or other recognizable person.
But let's suppose the whole thing was planned, kind of like a press event. How is this any more or less shameless than any other photo op by any other politician who shows up at an event to signal their support for it? Can you name a politician who does not do photo ops?
Please.
As for Jack Layton being front and center on the camera, I imagine that since he's a recognizable public figure the camera operator intentionally put him front and center. Why wouldn't they? I imagine they would have done the same thing had he been any sort of public figure, actor, actress, or other recognizable person.
But let's suppose the whole thing was planned, kind of like a press event. How is this any more or less shameless than any other photo op by any other politician who shows up at an event to signal their support for it? Can you name a politician who does not do photo ops?
Please.
Lol...so you are saying that Torstar ( Toronto Star) and the Ontario Teachers Pension Plan which collectively own 45% of CTV (Thomson family owns 40%) are shills for the Tories. Wow guess we don't have to give you the benefit of the doubt anymore do we.
As the OP, I wasn't actually launching a partisan attack. I'm not partisan to begin with. From a strategic point of view, the federal NDP hardly needs to be attacked. Once the conservatives or the liberals manage to form a majority, Jack's influence with vanish.
I was just revolted by Jack's sleaziness. Yes, I'm used to politicians being sleazy. However, it would be nice if he could have just hit his sleaze "off button" for the duration of the game. No, it didn't ruin the game for me. I won't get into a debate about whether my observation was post worthy or not.
The difference between me and some of the other people that posted is, had Jack chosen to do something less sleazy to celebrate the game, I wouldn't have criticized him. I get the feeling that the anti-Harper crew would criticize him no matter what he did.
I was just revolted by Jack's sleaziness. Yes, I'm used to politicians being sleazy. However, it would be nice if he could have just hit his sleaze "off button" for the duration of the game. No, it didn't ruin the game for me. I won't get into a debate about whether my observation was post worthy or not.
The difference between me and some of the other people that posted is, had Jack chosen to do something less sleazy to celebrate the game, I wouldn't have criticized him. I get the feeling that the anti-Harper crew would criticize him no matter what he did.
Jack and Olivia are truly blessed to have such a dedicated, well educated (with a background in social studies and video photography), and obviously brilliant supporter such as you. You are clearly right, and anyone who sees the world any differently is clearly an uneducated moron.Yeah, he was the only one looking right at the camera, wasn't he?
If you knew what you were talking about, you'd know the best reaction shot of a crowd is from a camera position in their eye-line. Which would be as close to the TV as possible. It's where CTV put their camera in Khandahar; it's where they put it at Gretzky's. No one wants shots of the backs of heads.
You can watch the vid. Guess everyone was as camera struck as him, eh? And wouldn't you try to get someone blocking your view to move their arm?
But don't let me confuse you with facts. You're a mindreader and above such mundane stuff.
