"Cowardice asks the question...is it safe? Expediency asks the question...is it politic? Vanity asks the question...is it popular? But conscience asks the question...is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but one must take it because it is right." ~Dr. Martin Luther King

Wednesday 20 May 2015

WINNING BY SELLING

I caught a glimpse on T.V.. of Patrick Brown being escorted into the Legislative Chamber at Queen's  Park a day or so after he won the Conservative leadership. 

He is a slight insignificant-looking individual. I was frankly taken aback. 

It matters. 

In another shot, he was surrounded by Conservatives. They seemed to tower over him. The full Implication of his Pyrrhic victory was in that scene. 

He appeared to be meeting most  members for the first time.  In contrast, they are seasoned members of Provincial politics. However competent ,however effective, they are secure in their seats  at least until the next provincial election. They owe him nothing. 

As a party in opposition ,there are no appointment to offer a member to  persuade him or her to relinquish a  hard -won seat to Patrick Brown. 

According to news stories, he won the leadership by selling memberships to the South Asian Community.  A strategy  hardly guaranteed to inspire confidence  among  the Loyal True and Blue Members of the House ?

During the  campaign he criticized the party for not being  sufficiently patronizing  of ethnic groups. 

Premier Kathleen  Wynne answered a question from the press that she would not delay a byelection 
to elect the new leader to a seat in the  House. But, Yes, she said firmly ,the Liberals will field a candidate wherever that might be. 

I know nothing at all about Provincial Conservative rules for choosing a Leader, but whatever they are, 
a review is probably timely.

I think overly-ambitious Patrick Brown has a few hurdles to overcome before he takes a seat in The Ontario Legislature. 

Nothing indicates he has the skills, the personality the winning smile or support of the Party. They may put a good face on it. Or they may just not have the stomach. 

Membership sales  at $10.00 a throw may not be the cache it was to win the leadership. There's nothing there to inspire confidence and trust. Nothing more than sleight of hand. 

No loyalty. 
No political conviction. 
Nothing more than calculation. 
Nothing to hold  fast for the long haul. 
No Conservative values









19 comments:

Anonymous said...

The man does need a seat badly.

Anonymous said...

I want to vote the Liberals out but the Conservatives are not helping me or themselves,

Anonymous said...

The conservative government have nothing to loose. They could have put anyone in there and they'll do better than what McGuinty accomplished.

Anonymous said...

There is a column in the Auroran on Mr Brown

Anonymous said...



I seem to recall an olden days story about that Scottish staple called porridge.

When times were good it was thick and chewy, the oats were almost tough and some youngsters complained of tooth aches.

When times grew leaner and tight money even tighter, the porridge became thinner and thinner.

When the bottom of the tough times cycle came clanging on the pot, all that was left in it was a watery gruel. There was not enough edible nourishment for even a fly.

It is this gruel of which I am reminded when I see Patrick Brown and his huge accomplishment of buying 70,000 memberships in a provincial political party that has little to hope for in its future, as likewise does he.

On the other hand the "surprise" election result in Alberta turns out not to have been such a surprise, but rather an appointment with destiny.

R U informed. said...

Good Morning, I was hoping you might address the continued duplication of services at the Self Centered Center.They are now having an artisan gift show that directly competes with the Farmers Market.I find this crazy as the two groups are part of the Cultural Round Table.So now the SCC is going to take in retail.This just gets more pathetic every day.Its clear they dont know how to utilize the space effectively.

Anonymous said...

If I was an artisan, the more venues offering artisanal wares the better.

Anonymous said...

Christopher would appear to agree with you about Mr Brown. For balance ? a column in the Auroran approves of the choice.
Me, I go with Christopher on this one.

Anonymous said...

Fairy Lake still has the best.

Anonymous said...

5:14
The Centre has to do something to fill the empty space over there - the joint is not xactly jumping, eh ?

Anonymous said...

17:15 - There's never any "empty space." Plus, it's very popular with everyone's hero, Christopher. Apparently, he can't stay away.

Anonymous said...

The self serving center can be empty if it choses, and sell or not sell what it choses. They don't have to be self sustaining and open or close it's doors when it choses. Their board members just rubber stamp anything and everything, and everyone just pat themselves on the back. Gotta love being a part of that racket.

Anonymous said...

I keep reading about "Conservative" values and the move to the right with the election of Patrick Brown as leader. Even thrown are some words he used years ago as proof of his evangelical leanings.
If this is to be taken as fact then what can we say about the NDP in Alberta and the carrying on of elected member Deborah Drever. Can we also conclude the NDP is homophobic and anarchist
The real answer to both is no , but our local media ie the Toronto Star will try to extrapolate the actions of one as the actions of all as proof of a hidden agenda and the other side (NDP) will be give a pass.

Anonymous said...

23:16
Looked pretty empty to me last week - maybe it was a day off for you ?

Anonymous said...

Chris is there for other reasons on the SCC.

Anonymous said...

Judging by his posts, 09:27, it seems Christopher is spending a lot of time there. Maybe you should be asking him about days off.

Anonymous said...

@11:48

Good to know. I'm a regular reader of his blog and noticed some recent posts about the Centre that showed he's been going there. I figured he must be doing some research on something. I hope it's a project about Aurora's history that he can share with us.

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