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LAUTENS: An everyman’s take on fresh political failings

I am a humble man, as the following political experience illustrates. Over the years my dogs have introduced me to thousands of people. Some members of the close-collared fraternity. Some just love dogs.
Lautens

I am a humble man, as the following political experience illustrates.

Over the years my dogs have introduced me to thousands of people. Some members of the close-collared fraternity. Some just love dogs. This gent met on my travels had two small ones. We engaged in the usual small-dog talk.

Abruptly, without a turn signal, he switched topics and species. “What d’you think of the election? I hate Christy Clark!” For clarity, he repeated the phrase three more times.

You’ve noticed that the human race is rarely more joyful than when declaring hatred. Three times is ecstasy.

I detected that a Coles Notes summary of the fallen Liberal premier’s performance and policies – from some mouths, easily over my head – wouldn’t materialize.

He just hated her. The only reason I could seize, avoiding the nettles of his hate, was that he was sick of her, she’d been around too long. Which is the least respectable of all reasons, though shared by some respectable voters.

Now this painful confession. When I casually meet certain people, I become a much more intelligent, better informed, even more formally-speaking person than I really am.

So, regarding Clark’s longish premiership, I cited Mackenzie King, who served as prime minister over many years and hadn’t done badly, considering those little problems of the 1930s Depression and war.

Then I felt guilty. In another mood, into another ear than this man’s, I wouldn’t give King, who famously governed with burglar-like stealth, an easy ride. I was being obnoxiously pretentious. (“Again?” say my unkind critics. “Still?” say my savage ones.)

The Clark-hater clearly knew nothing of King – speaking of pretension, I might as well have recalled Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman, Britain’s most forgotten 20th-century prime minister. (Try him on your average history grad.) But, just as I began politely edging away, this gentleman asked:

“What did you used to work at?”

“I’m a newspaperman.”

“Delivering papers?” No sarcasm. Innocence and soap don’t come purer.

“No,” I said, mind flashing back to 1946 when I was last engaged in that vital part of the industry. I padded out my lifetime journalistic record into 14 words, three more than necessary.

Perhaps stimulated by my confession, the man turned out to be a witness to history.

“What do you think of Trudeau?” he asked. Not caring a lot, he went on: “I saw him give the finger. I was there, I saw him, in Calgary.” Oh, that Trudeau. “I was right there. Gave the finger. And Alberta never voted for him after that.”

It seemed only polite to ask my conversationalist in turn what he did, or does, for a living.

“Window washing.”

Began in the last recession. Just went around checking for dirty windows. Cleaned them. Still at it, though has time for a natter at midday. (As I do.)

The dog and I continued on our way. I mused that I had had an important experience. In fact two.

First, in one morning I had met millions of Canadians.

Cynical about politicians, remembering them if at all for a single lapse, an enduring blunder. Like bright Liberal prime minister John Turner caught on camera patting party president and future lieutenant-governor Iona Campagnolo on the posterior. She teasingly reciprocated, but who cared? A slice of male patriarchy and disrespect for women. Ruinous historic timing. Turner lost the 1984 election.

Second, our abode has quite a few large windows, and what does this man charge to clean them? Tax included, of course.

• • •

Nothing in her political life ill-became her like the leaving of it. Little gloss there on Shakespeare.

Keith Baldrey on this page homed in smartly on the effects of Christy Clark topping her late miscalculations and about-faces by resigning her Kelowna-West seat.

Unbelievable! Quitting as party leader is one thing, and a lesser one. Quitting as MLA gives the Horgan-Weaver schemers more breathing room. What was Clark thinking?

The dispirited Liberal MLAs now have less pressure and fewer means to topple the socialists before they take every step to consolidate the repressive left forever. And more incentive to jump ship too.  

In my view a personally decent and doughty leader, Clark has further blotted her record.

• • •

With CBC television moving to regional multi-anchors, it was a fine coincidence to encounter a splendid one of the past on West Vancouver’s Marine Drive – Jan Tennant, a pioneering woman host and anchor for CBC and then Global, who moved to Vancouver with outstanding CBC writer and producer George Robertson. Great people. So any reaction to the CBC moves, Jan? Don’t think she heard me. Heavy traffic on Marine Drive, you know.

• • •

Let’s have the names. How do sausage-makers that accurately list their ingredients feel when the whole industry is tarred by those that lie?

rtlautens@gmail.com

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