Sunday, March 30, 2008

PILING ON...


The mainstream media's passion for all-things Dion is becoming almost comical, if not for the strained, traffic-jamming nature of it all.
Liberal Arts and Minds gets to the nuts of it in her usual graceful way, and I can't help but concur all of her points. No need to rehash them, other than to say as someone who's working in the media and employed by one of the biggest offenders, there's nothing discreet about 'creating a meme' for the purpose of filling pages/news time.
Let me first concur that Stephane Dion has an image problem, some of it by his own hand; But he's not the only one. However, he is the only one being dissected ritually on a daily basis.
Disharmony in the Liberal ranks is a story, yes; but is it truly a story when someone who is outed as a self-inflated malcontent proves to be the best spokesperson, or that nearly every column and story -- except this one -- is propped up by the 'ol' reliable but unidentifiable source'?
Where are the stories about Prime Minister Stephen Harper's brand of leadership? How he has essentially put some fear on the faces of the free media as his way of doing business and winning allies, and how his silencing his MPs from speaking on anything but the official CON shopping list of priorities has essentially stripped away real concerns of millions of Canadians? How for expedience, he's erased a priority (there were only five, so don't tell me you didn't catch it) and then preceded to pitch woo at one province, hellfire at another, while trying to pretend that he's a uniter?
Issues like this and this are verbotem it seems in the government's side, and why is there an accepted assumption that this means 100% unanimity on the part of Conservatives? I'm shocked, SHOCKED! that there isn't at least one or two 'ol' reliable but unidentifiable sources' to suggest that the PM's powertrip is wearing a little thin...
Well, at least it has crossed some reporters'/columnists' minds.
The likes of Hebert and Macdonald have their axes to grind in the spirit of fair comment, although one has to wonder if their interest in a Dion failure isn't either for personal pleasure or financial gain.
It means nothing to the new ethics of both corporate raiders, political rightists and now the 'insider' media that Harper has already demonstrated that there is no level he won't sink to, no rule he won't shatter to get to that elusive target -- establishing the CONserfatives as option One of a Two party system.
Would it be asking too much for the mainstream media to shine a little light on this government?

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

cant watch don newman anymore for dion bashing....the same as they did with paul martin....Jane Tabers face was as red as beet yesterday on question period when she was spewing the stories about how Iggy was going to be demoted for the big jerk rae....they want to cause stink and want rae in their because he has been a big loser and they can get ontario.

Anonymous said...

sorry wrong word...meant ..they want rae in there...my dander is up

Anonymous said...

Piling on is right. Even the Toronto Star today is adding fuel to the fire. We might not have the best leader, and truth be told he is the weakest and least effectual of the three major parties, but enough already!! This death by a thousand cuts does nothing to move the country or the party forward.

Karen said...

Well said.

Would it be asking too much for the mainstream media to shine a little light on this government?

Precisely.

Thanks for the link and your kind words about my post.