Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Tuesday, January 29, 2013By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Wynne’s real ‘conversation’ comes at polls

Sun Media political reporter Jonathan Jenkins said it best in a tweet from the weekend Ontario Liberal leadership convention: “Prepare to have a lot of ‘conversations’. It’s one of @Kathleen_Wynne’s favourite words.”

We could be wrong, but politicians who like to have ‘conversations,’ and who go on about the “issues around” things, often tend to be those who avoid blunt realities.

Kathleen Wynne had barely taken the baton from Dalton McGuinty, becoming Ontario’s first handoff premier in a decade, before she filled voters in on ‘conversations’ she’d like to have.

For example, she wants to disabuse anyone of the notion she can’t be leader for all Ontarians hailing from Toronto, a rarity in the premier’s office. Fair enough. She also wants to quickly call the legislature back to work, by Feb. 19.

So far, so good. It was the Liberals, after all, who pulled the plug on the assembly for their hurry-up changing of the guard. And, then, the eyebrow-raiser — Wynne says Ontarians don’t want an election and she intends to make the minority Liberal government work.

Given a choice, most voters are prepared to cut new leaders a brief honeymoon. But Wynne’s elevation to premier was no marriage sealed by the electorate. Ordinary voters didn’t choose her — her party did. And handoff premiers in Ontario tend not to fare well when voters are left out of the arrangements. The only other two in the last 28 years, Ernie Eves and Frank Miller, went down like flaming sambuca.

How long Wynne gets to stick around without a mandate from Ontarians, well, that’s a ‘conversation’ voters will take up with her. (Source: Brantford Expositor)

 

FEEDBACK

Letter to the Editor:

Hope i never become famous so this cartoonist never has to do my caricature.

Dougeroo, Jan 29 2013, Comment left at Spec.com

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With regard to the Jan. 29 editorial cartoon, how disrespectful that The Spectator has chosen to honour our new premier with a caricature that perpetuates the stereotype that all lesbians dress like men. Not only is this cartoon representative of outdated, homophobic thinking, it is quite inaccurate in its portrayal of Kathleen Wynne. She has yet to be seen wearing a tie. To the contrary, she wears stylish, professional business attire that is commonly worn by most women. Your paper and cartoonist need to show a lot more respect and consideration for the people you portray and the community that is your audience.

L. Campbell, Dundas

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Meet the “NEW” premier kinda says it all- more of the same- nothing NEW about WYNNE. And yes, it appears to be a mask- you can see the back of Dalton’s head and the straps of the mask- nothing to do with being a gay woman dressing like a man- GET OVER IT!!

cornfedhutch, Jan 31 2013, Comment left at Spec.com

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I believe if you look closely, you will seee that it is NOT WYnne portrayed in that cartoon, but rather a man (Dalton I presume) wearing a Wynne mask. With the words in the caption and the cartoon, it leads me to believe that it will be more of the same. Nothing to do with lesbianism, or homophobia! OPEN YOUR EYES!!

egghead2614, Jan 31 2013, Comment left at Spec.com

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you completely missed it. it was about her policies being the same as lying dalton, nothing to do with clothes. theres no shame in standing up for your orientation, but please, put your thinking cap on 1st.

terminator, Jan 31 2013, Comment left at Spec.com

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Wow, talk about seeing things differently. A letter writer saw lesbian bashing in the Jan. 29 editorial cartoon. I saw Kathleen Wynne’s face on Dalton McGuinty’s body. To me this meant new face but nothing has changed.

If you want to make a statement, make sure it has meaning. Why do some people always have to read between the lines? Sometimes what you see is what you see.

Carolyn Beckett, Hamilton

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To the letter writer who complained about the Jan. 29 cartoon, get with it lady. Take time and study the cartoon. That is Dalton McGuinty behind the mask of the Honourable Premier Kathleen Wynne. Enough said.

Glenn Simpson, Hamilton

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Wynne disrespected in cartoon (Letters, Jan. 31)

As I usually do, I read my Hamilton Spectator and I came across the letter relating to the editorial cartoon of Jan. 29. Naturally I went to my back issue of The Spec to see what I had missed and what had upset the letter writer so much.

I have to tell you that I didn’t miss a thing. But, I think the letter writer did. The cartoon had nothing to do with Kathleen Wynne, her sexuality or her wearing of a tie or any homophobic thinking.

If the letter writer had looked closely she might have noticed that the cartoon was actually of Dalton McGuinty wearing a Wynne mask indicating that it will be ” oh my God, let’s hope not ” a continuation of McGuinty’s corrupt, inept government. That Wynne’s statement of carrying on McGuinty’s legacy is a warning to all of us to watch her lips. If they’re moving, look out; you know what that means.

As far as respect goes, if you’re an elected official, you seem to be fair game for cartoons. It goes with the territory. I think the letter writer was trying to read something into the cartoon that wasn’t there. Please keep up the good work. I love the cartoons. Ted Weir, Beamsville

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I’d wondered as well, if The Spec’s Jan. 29 cartoon was trying to take a shot at Kathleen Wynne being a lesbian, but it didn’t take long to realize it wasn’t. When one looks closer at the way ‘Wynne’ is drawn, they can see that it is in fact the cartoon of Dalton McGuinty, wearing a mask of Wynne’s face. In other words, the joke The Spec was trying to make is that Wynne is basically McGuinty with a new face.

Stephen Bryce, Stoney Creek