politics

Wednesday May 27, 2020

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday May 27, 2020

Trump, Biden signal how ugly the campaign will be

The 2020 general election campaign has already become a slugfest—and it’s only just beginning.

March 6, 2020

President Trump on Tuesday shared a video on social media showing his opponent Joe Biden’s campaign logo on a coffin. 

The video was meant to telegraph the Trump campaign’s sentiment that Biden’s campaign is dead after he said last week that black voters who can’t choose between himself and the president “ain’t black.” 

It follows a weekend on insults from Trump to Biden. 

Asked to talk about Biden’s strength as a competitor, Trump came up empty and added an insult about Biden’s mental acumen.

“Well, I would have said experience but he doesn’t really have experience because I don’t think he remembers what he did yesterday,” the president told Sharyl Attkisson on her show “Full Measure” before adding, “he was never known as a smart person.” 

May 12, 2020

He also shared a tweet from Fox News commentator Brit Hume that appeared to mock Biden for wearing a mask in public during a visit he made to Delaware’s War Memorial Plaza on Memorial Day. Health experts have recommended the wearing of masks in public settings, though White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Tuesday said Biden didn’t need to do so since he was social distancing during the visit. 

Biden has been no shrinking violet when it comes to Trump.

Team Biden in a 30-second ad on Sunday that blasted Trump for playing golf during a pandemic that has killed nearly 100,000 Americans. 

The back-and-forth underscores how negative the 2020 race is likely to be. 

“This is going to make 2016 seem like ice cream in the park,” said one former aide on Democrat Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign. “It’s already so much nastier than even I anticipated.” 

August 16, 2016

The Clinton-Trump contest was itself a battle of insults and negativity. 

During that cycle, voters witnessed Trump call on Russia to hack into Clinton’s emails. He also led crowds in cheers of “lock her up.” 

After the “Access Hollywood” tape of Trump talking about grabbing women by the genitals was released, Trump invited women who had accused Bill Clinton of sexual misconduct to a presidential debate against Hillary Clinton. 

Trump and his campaign have made it clear it will be a gloves off contest, and strategists say the fact that Trump is behind in polls is only likely to make him go more negative. 

Asked about the negativity,  Tim Murtaugh, a spokesman for the Trump campaign said “every election is a choice.”

“Voters may know of Joe Biden but they really don’t know much about him. When we finish defining Biden, the choice will be obvious for voters and President Trump wins again,” he said. 

The Real Clear Politics national average of polls shows Biden ahead of Trump 48 percent to 43 percent. 

“Trump is going to drag this into the mud because he’s losing,” said Democratic strategist Joel Payne. “Joe Biden is the more likable and more trusted candidate and the only way Trump can win is slash and burn. So it’s not surprising that this has already gotten nasty.”

Democrats — including Biden allies — say they’re preparing for an onslaught of not just cheap shots and insults but all-time-lows. (The Hill) 

 

Wednesday September 11, 2019

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday September 11, 2019

Why is it so hard for Independent candidates to get elected to Canada’s House of Commons?

May 28, 2019

Canada has not had a strong Independent movement since Confederation when there were several Independent politicians in government. They were called “loose fish” and operated separately of political structures, explains John English, director of the Bill Graham Centre for Contemporary International history at Trinity College.

When the party system began to take hold at the turn of the century under Canada’s first prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, these “loose fish” declined in numbers. The party structure became the main source of funding for candidates and also provided patronage appointments to important positions such as the railway or the post office.

November 9, 2018

Independents made a brief resurgence in the Second World War. When Prime Minister Mackenzie King broke his promise of conscription, Quebec Liberals declared themselves Independent (but still affiliated with the Liberal party for the most part).

By the 1960s, Independents became especially rare in Canadians politics, limited only to “those candidates who got kicked out of their party or decided their interest didn’t align with party values or the party leader,” English said.

The debate over the strength and influence of central party power in politics isn’t new, either. Collenette says this discussion has been occurring within parties for years, but “the question now is larger because its not contained in the party anymore.”

Promising the moon

The main reason Canada doesn’t have more Independent politicians is because “they don’t win,” Thomas said. Before campaign finance legislation changes were created in 1974, local electoral campaign officers would identify supporters and then get supporter to learn the name of the candidate. Now, voters are more likely to recognize party labels than individual names.

David Moscrop, political scientist and author of “Too Dumb for Democracy,” agrees that central party authority needs to be loosened but worries about the tradeoffs. First, it’ll require a lot of cooperation from parties, civil service, staffers, leadership and media. (“I don’t think that is going to happen,” Moscrop says.) Then you have to balance loosening party control while maintaining party cohesion. (“How do you do that?” he asks.) (National Observer) 

 

Wednesday September 11, 2019

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday September 11, 2019

Why is it so hard for Independent candidates to get elected to Canada’s House of Commons?

June 11, 2014

Canada has not had a strong Independent movement since Confederation when there were several Independent politicians in government. They were called “loose fish” and operated separately of political structures, explains John English, director of the Bill Graham Centre for Contemporary International history at Trinity College.

When the party system began to take hold at the turn of the century under Canada’s first prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, these “loose fish” declined in numbers. The party structure became the main source of funding for candidates and also provided patronage appointments to important positions such as the railway or the post office.

May 28, 2019

Independents made a brief resurgence in the Second World War. When Prime Minister Mackenzie King broke his promise of conscription, Quebec Liberals declared themselves Independent (but still affiliated with the Liberal party for the most part).

By the 1960s, Independents became especially rare in Canadians politics, limited only to “those candidates who got kicked out of their party or decided their interest didn’t align with party values or the party leader,” English said.

The debate over the strength and influence of central party power in politics isn’t new, either. Collenette says this discussion has been occurring within parties for years, but “the question now is larger because its not contained in the party anymore.”

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Wednesday September 11, 2019

The main reason Canada doesn’t have more Independent politicians is because “they don’t win,” Thomas said. Before campaign finance legislation changes were created in 1974, local electoral campaign officers would identify supporters and then get supporter to learn the name of the candidate. Now, voters are more likely to recognize party labels than individual names.

David Moscrop, political scientist and author of “Too Dumb for Democracy,” agrees that central party authority needs to be loosened but worries about the tradeoffs. First, it’ll require a lot of cooperation from parties, civil service, staffers, leadership and media. (“I don’t think that is going to happen,” Moscrop says.) Then you have to balance loosening party control while maintaining party cohesion. (“How do you do that?” he asks.) (National Observer) 

 

Tuesday May 28, 2019

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday May 28, 2019

Wilson-Raybould, Philpott to run again as independent candidates

Former ministers Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott will be running for re-election in the fall federal campaign as independent candidates, though have both cited an intent to align themselves with the Green Party on some issues.

March 8, 2019

The two former Liberals and close political allies donned white and unveiled their next political moves in consecutive announcements in their respective ridings on Monday. Meanwhile in Ottawa, Green Leader Elizabeth May said while she she’ll push for their re-election, she is “at a loss” as to why the two wouldn’t join her team after a serious courting.

Wilson-Raybould, who was Canada’s first-ever federal Indigenous justice minister and attorney general, said being an MP has been one of the greatest honours of her life and she wants to be elected again to return to the House of Commons, without any party affiliation.

“Today is a good day,” she said during the much-anticipated announcement in her Vancouver-Granville, B.C. riding. “I know who I am, and I am not a party person.”

Philpott, who held a trio of cabinet positions over the course of the last four years, said her decision to run again comes in part out of a desire to show young women that you shouldn’t be afraid to stand up for what you believe in.

March 27, 2019

“What lesson would it be for those young girls if I were to walk away… with my tail between my legs… I need to persevere,” Philpott said in her Markham-Stouffville Ont. riding announcement. “We’re going to do it together.”

Running as independents will prove to be tougher campaigns to wage and win, given the additional supports available to recognized parties in the Canadian electoral system. While they will likely continue to help each other, the political realities in their ridings differ. Wilson-Raybould won her seat in 2015 with 44 per cent of the vote, while Philpott won with 49 per cent.

“There will be challenges but with your support I am confident that running as an independent is the best way to go about it at this time, and the best way to transform our political culture,” said Wilson-Raybould.

Similarly, Philpott spoke about how this decision will free her from the confines of partisan politics. She said she hopes that her and Wilson-Raybould’s campaigns will start a tradition of more independent candidates running, and winning. (CTV) 

 

Saturday March 9, 2019

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday March 9, 2019

Trudeau expresses regret over scandal, but does not apologise

Justin Trudeau has expressed regret for his handling of a political scandal that has cost him two cabinet ministers and a close adviser – but stopped short of apologising, insisting no laws had been broken and that neither he nor his staff had taken any unethical actions.

October 31, 2018

“This has been a tough few weeks,” the Canadian prime minister said on Thursday. “Canadians expect and deserve to have faith in their institutions and the people who act within them … I have taken – and will continue to take – many lessons from these recent days and few weeks.”

Trudeau and his close aides are accused of improperly pressuring the country’s former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould to abandon the prosecution of the engineering company SNC-Lavalin, which is alleged to have bribed the Libyan government to secure lucrative construction contracts. He said: “There are conversations that were experienced differently. I regret that.”

March 8, 2019

The firm, which employs 9,000 people in Canada, is based in the province of Québec, where Trudeau’s Liberals need to pick up seats to win a federal election set for October. The scandal has cast a shadow over Trudeau’s domestic image as someone who is committed to transparent government.

His conciliatory remarks in front of reporters on Thursday were an attempt to shift public attention away from the scandal.

Justin Trudeau has expressed regret for his handling of a political scandal that has cost him two cabinet ministers and a close adviser – but stopped short of apologising, insisting no laws had been broken and that neither he nor his staff had taken any unethical actions.

“This has been a tough few weeks,” the Canadian prime minister said on Thursday. “Canadians expect and deserve to have faith in their institutions and the people who act within them … I have taken – and will continue to take – many lessons from these recent days and few weeks.”

January 12, 2019

Trudeau and his close aides are accused of improperly pressuring the country’s former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould to abandon the prosecution of the engineering company SNC-Lavalin, which is alleged to have bribed the Libyan government to secure lucrative construction contracts. He said: “There are conversations that were experienced differently. I regret that.”

The firm, which employs 9,000 people in Canada, is based in the province of Québec, where Trudeau’s Liberals need to pick up seats to win a federal election set for October. The scandal has cast a shadow over Trudeau’s domestic image as someone who is committed to transparent government.

His conciliatory remarks in front of reporters on Thursday were an attempt to shift public attention away from the scandal. (Source: The Guardian, UK)