Letter to a friend: First hand impressions of Stéphane ~ Substance over style
Hi Joan,
Saw Stéphane and Michael Ignatieff in Stoney Creek again on Saturday Morning (27Sept) - have uploaded the You Tube of Michael's speech.
Unfortunately, Stéphane's speech was too big a file to upload here as we recorded it. I can burn you a DVD of it if you'd like. Or, CPAC has it, but you'll need to wade through Harper's speech too
http://www.cpac.ca/forms/index.asp?
dsp=template&act=view3&pagetype=vod&lang=e&clipID=1959
Stéphane starts at 23:18 into the program - you might need to copy and paste the link.
They were great speeches - Stéphane raised Income Trusts and that he would fix the mess of Harper & Flaherty's broken promise. He spoke of the need for infrastructure renewal, partnerships with municipalities, child care, seniors issues, manufacturing, the state of the economy, the Liberal record on solving the Federal Deficits, on youth sentencing and civility.
Spoke to Stéphane for about 30-40 seconds, a long time given the press and number of people and timelines.
One, my impression is he is the genuine article, sincere, intelligent, strong and honourable with a firm and viable vision for this country. A person I have no problem supporting.
Second impression, I believe his hearing is far worse than even he believes it to be, for whenever I spoke his eyes would break from mine and he would read my lips before looking back into my eyes to answer. That easily explains his somewhat mangled English - he can't hear tonal inflections. He has a bit of a disability in hearing, tragically, because he really has a great message. A disability that, if he were in a wheelchair, no one would dare to mock him over. And remember, one of the greatest Presidents the US ever had was in a wheel chair (FDR).
Despite his difficulty with the english language, which is improving, his thinking and reasoning on his platform is sound and a lot of non Liberal Economists agree with him.
His first focus is on the economy and keeping it strong while harmonizing it with a lower energy consuming, more efficient and sustainable environmental plan.
This plan is far from radical and has been practiced by many Northern European Countries with success. There is so much disinformation planted by Tubby's gang of thugs. But the fact is, he is not reinventing the wheel - it is doable and necessary.
In fact Layton's Cap & Trade is exactly the kind of job destroying plan Dion is opposed to.
And what other leader would be so selfless as to share the stage and limelight at a rally with his past leadership rival Michael Ignatieff. And how well Stéphane and Michael work together to not upstage or outshine each other - this whole thing is a class act.
Michael's speech being shorter is on my You Tube tonight. It was the second time I met him in a week. Amazing person.
Had great conversations with Paddy Torsney (Burlington), former Mayor Larry Di Ianni (Hamilton East / Stoney Creek) and Tyler Banham (Hamilton Mtn) as well.
Touching story about Paddy that June witnessed: A developmentally challenged young man wanted June to take his picture with Stéphane as he was walking back from the press scrum on Saturday. June was already filming and was trying to figure out how to accommodate the request. Paddy, just ahead of Stéphane saw the situation and quickly interpreted it. Paddy looked at June, smiled, then took the camera from the disabled young man, pulled him beside Stéphane who stopped and put his arm around him and she stated clicking. What a sweetheart you have for a candidate in Paddy Torsney.
And what a great guy Stéphane was - he then spoke to him for a bit even though his timelines were so compressed and his handlers were urging him on. And no, it was no cynical photo op - the press had moved to another location to catch his exit.
As I said before, he's the real thing.
ATB
John
Video by June
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Ah yes, virtue is its own reward.
But then, after all, I am person who was born in a manger and raised in a log cabin ... ; )
Now off to work, got to find some more Cons to Con - after all 'tothatextent' says that is what we do, so it must be true ....
Goodnight now
SunstoneWeb 2 years ago
You are too funny, and ironic. Say howdy to your fuhrer, der luggen leiter herr Harrpoor.
Ja, zey have a list ... I tremble
SunstoneWeb 2 years ago
Charity begins at home all right. And it is usually my home. You morons go door to door looking for free money. I had to laugh when I found out World Vision reps. work on commission. You gits could give a rat's about the charity, you just want your take. Then turn around and brag about how virtuous you are.
tothatextent 2 years ago
Hate ? What hate? Liberals are the ones who hate. Liberlas are trying to make a 'perfect society', which would imply that they are not happy with the current one. I for one liked the way things were, I see no need to impose my views on anyone. Liberals hate the family unit, they hate religion they hate free markets. Why? Because they are spineless. They hijack language and label people as : racist, narrow-minded, rednecks etc. You are evil and you will be dealt with in time.
tothatextent 2 years ago
Well, charity begins at home ; )
SunstoneWeb 2 years ago
You want to know what is really sad? What is sad is the fact that you actually believe what you are talking about. Karl Marx had a name for people like you. He called them: 'useful idiots'. The left just wants to destroy families, destroy religion, destroy culture. Why? So they can be the ultimate authority. They will dispse of you when you are no longer needed. As far as being selfish; Liberals are the worst. They make themselves presidents of charities that do nothing but make money.
tothatextent 2 years ago
As opposed to Harper, who simply is a bad case of hemorrhoids.
The rest of your comments so fit Tubby McFatBoy the Prime Sinister.
SunstoneWeb 2 years ago
So much hate, you really must be a very unhappy person.
Sad.
Even sadder, you are such an articulate spokes person for your political agenda - you do it such great credit.
"The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. "
- John Kenneth Galbraith
SunstoneWeb 2 years ago
No problem. Go attend a gay marriage in your Hybrid car you spineless git. And, while your at it practice making sarcastic faces, as Liberals always do.
tothatextent 2 years ago
Yea, sure Sport - have another beer.
Vote for Iggy, not the Piggy
Or his trotters.
SunstoneWeb 2 years ago