Dion has Isolated himself....he thinks he's No.1

[Canuck E Stan]

Dion has isolated himself from all those who work with him.He knows better, and this is probably why 18 Liberal MP's are packing it up.

Liberal MPs Who've Resigned, Crossed The Floor Or Won't Be Seeking Re-Election

Ray Bonin, Brenda Chamberlain, Joe Comuzzi, David Emerson, Joe Fontana, John Godfrey, Bill Graham, Wajid Khan, Jean Lapierre, Nancy Karetak-Lindell, Paul Martin, Bill Matthews, Joe McGuire, Gary Merasty, Stephen Owen, Jim Peterson, Lucienne Robillard, Andy Scott, Paul Steckle, Belinda Stronach, Tom Wappel.And now John Godfrey is added to the list.

Globe&Mail reporter Angelo Persichilli

At the present time, Dion is a lone man who has isolated himself from the people in charge of his campaign and from the people in his office, Liberals say.

A couple of Liberal MPs told The Hill Times last week that they have “approached him many times offering our support since his election last year in Montreal. He did not call once.” One Liberal strategist who once supported Dion told The Hill Times last week that Dion “is alone. He is a person who hears you, but doesn’t listen.” The former supporter says that a conversation with Dion is “like being in a restaurant talking to the person sitting in front of you who, instead of listening to you, looks continuously to the guest seating in another table or at the clouds outside.” Another Liberal strategist, again who did not want to be identified and who never supported Dion, told The Hill Times that “even his close friends are fed up and have left him alone.” Another Liberal MP, who did not want to go public either, said that Dion “pays attention only to his wife and his dog Kyoto,” and completely disregards advice from the people working with him “and the results are those we see every day at Question Period.”

He really should get a copy of Dale Carnegie's book-How to Win Friends and Influence People...he could read it to Kyoto,maybe his dog is a good listener.

[Moxie]

Well according the liberal left, Harper is a fascist ( they have no proof but hay, make it while the sun shines) and our only salvation is Dion. He's lonely because he has all the answer, and he was born to lead like all Liberal Leaders.

That was painful to type.

[Michael Bluth]

Great quote from an anonymous Liberal MP.

“The only question,” said one Liberal MP, “is the degree of the defeat. We hope it’s going to be like 1988 but many fear that we could go through another 1984 debacle, if not worse.” In 1984, the Liberals won 40 seats and in 1988, they won 80 seats.

Somewhere in the 40 to 80 seat range seems like a reasonable guess at the moment. Most likely towards the bottom end of that scale.

The Liberals being ten points down to the Conservatives points to that at the moment.

[capricorn]

CES, you also have to wonder why Dion does not appear to be speaking to Bob Rae or Jean Chretien on major issues. Proof is that the three of them gave different opinions on the scope of the Mulroney-Schreiber inquiry. Dion wants a broad inquiry, Rae wants a narrow inquiry and Chretien doesn't want one at all!

Although Chretien is on the sidelines he is after all a type of patriarch and Dion is supposed to have been his protege but they don't consult?

Rae is supposedly a future rising star in the party but they don't consult?

No wonder the Liberal Party is splintered. I don't see the party gelling with Dion as leader.

[August1991]

From article above about Dion:

He preaches and he lectures. In politics, it’s different: you have to learn to be a team player, you have to listen to the people around you, and, together prepare the strategy and implement it.” Unfortunately, said the strategist, “Dion doesn’t listen because he believes he knows everything, just like a professor talking to his students.”

Here's Preston Manning on Harper in 2002:

"The positives are impressive: he has a brilliant strategic mind, a sound grasp of public policy, and good communication skills in both French and English. The negatives--his mistrust of the grassroots, his tendency not to be a team player in his earlier years, and the tendency to withdraw--are manageable if they are acknowledged and compensated for by the strengths of others."

These two resemble each other.

Edited November 27, 2007 by August1991

[Canuck E Stan]

CES, you also have to wonder why Dion does not appear to be speaking to Bob Rae or Jean Chretien on major issues. Proof is that the three of them gave different opinions on the scope of the Mulroney-Schreiber inquiry. Dion wants a broad inquiry, Rae wants a narrow inquiry and Chretien doesn't want one at all!

Although Chretien is on the sidelines he is after all a type of patriarch and Dion is supposed to have been his protege but they don't consult?

Rae is supposedly a future rising star in the party but they don't consult?

No wonder the Liberal Party is splintered. I don't see the party gelling with Dion as leader.

You never hear Dion mention either Rae or Iggy,unless he's pressed to do it.I think he still sees them as a threat to his job.

As for Chretien, he probably doesn't want any kind of affiliation in case "Shawinigate" resurfaces.

Dion,the one man show, is just like Harper,he doesn't trust anyone.

But Harper had his close circle of advisors who guided his career.Dion appears to be guided very much like Chretien, by his wife .....and of course...Kyoto,.

[Drea]

Well according the liberal left, Harper is a fascist ( they have no proof but hay, make it while the sun shines) and our only salvation is Dion. He's lonely because he has all the answer, and he was born to lead like all Liberal Leaders.

That was painful to type.

1. Liberal does not mean "left". Only in the states does the word "liberal" directly mean "leftist-commie-lovin'-pinko". Here in Canada it is a centrist political party. The "left" is represented by the NDP and Greens.

2. Dion Sucks. He sucks so bad that I doubt if I will even vote next time around. If I do my vote will go to some obscure party...

3. Harper is doing ok... but that's only because he has a minority...

4. Under Liberal leadership Canada became... well Canada! If we had been under the conservatives for that many years, we could just as well call ourselves Americans...

[Keepitsimple]

1. Liberal does not mean "left". Only in the states does the word "liberal" directly mean "leftist-commie-lovin'-pinko". Here in Canada it is a centrist political party. The "left" is represented by the NDP and Greens.

2. Dion Sucks. He sucks so bad that I doubt if I will even vote next time around. If I do my vote will go to some obscure party...

3. Harper is doing ok... but that's only because he has a minority...

4. Under Liberal leadership Canada became... well Canada! If we had been under the conservatives for that many years, we could just as well call ourselves Americans...

More and more, Liberal does mean Left - at this point in time. Traditionally, Liberals were Center/Left and Conservatives were Center/Right. You could look at it like a see-saw with the middle, or fulcrum being swayed back and forth by the forces of Big Government/Small Government. That usually translates into general terms called the Nanny State (the Left) or Personal Responsibility (the Right). The balance that each strikes at any point in time defines how far off the "center" they are.

Having said all that, it is clear that the Liberals are moving Left - if anything to ward off the NDP and Greens. The Conservatives on the other hand, have moved closer to the Center which really should come as no surprise. Now that they are in power, they have to govern for all Canadians, within reason. Liberals on the other hand, are not in power and the votes that they can poach are from parties on the Left - that means their policies and rhetoric have to be tilted to the left.

Interesting times indeed.

[Michael Bluth]

2. Dion Sucks. He sucks so bad that I doubt if I will even vote next time around. If I do my vote will go to some obscure party...

Thank you for noticing that.

There really are two kinds of academics. The ones who embrace lifelong learning. They change their ways of thinking and acting throughout their lives as a result. These are the rare academics, who usually end up at the top of their fields throughout their careers.

The second kind are the ones who bust their arses until they get tenure and then choose to coast afterwards.

Dion has very much proven to be the second kind of academic. I was afraid he would be the first kind, because he would have been a very formidable opponent otherwise.

The Liberals made a very bad choice this time last year. However it just took a while for conventional wisdom to see the truth in that statement.

3. Harper is doing ok... but that's only because he has a minority...

That someone like you, who I believe it is fair to say would never vote for Harper, says he is doing is very telling.

The longer Harper does 'ok' in the eyes of his most vociferous critics the more irrelevant *scary* *scary* *scary* becomes and the larger his lead on the Liberals becomes. With a ten point lead over the Liberals the CPC would win a majority. Even if it fell a point or two below the magic 40% line.

Remember the Liberals won a majority in 1997 with less than 39% of the popular vote.

Edited November 28, 2007 by Michael Bluth