Speeches/Press Conference after the official declaration.

[betsy]

The one thing that got me scratching my head is Dion's response regarding his leadership and him being an "underdog," something like this: "I thank Mr Harper for painting me as such because now since there is a very low expectation of me, I will be able to surprise them."

Like the saying goes, I mean it is not hard to rise above if one is at the bottom of the rung.

Harper has faced tremendous difficulty from the time he decided to run for Prime Minister. The personal attacks and negative opinions from the Opposition parties and from most of the media continued to plague him....and yet he was able to rise way above that, having his minority government the longest running minority government in Canadian history.

I don't think I am articulating well what I'm trying to convey, but that statement by Dion is very weak, to say the least. I am envisioning Dion talking in front of other world leaders. Weak and strange statements like this will be very humiliating for Canada.

[DanInOttawa]

The one thing that got me scratching my head is Dion's response regarding his leadership and him being an "underdog," something like this: "I thank Mr Harper for painting me as such because now since there is a very low expectation of me, I will be able to surprise them."

Like the saying goes, I mean it is not hard to rise above if one is at the bottom of the rung.

Harper has faced tremendous difficulty from the time he decided to run for Prime Minister. The personal attacks and negative opinions from the Opposition parties and from most of the media continued to plague him....and yet he was able to rise way above that, having his minority government the longest running minority government in Canadian history.

I don't think I am articulating well what I'm trying to convey, but that statement by Dion is very weak, to say the least. I am envisioning Dion talking in front of other world leaders. Weak and strange statements like this will be very humiliating for Canada.

I too was not very impressed with Dion's comments about being the underdog. It sounds like he sees himself as weak. As for the negative opinions against Harper, I understand the opposition parties having negative opinions they are his opposition. What I don't like, is how negative the media are against him. It is the main reason why he doesn't scrum with them, which they also complain about. If they treated all parties equal then I am sure Harper would scrum with them more often. I have to watch the media very carefully these days so I can read through the lines, as many times the lines are blurred.

[Smallc]

What I don't like, is how negative the media are against him. It is the main reason why he doesn't scrum with them, which they also complain about. If they treated all parties equal then I am sure Harper would scrum with them more often. I have to watch the media very carefully these days so I can read through the lines, as many times the lines are blurred.

To be honest, I don't see negativity towards him from the Media right now. There may have been some in the past, ut they seem to be showing him in a very positive light at the current time.

[DanInOttawa]

To be honest, I don't see negativity towards him from the Media right now. There may have been some in the past, ut they seem to be showing him in a very positive light at the current time.

I agree that some of the media are not being as negative towards Harper as a "default"; however, there are a lot of the reporters out there that are still very negative towards him. For an example, the election has just started today and already the media is using the word majority. There is no poll that currently reports majority, yet the media are saying Harper wants a majority; Harper is doing this because he thinks he can get a majority. This, even when Harper himself said publicly that he thinks there will be another minority. So the media is putting words in Harpers mouth.

[betsy]

To be honest, I don't see negativity towards him from the Media right now.

Today, Dion and Harper were referred to as "Mr Bean and Mr Mean." Some members of the media are trying their best to look neutral....but the sly innuendoes say otherwise.

[Jerry J. Fortin]

I simply don't like either Harper or Dion. The NDP and the Green party have more to say than the two natural ruling parties in this country. Now doesn't that say anything?

[betsy]

I too was not very impressed with Dion's comments about being the underdog. It sounds like he sees himself as weak. As for the negative opinions against Harper, I understand the opposition parties having negative opinions they are his opposition. What I don't like, is how negative the media are against him. It is the main reason why he doesn't scrum with them, which they also complain about. If they treated all parties equal then I am sure Harper would scrum with them more often. I have to watch the media very carefully these days so I can read through the lines, as many times the lines are blurred.

The interview with Lloyd Robertson went very well. Surprisingly Jane Taber acknowledged that Harper did very well, although in my opinion Harper not only did very well. Of all party leaders who spoke today, Harper was the only one who came across as candid and sincere.

Yet Taber stretched it a bit that Dion's English had greatly improved. I still couldn't make out some of his comments in Winnipeg and today. It is obvious he has to make himself speak slow in order to be able to say what he had to say. Upcoming debates should be interesting how he'd deal with and spend his precious minutes.

The moment Layton began his speech about Harper "quitting his job," I had correctly beat Layton by filling up his next sentence, "I am applying for it." Then there's the mention of that darn "kitchen table" again. A little bit of Obama gesturing "not move backward but move forward"....and a bit of McCain by his personalized mentioning of "this guy in Gatineau..."

Elizabeth May. Let's not even go there.

Some media are trying a different tactic by not attacking Harper but instead, painting a very favorable picture of Dion. Oliver Craig, who's been consistently critical of Harper in the past months, was all praises for Dion's speech.

Too bad some of these partisan media are only too willing to sacrifice their credibility.

Edited September 7, 2008 by betsy

[maxfiles]

I thought the unscripted speech by Elizabeth May was exactly what people want, their tired of the same old dog and pony show of everything being so tightly controlled.

They want the leaders to act like people not robots.

dion impo is weak and the way he presents himself as such.

Jack boy trying to be like obama, makes me just laugh... he neither has the skills or charisma to capture the hearts of Canadians.

the Bloc guy is and will be nothing more then a wasted vote impo

and Harper.. impo, just does not care what Canadians have to say.

Edited September 7, 2008 by maxfiles

[DanInOttawa]

The interview with Lloyd Robertson went very well. Surprisingly Jane Taber acknowledged that Harper did very well, although in my opinion Harper not only did very well. Of all party leaders who spoke today, Harper was the only one who came across as candid and sincere.

I was not able to watch the interview, I will watch the re-run later today. I did see the Jane Taber comments. Yes she did acknowledged that Harper did very well, which surprized me. Normally she is pro Liberal, (at least that is what I hear and she).

Yet Taber stretched it a bit that Dion's English had greatly improved.

I caught that as well. That is more like the Jane Taber I know. My opinion is more in line with yours and I too have a hard time understanding him many times. Sometimes I am left wondering what it was he was talking about.

The moment Layton began his speech about Harper "quitting his job," I had correctly beat Layton by filling up his next sentence, "I am applying for it." Then there's the mention of that darn "kitchen table" again. A little bit of Obama gesturing "not move backward but move forward"....and a bit of McCain by his personalized mentioning of "this guy in Gatineau..."

Yea, I pretty much said the same thing as he spoke. It is funny sometimes to watch. I mean these guys are smart, why do they not come up with something different. I think the "I am applying for the job" and the "kitchen table" is getting old already.

Elizabeth May. Let's not even go there.

OK, I agree...

Some media are trying a different tactic by not attacking Harper but instead, painting a very favorable picture of Dion. Oliver Craig, who's been consistently critical of Harper in the past months, was all praises for Dion's speech.

Too bad some of these partisan media are only too willing to sacrifice their credibility.

Yea, I don't know if these guys think we are stupid or something but all the people I talk too say the something. Craig Oliver is not the only one doing it. It's all over the media. They like to think they are non-basis, but they are not. Most of them push their own views, you can see right through it. Jane Taber will be flying with the Liberals, (I am not surprised). I wonder if she will report on the fact that the Liberals are using a plane that completely goes against Dion's so called principles. If that is not a story worth reporting then what is? It will get very little time in the media.