Dion's 3 strikes interview

[Bryan]

I think the interviewer and Dion both showed serious comprehension issues. Dion had no idea what was being asked of him, and the interviewer had no idea what Dion was trying to ask in an attempt to clarify the question.

There's no chance whatsoever this had anything to do with hearing, Dion did not understand the context. That is a serious issue for a leader, because international negotiations and debating in the house all require you to understand what people are saying when they say it.

That having been said, I think both sides' explanations/attacks just appeal to their bases, and seriously doubt either will change the numbers.

I do think that if Dion is going to claim hearing loss as his standard out, he better man up with an official prior diagnosis. Otherwise it really does come across as making excuses in advance for every time he doesn't know what's going on in the future.

[Visionseeker]

I think the interviewer and Dion both showed serious comprehension issues. Dion had no idea what was being asked of him, and the interviewer had no idea what Dion was trying to ask in an attempt to clarify the question.

There's no chance whatsoever this had anything to do with hearing, Dion did not understand the context. That is a serious issue for a leader, because international negotiations and debating in the house all require you to understand what people are saying when they say it.

That having been said, I think both sides' explanations/attacks just appeal to their bases, and seriously doubt either will change the numbers.

I do think that if Dion is going to claim hearing loss as his standard out, he better man up with an official prior diagnosis. Otherwise it really does come across as making excuses in advance for every time he doesn't know what's going on in the future.

Bryan, as I noted above, this condition was previously announced (widly in fact). Duffy and CTV will have a heap of problems with the Canadian Hearing Society and CRTC tomorrow.

[August1991]

I thought it was funny. Maybe Dion was tired. Maybe he was being his typical Sillery, academic self.

I will say that Trudeau, Landry, Chretien, Parizeau or Levesque would never act this way - even if they didn't understand the question.

Even Marois, who has problems in English, would not have done as Dion. Indeed, a similar tape was played of Marois's ignorance of English - despite having weaker English, she had more aplomb than Dion. Like Harper, Dion lacks aplomb.

----

This tape will have no effect in Quebec. Dion will get no seats in French Quebec anyway.

[Jobu]

Wow. I can sort of understand someone supporting the LPC.

But how in God's name do you support this fool?

That he'd be an embarrassment on the international stage would be an understatement.

How can you actually want this guy to be your leader?

Hearing problem? Really? Please.

Thanks for the majority, Celine. I guess notaleader.ca was prety bang on all along.

[unspoken]

Not an issue.

So Dion gets a free pass for the whole campaign to trash talk the Conservative economic record since they took power, but then has no answer of what he would have done differently?

That question was worded easily. Dion has also said that the problem with his hearing affects him at cocktail parties and the like where there are lots of people in a room talking. This was one on one, the hearing excuse isn't in effect here.

And you can bet the house that if this was Harper and in French, the Liberals would be running to the bank with that tape. Funny too, the Liberals tried to stop CTV from airing the tape...where's the cries of media censorship now from the left? Now that the shoe is on the other foot I guess it's alright.

[noahbody]

Bryan, as I noted above, this condition was previously announced (widly in fact). Duffy and CTV will have a heap of problems with the Canadian Hearing Society and CRTC tomorrow.

Hate to burst your bubble, but according to Dion, he doesn't have a hearing impairment one on one.

"It's the case that I hear everything when the sound is isolated but when it's confused with other sound, then it's completely confused. My mother had the same problem."

http://www.thestar.com/FederalElection/article/495304

Now, is there anything lower than someone pretending to be disabled to get sympathy?

[kengs333]

Then why did the Globe and Mail pick up on the story? It seems to me the Globe thought there was an issue somewhere in there.

The media wants Harper to win. They're looking for any opportunity to make Dion look bad, because Harper and his Conservatives are fumbling the ball so badly that they're getting desperate. So what's next? Zooming in on a drop of spilled coffee on Dion's shirt and accusing him because of that drop of being panicky and unable to manage the economy?

From what I've seen, I can understand given the way the interviewer was asking the questions that someone who isn't a native English speaker could get mixed up the way Dion did. It's not a serious problem, and given the fact that Dion has for the entire campaign fielded questions from the media with no real issue, I don't see why a big deal has to be made about this. At least Dion is open to dealing with the media, doesn't have to script and control everything. We all know that Harper has the tendancy to mouth off and put his foot in his mouth every once and awhile--like that nonsense about buying stocks...

[kengs333]

Now, is there anything lower than someone pretending to be disabled to get sympathy?

Someone who actually believes what Harper says?

[Jobu]

So is there really a disability that makes someone unable to understand one language, but not another? Isn't that just called unilingual?

[kengs333]

So Dion gets a free pass for the whole campaign to trash talk the Conservative economic record since they took power, but then has no answer of what he would have done differently?

No answer? He misunderstood the question, and asked for that part of the interview to be redone so he could answer it properly.

That question was worded easily. Dion has also said that the problem with his hearing affects him at cocktail parties and the like where there are lots of people in a room talking. This was one on one, the hearing excuse isn't in effect here.

It was a little vague for someone who is not a native English speaker. That Dion wouldn't understand right away that the interviewer was speaking in hypothetical terms about Dion being PM and not if he becomes PM is not all that unreasonable.

And you can bet the house that if this was Harper and in French, the Liberals would be running to the bank with that tape. Funny too, the Liberals tried to stop CTV from airing the tape...where's the cries of media censorship now from the left? Now that the shoe is on the other foot I guess it's alright.

In my opinion if Harper mistook something that was posed to him in French and had an awkward moment nobody would make an issue of it. Going after someone because of a momentary difficulty with language is pretty low. We all know that Dion has intelligence and intellect--he wouldn't have accomplished what he has if he didn't--so to make an issue out of one minute or so of awkward confusion is lame, deperate, pathetic...

Like I said: it's not an issue...

[kengs333]

So is there really a disability that makes someone unable to understand one language, but not another? Isn't that just called unilingual?

How many languages do you speak/understand?

[Who's Doing What?]

(Oh, and here's a shocker just reported on CTV. The Globe and Mail is endorsing Stephen Harper and this will appear in tomorrow's Globe edition. And here I thought the Globe was biased in favour of the Liberals. I might just buy a subscription.)

Biased Liberal Media eh?

Who is it that really needs the tinfoil hats around here?

[Who's Doing What?]

Ah yes, but a proof is a proof.

And I've got a box of golf balls to prove it!!!

[Who's Doing What?]

So is there really a disability that makes someone unable to understand one language, but not another? Isn't that just called unilingual?

The guy has trouble hearing.

I have been suffering through some hearing loss myself lately, and I have a hard enough time understanding what is being said in English let alone if someone tried talking to me in French.

Edited October 10, 2008 by Who's Doing What?

[Jobu]

No answer? He misunderstood the question, and asked for that part of the interview to be redone so he could answer it properly.

FOUR times?

It was a little vague for someone who is not a native English speaker. That Dion wouldn't understand right away that the interviewer was speaking in hypothetical terms about Dion being PM and not if he becomes PM is not all that unreasonable.

Don't you think a Prime Minister should have a little better handle on English? Furthermore, for someone who has spent the better part of a week on this subject, shouldn't he have some sort of answer?

In my opinion if Harper mistook something that was posed to him in French and had an awkward moment nobody would make an issue of it. Going after someone because of a momentary difficulty with language is pretty low. We all know that Dion has intelligence and intellect--he wouldn't have accomplished what he has if he didn't--so to make an issue out of one minute or so of awkward confusion is lame, deperate, pathetic...

Maybe if it was once. Not four times.

Like I said: it's not an issue...

Do you really believe that? It's on the front page/website of every major media outlet in Canada.

[Jobu]

How many languages do you speak/understand?

One, English.

And I'm not running for Prime Minister, let alone Prime Minister of a country whose majority of citizens speak a different language.

Your point?

[unspoken]

The guy has trouble hearing.

I have been suffering through some hearing loss myself lately, and I have a hard enough time understanding what is being said in English let alone if someone tried talking to me in French.

So then how is it that his hearing problem doesn't affect him in noisy media scrums and when four or five people are all talking simultaneously during the televised debate, but in a silent room going one-on-one with a TV interviewer, it's all of a sudden an issue?

[Jobu]

The guy has trouble hearing.

I have been suffering through some hearing loss myself lately, and I have a hard enough time understanding what is being said in English let alone if someone tried talking to me in French.

But I thought it was only at cocktail parties and the like?

Why did it take four times?

Why hasn't this happened before?

Come on. Do you really think people are that stupid?

[Jobu]

So then how is it that his hearing problem doesn't affect him in noisy media scrums and when four or five people are all talking simultaneously during the televised debate, but in a silent room going one-on-one with a TV interviewer, it's all of a sudden an issue?

And why doesn't this mysterious hearing problem occur in French?

[Bryan]

Bryan, as I noted above, this condition was previously announced (widly in fact). Duffy and CTV will have a heap of problems with the Canadian Hearing Society and CRTC tomorrow.

Not even close. He claimed to have problems picking single voices out of a crowd, and very specifically stated that it did not affect him in one on one conversation. Besides that, he provided no verification of an official diagnosis of any recognized hearing disability for the problem he did claim to have.

So then how is it that his hearing problem doesn't affect him in noisy media scrums and when four or five people are all talking simultaneously during the televised debate, but in a silent room going one-on-one with a TV interviewer, it's all of a sudden an issue?

That actually might explain his record as opposition in the House. Maybe he supported the Conservatives so often because he didn't understand the questions, what with everyone yelling over each other so much.

[scribblet]

I haven't read the whole thread, no time, but hind sight is always 20-20 isn't it..

[Shakeyhands]

FOUR times?

CTV huh. I don't think there is any big deal in retaking parts of a taped interview. The CPC will try to make hay on this one and I don't think it's gonna work. This won't change the fact that there will be a CPC minority gov't (god forbid a majority) All you fools are getting worked up over nothing.

[AngusThermopyle]

All you fools are getting worked up over nothing.

So if people have a differing view they're fools?

How very Liberal of you.

Dion has also said that the problem with his hearing affects him at cocktail parties and the like where there are lots of people in a room talking.

I never realized before that was considered a disability. I've always just thought it was having trouble hearing an individual in a crowded noisy room. Well you learn something new everyday I guess.

Edited October 10, 2008 by AngusThermopyle

[Jobu]

CTV huh. I don't think there is any big deal in retaking parts of a taped interview. The CPC will try to make hay on this one and I don't think it's gonna work. This won't change the fact that there will be a CPC minority gov't (god forbid a majority) All you fools are getting worked up over nothing.

Really? You don't think it's a big deal taking four takes of a very simple question that is the crux of the issues these days?

I'm just watching Dion on Newsworld this morning. It's sad, really, seeimg him try to defend this mess.

[TOhasCLASS]

Anyone who doesn't see a problem with taking advantage of a person's diability whether directly or indirectly for their own personal gain is in my books a little lower on the food chain then the rest of us.

Shameful to all who approve

PS - as we all age our hearing will be affected and it will impact all of us .... keep that in mind

I hope opponents of my view are just stating their case for banter and not based on personal views