Jack Layton pushes a woman in order to get on camera!

[M.Dancer]

if Layton was really trying to get his mug on camera it was a poor choice, if not for CTV making mention of it I never would have spotted him in the crowd...the media chooses to find faces in the crowd not the politicians and celebrities...

So his press release saying he would be there....and reserving the spot had nothing to do with it?

[Moonbox]

So his press release saying he would be there....and reserving the spot had nothing to do with it?

LoLoLoL.

Bingo.

[cybercoma]

proverbial: molehill -> mountain.

[Shakeyhands]

LoLoLoL.

Bingo.

but really.... who cares? we all know the guy is a used car slaesman type.

[PIK]

but really.... who cares? we all know the guy is a used car slaesman type.

And all this time I thought he was the video professor.

[jbg]

Hyperbole of the Week: The guy pushes some woman's arm out of his face and you call it assault. That says far more about you than it does Jack Layton.

Mr. Canada didn't push anybody to my knowledge. Jack Layton did.

[Oleg Bach]

Viewed the video and cold not find waldo-- I mean Jack - apprently he is not very good at being a ham--he screwed that up..either go for it or shut up - he saw where the camera was situated and understands what an eye line is - get in there Jack it's your show-- but know - typical lefty was not committed enought to be forceful - nice guys finish last - as Jack will.

[Guest American Woman]

....to make things fair, Harper was also at the game at least partly for political reasons.

Same as Layton, yet no one is saying Harper should have hidden in the shadows at the game so as not to take air time away from the ordinary citizens who paid to be there who would have loved to have been on television.

He got face time, and with the Great One no less.

Apparently it's not 'seeking publicity' to get face time with Gretzky, but to merely go to Gretzky's bar makes one a publicity hound.

But i'd argue that its partly expected for him, as PM, to be there. There might have been minor criticism on him if he didn't show up to such an important/historical Canadian event.

And I'd argue that its partly expected of Layton, as the NDP leader, to publicly show support. There might have been minor ciriticsm if he didn't show his support for such an important/historical event.

Yet he should have gone to a different bar, he shouldn't have sat at the bar, he should have stayed in the shadows, he commited assault even though he wasn't charged with assault, and on it goes.

Who's to say he even chose where he sat? Obviously he had reserved seats, and if Gretzky's and/or CTV didn't want him in the picture, he wouldn't have had reservations where he did or CTV wouldn't have set up where they did.

[kimmy]

I have no complaint about Layton going to the game and doing the "common touch" thing and the "Go Canada" thing.

However, for myself (and probably most who view the video) it provided a graphic demonstration of the old adage "never stand between a politician and a microphone." Probably not the kind of impression Layton was hoping to make.

I'm actually not sure why he wanted to be seen celebrating the game at all. I thought the NDP and its supporters hated the Olympics and took a "bread not circuses" stance on the whole thing. I also thought they hated this Olympics in particular because of that whole "stolen land" thing. I also thought the leftwingy types dismiss sports altogether as another "opiate of the masses" used to distract plebes from important issues. I also thought they felt that such outre displays of blind patriotism were the rightwingy first steps on the road to totalitarian police states. I also wonder if Jack had even owned the Canada jersey long enough to pull the price tags out of it. But I'm glad Jack had fun at the game.

-k

[punked]

I have no complaint about Layton going to the game and doing the "common touch" thing and the "Go Canada" thing.

However, for myself (and probably most who view the video) it provided a graphic demonstration of the old adage "never stand between a politician and a microphone." Probably not the kind of impression Layton was hoping to make.

I'm actually not sure why he wanted to be seen celebrating the game at all. I thought the NDP and its supporters hated the Olympics and took a "bread not circuses" stance on the whole thing. I also thought they hated this Olympics in particular because of that whole "stolen land" thing. I also thought the leftwingy types dismiss sports altogether as another "opiate of the masses" used to distract plebes from important issues. I also thought they felt that such outre displays of blind patriotism were the rightwingy first steps on the road to totalitarian police states. I also wonder if Jack had even owned the Canada jersey long enough to pull the price tags out of it. But I'm glad Jack had fun at the game.

-k

You though, you thought, you thought. Shows just how ignorant you are about the leftwing of this country.

[kimmy]

You though, you thought, you thought. Shows just how ignorant you are about the leftwing of this country.

So are you saying that if I went to a left-leaning forum such as Babble and looked over the Olympics related threads, I wouldn't find those criticisms being made again and again?

Or are you saying that people who say those things are out of touch with what "real" left-leaning Canadians think of the Olympics?

-k

[Guest American Woman]

So are you saying that if I went to a left-leaning forum such as Babble and looked over the Olympics related threads, I wouldn't find those criticisms being made again and again?

Or are you saying that people who say those things are out of touch with what "real" left-leaning Canadians think of the Olympics?

There are "real" left-leaning Canadians on this board who come across as just supportive of the Olympics and Canadian athletes as right-leaning Canadians do. It's ignorant to lump everyone into one narrow view just because they are left-leaning.

Edited March 6, 2010 by American Woman

[MontyBurns]

He was at Wayne Gretzky's ...

Shouldn't he have been out on the icepans with the rest of the granolas? Or dancing on a float at the gay festival in Toronto?

[Smallc]

You though, you thought, you thought. Shows just how ignorant you are about the leftwing of this country.

I could not have said it better myself. It's like saying, "I thought all right wingers were bigots and racists." Does that describe you Kimmy?

[Smallc]

Or dancing on a float at the gay festival in Toronto?

Gay pride takes place at the end of June....but what if he was (i'm sure he'll be taking part)? Do you have a problem with that?

[kimmy]

I could not have said it better myself. It's like saying, "I thought all right wingers were bigots and racists." Does that describe you Kimmy?

Opposition to the games from Canada's left has been so vocal and vehement as to create the impression that it's extremely widespread and a widely held viewpoint. I think it's entirely fair to speculate that Jack Layton may have misjudged his supporters' views by jumping on the Olympics bandwagon in such brazen fashion.

-k

[MontyBurns]

Gay pride takes place at the end of June....

How do you know all this stuff anyway?

[Smallc]

How do you know all this stuff anyway?

Last year, I went to Toronto for the first time at the end of June. It just so happened that I arrived on the last day of Pride. This year, they had to move pride back a week, because of the G20 summit that is being held in Toronto at the end of June. I saw that in a news story.

Edited March 6, 2010 by Smallc

[Smallc]

Opposition to the games from Canada's left has been so vocal

I consider myself to be somewhat left, and I certainly didn't oppose the games.

[MontyBurns]

Last year, I went to Toronto for the first time at the end of June. It just so happened that I arrived on the last day of Pride. This year, they had to move pride back a week, because of the G20 summit that is being held in Toronto at the end of June. I saw that in a news story.

I'll believe you.

[kimmy]

I consider myself to be somewhat left, and I certainly didn't oppose the games.

Not everybody, perhaps, but a significant and vocal portion of Canada's left, for certain.

You wanted to use an analogy of racists among rightwingers. A better analogy would be support for tax-cuts among right wingers. Not all rightwingers support tax cuts, but the position is widely held among rightwingers, and it would easy to find any number of cites to support that opinion. Canada's left and the Olympics was the same. We're all aware of extremely vocal leftists who decried the amount of money being spent on Olympic venues when they felt social funding would be a better use of the money. And the "attack on the homeless". And the "environmental devastation". And on and on. Maybe not all leftwingers supported those views, but a very loud portion of them certainly did.

And left wing politicians were trying to play both sides of the issue, especially here in BC, where opposition to the games was actually higher than in other parts of the country. Carole James opposed the Olympics at every turn, but still cried foul when she felt she was excluded a suitably visible place at pre-Olympic events.

-k

[bloodyminded]

I'm actually not sure why he wanted to be seen celebrating the game at all. I thought the NDP and its supporters hated the Olympics and took a "bread not circuses" stance on the whole thing. I also thought they hated this Olympics in particular because of that whole "stolen land" thing. I also thought the leftwingy types dismiss sports altogether as another "opiate of the masses" used to distract plebes from important issues. I also thought they felt that such outre displays of blind patriotism were the rightwingy first steps on the road to totalitarian police states.

-k

These sort of ridiculius caricatures of "the left" only show that you have no clue what "the left" is. (Hint: it's not some monolithic entity in total agreement on every issue.)

[Shady]

Last year, I went to Toronto for the first time at the end of June. It just so happened that I arrived on the last day of Pride.

Man, do I ever feel sorry for you. Hopefully it didn't ruin your vacation.

[punked]

Man, do I ever feel sorry for you. Hopefully it didn't ruin your vacation.

Pride is a lot of fun Shady. I went two years ago with some friends and it is one big party Shady. Take the stick out and loosen up a little.

[Shady]

Pride is a lot of fun Shady. I went two years ago with some friends and it is one big party Shady. Take the stick out and loosen up a little.

I'm sure its great fun. If one likes to look at naked men, and naked women who look like men. Btw, there needs to be a puke emoticon.