Harper one on one with Mansbridge

[capricorn]

http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/News/1221258968/ID=1892613362

Mansbridge wasn't as tough on Harper as with Ignatieff. Harper skated around a hypothetical scenario where he was asked what he would do if the Liberals won a minority.

[YEGmann]

http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/News/1221258968/ID=1892613362

Mansbridge wasn't as tough on Harper as with Ignatieff.

Peter tried. The same level of pressure as on Ignatieff. Harper was tougher. This is called to be an experienced politician.

[capricorn]

This is called to be an experienced politician.

Ignatieff should also have held the interview on the campaign trail rather than in studio. What I came away with is that he needed a break from the hectic campaign pace and wanted a peaceful setting. He made a colossal mistake by bringing a prop, the Liberal platform, to the interview. It distracted from concentrating attention to his answers to the questions asked by the interviewer.

[ToadBrother]

Peter tried. The same level of pressure as on Ignatieff. Harper was tougher. This is called to be an experienced politician.

You mean where he feigns ignorance over the possible ways a government can form in our system? I thought it was funny in an Olly North Plead the 5th kind of way.

[YEGmann]

You mean where he feigns ignorance over the possible ways a government can form in our system? I thought it was funny in an Olly North Plead the 5th kind of way.

Harper avoided a direct answer in the process of answering the question. It can be called funny, but at least it wasn't miserable. This requires skills.

[WWWTT]

Definetly the most boring interview in recent memory.

I finaly realized why Harper keeps his speeches and question periods short,he has a terrible speaking(and singing) voice.

Mansbridge didn't need to be tough on this guy since Harper was more than eager to hang himself by continuasly talking about a subject that has become the kiss of death for him.

Aswell Harper choose a backdrop thats cold and sterile

His pole numbers are going down again,He's going to be real glad when this is all over and he can finally retire.

WWWTT

[Topaz]

Harper's lucky it wasn't Evan Solomon asking the questions, he wouldn't have gotten off so lightly. I couldn't believe at first when Harper said he wouldn't try to form his own government, if he was second. Then it hit me, he would go for another election instead.

[betsy]

Harper actually managed to get control of the interview.

Whereas Ignatieff got easily pushed! Big difference between the two.

Mansbridge tried his darndest to assert his questions, trying to pin Harper down....Harper not only managed to engage, but most importantly came away explaining his message loud and clear!

[kimmy]

Harper's lucky it wasn't Evan Solomon asking the questions, he wouldn't have gotten off so lightly. I couldn't believe at first when Harper said he wouldn't try to form his own government, if he was second. Then it hit me, he would go for another election instead.

After seeing Solomon get clowned by Ayaan Hirsi-Ali, I wouldn't think he'd be likely to "get" Harper. Sending an Angry Leftie to "get" Harper wouldn't accomplish what you guys wish it would.

-k

[ToadBrother]

Harper avoided a direct answer in the process of answering the question. It can be called funny, but at least it wasn't miserable. This requires skills.

What it should inform us is that Harper will likely be much more pragmatic than Iggy proclaimed he was going to be.

Where Harper's skill really came into play was early on when he basically forced Iggy into that moronic "no coalition" declaration. All he did here, in different fashion than Layton did a few days ago, is hedge his bets. No one can tell me that if Harper is returned with a minority that he's just going to sit by and let the Opposition toss him out, and I think Layton knows it, but both are going to, quite sensibly, get as many seats as they can.

So, my read is that it isn't so much Harper or Layton being smart as it is Iggy being really really stupid.

[betsy]

So, my read is that it isn't so much Harper or Layton being smart as it is Iggy being really really stupid.

This must be some sort of vindication for Dion. Remember how he got rudely ushered out of leadership two years ago, he became the butt of jokes, and everyone couldn't wait to get Iggy on his seat.

[ToadBrother]

This must be some sort of vindication for Dion. Remember how he got rudely ushered out of leadership two years ago, he became the butt of jokes, and everyone couldn't wait to get Iggy on his seat.

The Liberals wanted Dion gone ten seconds after the ballots were counted. One of the major objections in the Liberal caucus to the coalition was a discredited leader who already said he was leaving suddenly be propelled to the office of Prime Minister by a backroom deal.

[Slim MacSquinty]

I was disapointed, not because I think Harper did a bad job, I think he did fine, he was relaxed almost bored, like "please just ask me a half way important question about a real policy" kinda thing.

I was disapointed that Mansbridge was a one trick pony, thinking he was going to trip Harper up with the stupid coalition stuff. Never really got to anything important.

Our Media suck, they just parrot what the Politicians say, which in this election is not much of substance.

[jbg]

Our Media suck, they just parrot what the Politicians say, which in this election is not much of substance.

I think Internet competition has seriously weakened the media. I remember the media being far stronger and more pointed back in the 1970's.

[August1991]

Mansbridge wasn't as tough on Harper as with Ignatieff.

I disagree. Make no mistake, people in the CBC hate/do not like Harper. (Think of the posters Molly or Harry on this forum.)

Mansbridge? I have spoken to too many people (federal civil servants) to understand how complicated this game can be. (Imagine a federal civil servant who favours Quebec independence.)

----

Does this CBC Mansbridge interview matter? Not at all.

People who will potentially vote for Stephen Harper and a Conservative candidate have long since stopped listening to the CBC, and Mansbridge.

I am surprised that Harper gave the interview.

In 1972, 1974 and 1980, Trudeau refused to participate in a debate. Harper should have done the same.

[August1991]

Definetly the most boring interview in recent memory.

I finaly realized why Harper keeps his speeches and question periods short,he has a terrible speaking(and singing) voice.

It's not the voice, it's curiousity.

When Trudeau or Levesque were invited to an interview, I knew that I would see a treat. They were teachers. I would learn something.

For Albertans, Peter Lougheed would be the closest example. These politicians had something original to say.

----

Mansbridge launched hard balls, and Harper caught them and then examined them and talked about them. Look at the 17 minute video. How much time did Harper talk? 15 minutes?

Edited April 22, 2011 by August1991

[Moonbox]

Mansbridge launched hard balls, and Harper caught them and then examined them and talked about them. Look at the 17 minute video. How much time did Harper talk? 15 minutes?

That's generally how an interview is supposed to go. You're not there to hear the interviewer speak.

[August1991]

That's generally how an interview is supposed to go. You're not there to hear the interviewer speak.

Harper had nothing original to say, despite Mansbridge's hard balls.

Canada deserves better.

---

Moonbox, with a real politician, that's not "generally how an interview is supposed to go".

Edited April 22, 2011 by August1991

[Moonbox]

Harper had nothing original to say, and Mansbridge had nothing original to ask.

Canada deserves better.

I'm not sure what you were expecting. Mansbridge tried to do the same thing as he successfully did with Ignatieff but Harper was more composed. Harper has completely revamped his image and he's sticking to it better than anyone I can think of in recent memory. Gone is the cunning and ruthless wit, which has been replaced with a boring, yet resolutely consistent intelligence.

Harper's doing it on purpose. I think any interviewer would have had a tough time cracking Harper.

[Roger Steele]

So, my read is that it isn't so much Harper or Layton being smart as it is Iggy being really really stupid.

For such an intelligent individual Ignatieff has a very bad habit of putting his foot in it.

[jbg]

In 1972, 1974 and 1980, Trudeau refused to participate in a debate. Harper should have done the same.

In the U.S. Carter refused to participate in a primary level debate with Kennedy, and Nixon refused to debate in 1968 and 1972. I can't speak to Canada but in the U.S. it's almost impossible to totally duck debates now.

[Evening Star]

When Trudeau or Levesque were invited to an interview, I knew that I would see a treat. They were teachers. I would learn something.

For some reason, I had assumed that "August 1991" referred to your birth date!

[betsy]

I was disapointed that Mansbridge was a one trick pony, thinking he was going to trip Harper up with the stupid coalition stuff. Never really got to anything important.

Yep. The way he kept asking Harper about why the necessity of having a majority when Harper had been "bragging" about his minority's accomplishment only made Mansbridge sound so ignorant (?) - can't think of a better word right now - about the goings-on in the House - which everyone's been complaining was accomplishning nothing other than senseless partisan bickering (and why we're having another election).....or he's desperately trying to find something to give the Opposition something to clobber Harper with (after Ignatieff unexpectedly hit his own head with a hammer)!

Harper managed to wrest control of the interview from Mansbridge (and got the interview going in the direction he wanted it to go)....and Mansbridge knew he lost control! You could see it in Mansbridge's face!

Edited April 22, 2011 by betsy

[betsy]

[quote name='August1991' date='21 April 2011 - 11:10 PM' timestamp='1303449025' Does this I am surprised that Harper gave the interview.

In 1972, 1974 and 1980, Trudeau refused to participate in a debate. Harper should have done the same.

Imagine the field day the anti-Harper media will have if Harper refused this interview! On the last week of the campaign too!

Whether it changed any decisions or not....Harper did the right thing. As for it being a waste of time, I don't think it is. For one, it showed the contrast between him and Ignatieff, and since the media's anticipating this interview...Harper gets his message across in what ended up as a nation-wide campaign stop! The message was delivered loud and clear. Especially his parting shot! Not bad, I say when he used the Liberal's own propaganda machine (CBC)!

[betsy]

Definetly the most boring interview in recent memory.

I finaly realized why Harper keeps his speeches and question periods short,he has a terrible speaking(and singing) voice.

Mansbridge didn't need to be tough on this guy since Harper was more than eager to hang himself by continuasly talking about a subject that has become the kiss of death for him.

Aswell Harper choose a backdrop thats cold and sterile

His pole numbers are going down again,He's going to be real glad when this is all over and he can finally retire.

WWWTT

Ignatieff thinks he's in the classroom everytime he opens his mouth! Who wants to be lectured or.....given a tutorial? So talk about boring....

That body-language posturing with his two parallleled hands going from one side to the other also gets on the nerve. It's almost like he's going to do the feet shuffle....or one of those 70's disco dance!