Can anyone explain Dan Gagnier's end game for me?

[fred68]

The one thing I never understood about the whole Dan Gagnier affair in the last week in the campaign, is why he went on about it, and actually caused one more day of headlines that could have really hurt the Liberal party, and probably did. You can see it directly in the polls the blip that he caused.

And please don't give me far right or far left talking points, as nobody wants to hear them. The end of his story still makes no sense at all.

He got found out writing that letter. Maybe he told the party or maybe he didn't, that didn't matter when it came out. He became a liability to the incredible momentum that was happening, so it was time to dive on the sword. Even an amatuer political hack knows that.

What I don't understand is why he didn't? Why did he say anything at all to try to defend himself? You were about to go down as the Quebec co-chair in one of the great comebacks is the history of Canadian politics, heck maybe of almost any political campaign, considering you were in third place and an after thought with just six week to go. Why did he say anything at all? It just makes no sense. Why not just shut up and do what you were hired to do? Does he have that much of an ego that he would jeopardize his own campaign that he spent two years to help build?

Or is there something more. Did he think he was now going to be in the inner circle, and he felt squeezed out by Telford who was becoming the power inside the Liberal party, and a hero to many Liberals across the country? Was he jealous of all the accolades she was getting and that he wasn't?

I've read up a lot on this, but nobody has answered that question. Why would he jeopardize the baby he helped build, and become a pariah in his own party. Let alone possibly turn the campaign because he could not shut up? Anybody with any answers?

[TimG]

I've read up a lot on this, but nobody has answered that question. Why would he jeopardize the baby he helped build, and become a pariah in his own party. Let alone possibly turn the campaign because he could not shut up? Anybody with any answers?

It was not really a scandal. For a brief period it seemed like the Liberals might have some common sense on the environmental file but that quickly faded. As for votes, it probably picked up a wavering red tory for every anti-pipeline zealot vote that was lost. I would not be surprised to find out that Gagnier was outed by the eco-ideologues in the Liberal party who are now firmly in control. They did not want anyone interested in common sense around once they got power.

[Smallc]

That seems to require a lot of assumptions.

[fred68]

It was not really a scandal. For a brief period it seemed like the Liberals might have some common sense on the environmental file but that quickly faded. As for votes, it probably picked up a wavering red tory for every anti-pipeline zealot vote that was lost. I would not be surprised to find out that Gagnier was outed by the eco-ideologues in the Liberal party who are now firmly in control. They did not want anyone interested in common sense around once they got power.

I thought of that too, but I think they would have done that a couple days after the campaign a to not cause any problems for the party. Maybe done by the NDP? I have to admit, I know many NDP voters who voted for the Liberals because they were completely pissed off with Mulcair attacking Trudeau, and putting a Conservative majority in play.

At the same time this thing was known since March, I even saw it on another forum similar to this one back then. And it was just weird timing it came out in the Canadian Press just before the election. Somebody had an axe to grind, and maybe you're right, maybe he thought someone within the party did it. But even still, you were the co-chair, not some small fry. You simply jump on your sword because this was your campaign. Look at how many seats they won in Quebec, and a lot of that has to do with him, even though he was gone. Or maybe he thought nobody respected him, because Telford was becoming a media star, and starlet?

And it was big enough to cause a very big dip in the polls and lose a lot of momentum that wasn't gained back again until Friday. Just by keeping it out there an extra day and a half by denying it, still makes no sense.

[overthere]

Why would he jeopardize the baby he helped build, and become a pariah in his own party. Let alone possibly turn the campaign because he could not shut up? Anybody with any answers?

He was applying for a job because he knew there was not much room for him at the traditional Liberal post-election trough. There are many mouths to feed, and the new kids would be in the second tier of patronage. So he padded his resume to make it appear he had more leverage inside than he did..... which is not exclusive to Liberal partisan hacks.

Edited December 2, 2015 by overthere

[fred68]

That seems to require a lot of assumptions.

It is all just background. The question is still very simple: Why did Gagnier continue the story for a day and a half by speaking out?

Edited December 2, 2015 by fred68

[fred68]

He was applying for a job because he knew there was not much room for him at the traditional Liberal post-election trough. There are many mouths to feed, and the new kids would be in the second tier of patronage. So he padded his resume to make it appear he had more leverage inside than he did..... which is not exclusive to Liberal partisan hacks.

I don't think he paded his CV too much. Telford, the de facto most powerful woman in Canada, says it herself at the beginning of this video how much of a big shot he was.

link to video

Considering how powerful Telford became, and now is, it's an interesting statement. But you are right, maybe he realized he wasn't going to have much power, so that's why he sent the letter so early saying he would have influence. He realized he wouldn't. so better before the end of the campaign. Which still begs the question: Who pushed this out to the press? I don't believe the Liberals, even the lefties, would jeopardize their own campaign like that. Maybe they wanted it to come out just after the election, and some reporter got the scoop early? Still so many questions with this affair not answered.

On the other hand, I think the beginning of your post is on to something. He was going to be squeezed out, so with the letter being leaked, he felt useless and used, and now he couldn't even use the last two years of his life - that would help him so much - on his CV. But to try to take down something that he had worked on for so long, instead of just being quiet and doing the "politically correct" thing and being a good soldier,, he must have been so angry he just exploded.

Maybe he felt like a cuckhold leader with Telford there, and had had enough?

Edited December 2, 2015 by fred68
link to video