Canadians watched a bully get his comeuppance last night. There were no knock-out blows or deathbed repentances but some solid points were made. In balance, the Greens’ Elizabeth May looked good, the New Democrat’s Thomas Mulcair was stuffy, the Liberal’s Justin Trudeau showed strength and the Prime Minister kept saying “Let’s be clear,” when he really was not.
But why did it all look like an attempt at stand-up comedy at a funeral directors’ convention? Why were the men all in black suits with ties out of the Salvation Army bag? At least Elizabeth May could stand out in her little black dress.
Starting on the far right was the Prime Minister. And we really mean far. They could have put another 50 actors on that sound stage and had room left over. It was a bad advertisement for MacLean’s. The moderator was so far away from the participants that he had to shout to be heard.
And the moderator was not heard enough. The Prime Minister would talk right over him sometimes just to make some obscure, unnecessary point. The moderator could have asserted himself without being so opinionated.
Elizabeth May is still our favourite Liberal. She could do wonders for a Liberal cabinet—besides being a great den mother. Justin Trudeau looked good to her far (stage) left. It was fascinating that he actually did try to keep his powder dry. His timing was often good at jumping in and a few times came across as rude.
But he was bound and determined to nail Mulcair on his going after the separatist vote in Quebec. And he did. Maybe some commentators could not understand that in an English-language debate but it is the English-language audience that mostly gives a damn about this country and they had to understand the duplicity involved.
And Thomas Mulcair has to take some time to regroup after that debate. He did not look like a Prime Minister in waiting. He looked like a stuffy little man whose past was his passion in Quebec. He brought nothing of the New Democrat strengths to the stage.
But it was Stephen Harper who was measured and found wanting. It is still going to be a very long election campaign but the signs are there that Harper will get what he deserves. And that is not four more years.
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Copyright 2015 © Peter Lowry
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