Just a casual reflection of the most-recent election here and the soon-to-be election there makes me shudder. It seems you are only as popular as your most recent poll, and that only counts if you are actually leading.
Let's see: Harper comes back, perhaps not as powerfully as he wanted, but he certainly did increase his government's seats. Dion, on the other hand, lost ground big time, and he is on his way out the proverbial door. In fact, too many of his inner circle supporters(?) are already helping him pack for the one-way trip to Oblivion. (How do you say "Et tu, Brute" in French?)
And to the south of us, there are additional leadership issues. I don't mask my deep admiration for America, and Americans in particular. Nor do I mask my contempt for the left media that eviscerates its right leaders. Truth, I can handle; lies, I can't. The trash talking about Sarah Palin makes me question freedom of speech. If I sat down and wrote certain personal things about Mr. Obama - his race, his religion, his stand on such touchy subjects as abortion, gay rights, illegals (just for starters) – I would be muzzled so quickly, so savagely, that I wouldn't know if I was Marvin or Martha.
Somehow, in our topsy-turvy world, when someone stands up, then stands out, for embracing a more traditional, moral, and thoughtful lifestyle, they are crucified. The only thing missing are the nails. The crowd seems to be still crying, "Away with him (or her)," and a Pilate-like leader is standing nearby, washing his hands of any culpability.
Am I comparing Harper or Palin to Christ? No; that would be sacrilege. I am simply calling to your attention that taking the high road in one's philosophy of leadership is a very unpopular route, one that leads to public attacks, personal vendettas, and general harassment. Teachers or parents that are lax, that maintain low standards, always -- and I repeat 'always' -- produce rotten results. The words chaos, disorder, laziness, and grief come to mind.
There are a lot of things that I could likely disagree with when it comes to Harper and Palin. Throw in a Bush, if you choose. I appreciate a rational Harper, a courageous Palin, and even a bumbling Bush. In the latter's case, I would be thrilled to have a leader, who loves his wife and his country, representing me, rather than some philanderer like Bill Clinton. If you know your American history, you will know that Clinton's conquests were not as rare as once thought.
We need stable leadership in these unstable days. At this point, I don't care what party they represent. I do care, however, whether their personal life is in order, their marriage is in order, and their track record is in order. We must hold our leaders – be they parents, teachers, employers, pastors, peace officers, or politicians -- to a higher-than-normal standard.
For the record: I noticed that a few NDP candidates had to resign before they ever got to October 14. The party should have checked them out before they were nominated, but at least they had the courage to do something once they found out. Kudos to the NDP!
To attack Harper because of his religious beliefs, Palin because of her traditional view of women, or Bush because he isn't the most articulate speaker, is the product of a gutter mentality.
When politicians are mocked on Air Farce (here) or Saturday Night Live (there), each respective show has crossed the line. I would love to see these two shows take on Dion or Biden. Not a chance.
On the leaders' part, they must be marked by integrity, respect, and honour; on the followers' part (that would be us), interestingly enough, they too should be marked by integrity, respect, and honour. Mud-slinging and arrogance have no part at the leadership level, and cheap shots and false accusations have no part at the followership.
So if I ever run for mayor or MLA or MP (or even mayor, for that matter), please don't make fun of me. Stay away from attacking me. That's what they do in the backwaters of India (hello, Orissa) or Iraq (good-bye, Shiite or Sunni). Disagree with my conservative views, if you will, but do it in a civilized manner. And I reserve the right to do the same to any opponents.
So if that offer for a doughnut still stands, I'll take it. Make that a cream puff. Kind of reminds me of me.
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