After the success of the Mr. Dithers moniker it has become clear one of the most important tasks an opposition party faces is coming-up with a suitable nickname for the Prime Minister. After this past week under PM Stephen Harper I think I may have it: Bizarro Stephen.
If you’re drawing a blank you must not be a Seinfeld fan. In one of the more memorable episodes of the show’s long run. Elaine meets a group of people that are the exact opposite of her usual group of friends. There’s a Bizarro Jerry, George, Kramer, and even a Newman (whom they actually like), all with mirror opposite personalities and behaviour, but remarkably similar physical appearance, mannerisms, and so on.
Here’s a snippet from the script, a conversation between Elaine and Jerry discussing her discovery.
"He's reliable. He's considerate. He's like your exact opposite."
"So he's Bizarro Jerry."
"Bizarro Jerry?"
"Yeah, like Bizarro Superman, Superman's exact opposite, who lives in the backwards Bizarro world. Up is down, down is up, he says hello when he leaves, goodbye when he arrives."
"Shouldn't he say badbye? Isn't that the opposite of goodbye?"
"No, it's still goodbye."
"Does he live underwater?"
"No."
"Is he black?"
"Look, just forget the whole thing.”
What better name could there be for our new PM after his first week on the job then Bizarro Stephen? The contrast between campaign-Stephen and PM-Stephen has been remarkable. The change has been well documented, from floor crossing and the Senate to lobbying and free votes but not free speech, so I needn’t belabour it here.
Instead, I’ll just ask “What’s the deal Stephen? Whaaaat’s the deal?”
Sunday, February 12, 2006
Meet Bizarro Stephen
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9 comments:
Hi sudden stray into 'Liberal-right' governing seems to indicate that either he is truly Bizarro Stephen, or maybe he's Diefenbacker reincarnated. Just look at some of the strange facts, just regarding the David Emerson affair:
-Emerson and Harpo express 'surprise' at the upset and reaction by those, especially the media and Van-Kingsway constituents, after Emerson's walk in the snow conversion.
-Harpo praises Emerson as the man who can help solve 'BC -specific issues like softwood lumber dispute', however Emerson has recused himself from the tariff argument due to a potential conflict of interest -- are there new measures re. conflict of interest that Harpo has in mind?
-Harpo and Emerson state to the media, in print and on tape, that the offer to Emerson included a cabinet post; just last year, Harpo's hitman Johnny Reynolds had asked the Ontario AG to see if charges could be laid in regard to possible insightment of bribery in the Grewal/Dosanhj case. Yet Harpo goes right and does it himself -- with Reynolds help!
-The night before Emerson was to make his surprise appearance at the cabinet swearing in, he takes a call from the Liberal party of Canada's BC chair, who proceeds to chat him up about the action plans for re-invigorating the party for the next election. Not once does Emerson 'recuse himself' from this discussion, instead taking it all in, and likely right to Harpo's big desk the next day. These are the acts of an honourable man -- if you are tops in Enron!?!
http://bornwithatail.blogspot.com/2006/02/youre-lucky-to-have-me-david-emerson.html
-Harpo's own senate appointee to cabinet, another slap in the face to those who believed that Harpo=changing the way things were operated, says Emerson should resign and run in a byelection - a day after he himself said he didn't run in the election because he didn't want to!
I just wish the public could get its full discourse on Fortier and O'Connor, but unfortunately I think the MSM and public will have blown its cartridge on Emerson, a guy I really liked until a week ago. I guess I'm allowed to change my mind on that.
Although I appreciate the Seinfeld reference, I think that Harpocrite or Harpercrite is just too good to pass up.
I second Harpocrite. Rove says always attack an challenger's strong suit and turn it into a weakness.
I like Harpocrite too, I just couldn't resist the Seinfeld reference. If he starts growing a goatee though we should be very worried, because if Star Trek has tought is anything it's that our doubles from evil paralell universes always have goatees.
BCer:
Indeed. I was going to suggest "the bearded Harper" who governs as opposed to the clean shaven Harper that campaigns, but it isn't catchy enough. While not a fan of derogatory nick names for politicos myself, I do recognize the importance of such branding of one's opposition. So far the one that appears best to me, both in terms of messsage and in terms of reflecting just how reversed Harper is regarding his election pledges, is Harpercrite/Harpocrite. It fits with his stunning turnabout on the Senate, unelected Cabinet members, and offering Cabinet positions to entice floorcrossing to increase the position of a minority government by a PM being a bribe.
Hapless.
As in Hapless Harper.
I vote for Harpocrite it has a honk to it as well as bite.
I vote harpocrite
Mainly due to his condesending views on Atlantic Canada in Particular his utter reversal on his response to Newfoundland/Labrador Premier Danny Williams list of issues affecting NL.
http://www.releases.gov.nl.ca/releases/2006/exec/01harper.pdf
Unfortunately I don't feel this attitude towards the colonies of Ontario and Quebec will change with a LieBeral govt because out political system is inherantly flawed. We have no equality for the provinces in any of our political institutions.
The Supreme court has a guaranteed 3 Judges for Quebec Ontario has 3 which leaves 3 to represent the morals and ethics of the rest of the country.
The Senate could and should have an equal component from each of the representative areas of the country to off set the 106 seats from Ontario and 75 seats from Quebec totaling 181 out of a total of 308 in the House of Commons.
We need a total overhaul of our political system IMHO if this country is to move forward.
http://www.saskndp.com/history/mouseland.html
Triple E senate Equal Effective and Elected.
Harpocracy
would also fit in with the Party's platform. What with them doing an about face on their promise to remove Non-renewable resource revenues from the equalization formula.
To try and appease Dalton Mc Gimme and the 106 votes in Ontario while appeasing Quebec by leaving renewable revenues from Quebec out. 2 billion a year from the Upper Churchill while Newfoundland/Labrador receive a paltry 20 million. Feds still refuse to force a National Power Corridor through Quebec unlike they did in the west with the natural gas pipeline.
http://www.ucs.mun.ca/~feehan/CF.pdf
Quebec is the Tail that wags the dog Ontario and the rest of us are doggy do do without change in the form of a triple E senate and equal Bilingual representation in the Supreme court.
Could even make it so the top supreme court judge from each province occupies the Canadian Supreme court positions. That would make 13 one for each province and territory.
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