This week the delegates heading to Montreal will be getting a DVD from the Stephane Dion campaign with video clips of the candidate talking on a range of policy areas, and on a variety of topics. Not a delegate? Not to worry, it's all online too.
Some 31 videos are available on the Dion Web site, everything from regional messages for each Province and the North, to policy and philosophy clips on everything from Liberalism and child poverty to (naturally) sustainable development, to more personal clips on topics like why he entered politics and adopting a child.
So, more substance then you can shake a stick at, and stylish in that sweater, non? I invite you to take a look. Particularly if you still believe he has problems with English.
I get frustrated on that topic, I admit, because I just don't get it. He knows the language just fine. He's more than understandable. He just has an accent. Given that he's from Quebec, that's hardly surprising. You can hardly fairly knock someone for having an accent.
Monday, November 20, 2006
In conversation with Stephane Dion
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7 comments:
No one is attacking the accent.
What they really mean is they don't want another Liberal leader from Quebec.
I think what they really mean is... huh, Canada is french too?
He needs some make up - he looks so pale.
Sorry, I don't understand him very well. I get tired of people telling me that his English is good and that I can understand him - I can't understand him.
He's pale and ugly and he has an accent SOOOO thick, no one has a clue what he's talking about. Have I got you right anonymous?
You also forgot to mention that Dion throws temper tantrums, citing the decontextualized quote "that isn't fair" comment. Despite the fact that you can easily see the whole segment on youtube, let's all just continue with the charades shall we?
Anything I've left out?
I know I'm being extremely cynical here, and I apologize. My own words are making me feel uncomfortable. BUT; I'm simply making a point that it seems many people are more than willing to give up on intellectual integrity and make stupid comments. I see this all the time on Globe and Mail and with many "Baloney Bloggers." The lack of intellectual integrity is disheartening.
Shouldn't the internet and blogging be a medium where people can recover from the nonsense the national media often spews out? Shouldn't bloggers be working to counter the spin rather than add to it?
Intellectual integrity is a moral imperative in a democracy. It is necessary to help clarify issues, not make them obscure.
Saying that Dion doesn't speak english or that he's pale and ugly, while perhaps being good for partisan gain, is ultimately a distraction and takes attention away from the business of maintaining a good government.
We must come back to the principals of intellectual integrity and honesty. Stop the spin, and stop making blogs an extension of the spin business.
Indeed Jeremy. You know, it occurs to me this nonesense seems to be coming mainly from anonymous posters. I might find it slightly more credible if they were willing to stand behind their comments and let us know who they're supporting, rather than launch tired, anonymous and transparent smear campaigns.
And the first anon was right too. It's not really about the accent, now is it?
Don't put words in my mouth Kirouac - I said he looked pale, maybe he's really tired, or perhaps not feeling well or maybe because he is so fair skinned. I DID NOT say he was ugly. He's not George Clooney, but please he's not ugly.
Temper - yes and it bothers me. He always looks so insensed that someone would take another view and his debating skills in Question Period are really pathetic - he almost looks like he's going to cry.
Beat Harper - I don't think so.
The double-standard about Kennedy not speaking well in French, but it's OK that Dion's English is not understandable is really hypocritical.
No, it's not. There is no double-standard. Look at the bilingualism test results. Kennedy got a 2 (out of 4), that means he barely passed, which means he can barely speak french. Iggy and Dion I believe got 3s and I think Rae got a 4.
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