 |
| Attention. This man is dangerous. |
But it matters little to many of his new found supporters, who look to Jack and the Ndp not as a potential government but rather an effective force to counter a Conservative party juggernaut.
In truth, none of his supporters expect victory and so are not particularly invested in Ndp policy.
The Conservatives don't have much to gain by attacking Layton, the chance of a stray Ndp vote coming their way is almost slim to none, but for the Bloc Quebecois, it's a whole different ballgame.
The Bloc has lost up to 25% of its support to the Ndp, a cataclysmic change that has rocked the party and sent a panicked Gilles Duceppe into his war-room to define a new strategy to counter the Layton effect.
There isn't much there politically and even less on a personal level, to disparage, but both the Bloc and it's fawning media supporters are mounting a somewhat desperate effort to take the shine off the Ndp rose.
Jack Layton has been around the block (no pun intended) and these new attacks are unlikely to ruffle his feathers. The veteran politician deflects criticism better than any other politician in Canada and does so in a charming, modest, self-deprecating "aw shucks' manner. It'll be hard to score points without being cruel and I'm not sure the voters are interested in seeing a charming, cane toting character beaten up. Things like that often backfire.
But try the Bloc will and try its allies in the media will as well. To do nothing is to admit defeat and so it starts......
In lautjournal. Pierre Dubuc writes;
All these 'bon mots' set under a Photoshopped image of Jack Layton wearing a turban. Ouch!"Layton makes a pact with the religious right"We had clear proof on Good Friday, when a television report showed us Jack Layton participating in a march of Forgiveness in Toronto and again on Easter Sunday, while the NDP leader summoned reporters and cameras to witness him attending a church service........Clearly, the NDP leader has lamentably capitulated to the religious right........The next step is to change the progressive values that characterize Canadian society by the conservative values of the religious right. The Liberals and the NDP are well aware of these issues. But the Liberals and the NDP have capitulated to the religious right, as evidenced by their participation in the highly publicized Easter religious ceremonies.
I was a little surprised by the author's use of the term "CRACKER" and I'm doubtful that the author understands its connotation in English. "CRACKER" is a racial slur against white people, similar to 'nigger' against blacks. Hmmm.....
Even the staid La Presse ran a story that on the surface seemed to be straight reporting, it's subject, Jack Layton attending a Sikh religious day in Toronto took on shades of Layton-bashing.
Showing the Ndp leader with a white-bearded Sikh, plays into the fact that Jack is in favour of reasonable accommodations, a concept on the outs with the majority of francophone voters.
"Women members of the NDP team attending wore a scarf on their arrival in the park."
Undoubtedly, another observation meant to inflame Quebecois' sensitivity to women's right, is the wearing of religious attire, including the hated veils. LINK{FR}
But there is clearly a danger in attacking Jack Layton on his character as Gérald Larose, the ex-union leader and sovereignist militant found out when he challenged Layton to publicly answer five questions. The questions were clearly loaded and meant to show Layton's federalist bend, and so hopefully for Larose, embarrassing the NDP leader.
Presumptuously, Mr. Larose demanded an answer to his questions by a prescribed deadline, failing which, according to him, would be clear evidence that Layton was an 'impostor,' 'villainous' and a 'double-crosser'
Mercilessly attacked in the French media for his remarks, Larose beat a hasty retreat and apologized for his exuberance a few hours later. LINK
Such is Layton-mania in Quebec that nothing negative sticks to Jack.
Even when he was forced to explain why one of his 'not a hope in Hell' Quebec candidates, Ruth Ellen Brosseau, was vacationing in Las Vegas during the campaign, the Press laughed it off. Incredibly, the fact that she was employed in Ottawa and couldn't speak French worth a lick, didn't seem to matter to the Press, in spite of the fact that the riding where she was running was over 97% Francophone! LINK
Had it been any other leader, there would have been Hell to pay.
Why the is the leader of the Ndp getting the 'kid glove' treatment?
Well, perhaps as loud-mouth André Arthur, the independent conservative candidate, running in Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, said;
"We see poor Mr. Layton with his cane, and we pity him, and so, we want to vote for him to console him. Clearly, this man has the sympathy of everyone, including me" LINK
