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| Khadir and David in better times. |
The Quebec solidarnik has taken a preciptious tumble in popularity and the fortunes of the party he represents, as it's lone sitting member in the National Assembly, are no better.
As you can see by the polling numbers below, Kahdir's personal popularity has hit an all-time low as he is now perceived by just 4% of Quebeckers as Premier material.
When you hit a number that low, you're taken about as seriously as Bonnehomme Carnaval.
That being said, Khadir would probably be able to defend his seat in Mercier, it seems that half of those voters who make up that 4% number, live in the Plateau Mont-Royal!
That's no comfort to Francoise David and the rest of the Quebec Solidarniks, who must be thunderstruck by the numbers, which indicate clearly that they could not come close to electing any one else and are destined to remain a fringe element in Quebec politics.
Their biggest accomplishment is to split the separatist vote to the benefit of the federalist parties, so in that respect all I can Say is "Long live the QS!
Mr Khadir had remained popular in his constituency by maintaining an image as the Ralph Nader of Quebec politics, assailing government, entrenched politicians, as well as hectoring the rich and powerful, much to the delight of his supporters, who forgive his many excesses as a small price to pay for his defence of the 'little guy'.
It seems that Quebeckers have taken in stride Mr. Khadir's continuous attacks on the establishment and even forgave him his support of a wildly unpopular boycott against a small Montreal Shoe merchant for selling Israeli shoes. It did not seem to harm him politically and so until quite recently Mr. Khadir appeared to be the ultimate Teflon politician.
I'd like to believe that the relentless pounding Khadir has taken in the press (and in the blogosphere) for his leftist views and his unpopular stances, has finally made an impact on his popularity but alas, I fear it is wishful thinking.
If Mr Khadir has suffered a permanent loss of support, it is not based on the cumulative effect of his past excesses, but rather it can be attributed to one issue and one issue alone.
Mr. Khadir is being widely lambasted for scuppering a National Assembly law that would hold Quebec City legally harmless for bypassing the tendering process in order to fast track the building of a hockey arena.
And so the people are not amused.
Over 70% of Quebec voters are in favour of the law and the arena project, most of them quite passionate about the issue.
As for Mr. Khadir, it may be acceptable to screw with the rich and famous, the monarchy, big business, Anglos, Canadians, Americans and Jews...but as for Quebeckers there is one inviolate rule;
DON'T SCREW WITH HOCKEY!
Can it be that Quebeckers are so shallow? Is hockey a bigger issue than everything else?
More important than sovereignty?
More important than the deficit?
More important than high taxes?
More important than emergency room wait-times?
More important than foreign policy?
More important than crumbling infrastructure?
YUP! Apparently, it is!
Poor Amir himself is stunned at this turn of events. Asked to comment on his Humpty-Dumpty fall, Mr. Khadir admitted that it is "Remarakable, something that can't be denied" Link{FR}
And so a lesson is learned...Sort of.
If anyone expects Mr. Khadir to change his opinions or in any way modify his political activism, they don't know him very well.
In a week where the Syrian government killed its weekly quota of 25 to 50 of its own citizens and while the Libyan government continues to prosecute a war of attrition on its own civilians which has already resulted upwards of 10,000 mostly civilian causalities, it is the government of Greece that is firmly in Mr. Khadir's sight for its refusal to sanction the departure from Greek ports of the Gaza blockade-busting flotilla.
And so, considering all that he has said and all that he has done, it is Mr. Khadir's position on the Quebec City arena, which is his undoing. Unbelievable!
But this is Quebec......
