Inspired by the dKos original. With the elections on in Canada as well, and thinking it over, this seemed like a useful addition to the dialogue.
Pundit round-up after the fold.
Don Martin believes that because he's interested in the election, everyone else must be as well. Since they aren't, Dion must be a failure as a leader. Perfect logic!
Jon Ivison talks about how Harper wore a sweater and avoided dropping a baby on its head. He almost seems prime ministerial.
The Prime Minister is providing a credible facsimile of someone with whom voters can identify -- someone who cares about the issues that are important to them.
Belinda Stronach asks why Canadians are not enthused about politics.
In his speech to the Democratic National Convention, Barack Obama gave a stirring call to action: "We are a better country than this," he said.
To Canadians I say: We are a bolder country than this. We have the stuff to rise to real challenges. We have the opportunity to build a Canada that is stronger still, and better able to thrive in an increasingly competitive and uncertain world.
To succeed, we must support politicians who look beyond just getting re-elected, who push beyond partisan limitations and short-term thinking, and who are dedicated to building a country, not simply to living in one.
Shorter Neil Waugh: Enviromental destruction caused by unchecked expansion of the tar sands, pfft, DRILL BABY DRILL! Anything less than that and you must hate Alberta.
According to Greg Weston, Dion has started the negative campaigning in this election. Apparently missing the last two years of negative ads by Harper. Also, Dion apparently has a French accent. Shocking!
Linda McQuaig realizes the Conservative definition of leadership, as compared to the real-world definition of the same.
Apart from a deeper hole in the Afghan quagmire, I haven't been aware of any place Harper has "led" us to over the past 2 1/2 years, so I found this concept of leadership puzzling. Then I saw the Conservative TV ads and realized that leadership is about wearing a warm sweater and playing cards with your kids.
James Travers
Using a "typical" family as painfully artificial prop, Harper stressed here Monday that Conservatives have cut taxes, most memorably the GST, and are writing cheques for parents. Missing from the script is that the formula of reducing revenues and raising spending – military suppliers are big winners – slimmed a double-digit surplus into a rounding error and is now limiting Ottawa's ability to react to a recession gobbling manufacturing jobs as it oozes north.
Between now and election day, all parties will roll out their economic plans. For Harper that means explaining if his second government will be more broadly activist and engaged, less laissez-faire and reliant on the market's invisible hand, than the first.
crossposted at my blog.
1h