Roundup: How to dissect a handshake

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So, the Justin Trudeau-Donald Trump meeting happened, and we got our expected blanket coverage, starting with the handshakes. And how they were endlessly dissected, and made memeable.

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Trudeau and Trump then had a “working luncheon” with female business leaders, Trudeau having ostensibly recruited Trump’s daughter Ivanka to the cause. Around that time, Trudeau gave Trump a gift of a photo of his father having met Trump in 1981, while Trump said that he admired the elder Trudeau, though how well he actually knew Pierre Trudeau is somewhat in dispute. (and it’s exactly the kind of photo that would appeal to Trump’s vanity).

Later, during the press conference, there were two takeaways – that Trudeau wasn’t going to lecture Trump on how to run his own affairs, and that Trump felt they were only going to “tweak” NAFTA as far as Canada is concerned. Also, no talks of walls, and hints that maybe we’ll be exempt from “Buy American” provisions, while any talk of the climate change file was done in coded language.  Trudeau later met with the House Speaker and Senate Majority Leader before heading home, reminding each of the importance of trade with Canada in case they got swept up in any talk of border taxes or the like. Oh, and we’re being told that Sarah Palin won’t be named ambassador to Canada, so you can exhale now.

In commentary, we have Chantal Hébert considers it a first date that went well, while John Ivision asserts that flattery got Trudeau everything he needed out of Trump. Carl Meyer wonders how different things are in the Trumpocalypse from our own Harper years, pointing to the number of parallels. Paul Wells demonstrates how Trudeau used the photo of his father and the meeting with Ivanka to play into Trump’s particular instincts in order to gain the “insider” status that he needs to effectively deal with him.

Good reads:

  • Observers wonder if there will be some actual gender-based analysis in the coming budget, but Maxime Bernier thinks it’s just catering to “subgroups.” Okay then.
  • Ethics Commissioner Mary Dawson has confirmed that she will look into Trudeau’s vacation with the Aga Khan, not that it means there’ll be anything to find.
  • Citizenship applications are down after the previous government tripled the processing fees.
  • Mélanie Joly says that Canadian culture is moving from a protectionist to a promotion footing.
  • Hey, it’s the return of anonymous Liberal sources who think they can do a better job of being communications director for the party!
  • Here’s a look at how the different Conservative and NDP leadership candidates (well, candidate) are struggling to define their parties.
  • A poll of Conservative Party members shows that right now, Kevin O’Leary is leading the race when it comes to first-vote intentions.
  • O’Leary told a debate in Quebec last night that he’s pro-GLBT, pro-choice and pro-legalised marijuana, which stands him apart from other candidates in the party.
  • Oh, and if O’Leary keeps trying to cast himself as the “numbers guy” in this race, he should perhaps finally learn the difference between deficit and debt.
  • Conservative leadership candidates are starting to line up against anti-Islamophobia motion M-103, allegedly worried about “free speech” (which is patent nonsense).
  • Andrew Coyne tries to make the case that we don’t have to fear fringe parties under a PR system. Not sure I buy his argument.
  • Stephen Gordon is getting suspicious at the Liberals’ inability to give some transparent budget numbers.

Odds and ends:

Trudeau’s trip to China cost $1.8 million, and was the most expensive PM trip in a decade. Start your cheap outrage engines, everyone!

In the Law Times, I look at how the move to more summary judgments is creating a culture change in the courts.

One thought on “Roundup: How to dissect a handshake”

  1. I can understand that every journalist has to write a different paper on that visit, but we are going into over analyzing and it borders the ridiculous. It was a good visit, Trudeau showed he knew how to play his cards and he did good for Canada. So let’s leave it at that.

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