Roundup: Desperately latching onto a narrative

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It’s not unexpected, but over the past fifty-two hours or so, we are getting the attempts to wedge the Canada Angle™ onto the Joe Biden/Kamala Harris handoff, and trying to somehow it to Justin Trudeau. When it comes from ignorant Americans, it’s a bit creepy and you want to tell them to worry about their own messes. When it comes from Canadians, it’s cringey and a little bit desperate.

Even if Justin Trudeau were to somehow miraculously decide it was time for him to step aside, say after a long walk along the beach during his vacation right now, there will be no automatic handoff to Chrystia Freeland. Even if she were still interested in the leadership at this point (and it’s not clear if she were, because I suspect that even she realizes that no matter how competent of a minister she is, she’s something of a charisma black hole), there is no internal process for leadership selection, and the process the party designed to bring us Trudeau needs months of voter sign-ups in order to build to a coronation for a new personality cult hermit crab to inherit the empty shell of a party brand. It’s not a quick pivot, and Trudeau would likely still need to remain in a leadership capacity until a handoff, months later, which gives his successor little runway. (As I wrote in my column, if this were a healthy Westminster democracy with caucus selection of leadership, this could have been handled weeks or months ago).

Aside from that fact, there is no consensus candidate to be that replacement that would allow for a handoff like with Harris, where the Americans’ interminable election process means that they had little time to find a replacement before their convention, and all of the major players decided to line up behind Harris. That wouldn’t happen here because there is no one that the party is going to rally around as a whole. There are frankly too many personalities who want that leadership, even if it’s a poisoned chalice by now, and I’m not sure how the dynamics of trying to convert from one cult of personality to another plays on the fly rather than after a complete crash and rebuild. In any case, this isn’t the US, it’s not even remotely the same as Biden/Harris, and the pundit class needs to cool their jets.

Ukraine Dispatch

A Russian attack damaged a power facility in the Sumy region, resulting in more power cuts. Russians claim that a Ukrainian drone attack damaged a ferry and killed one person in port.

Good reads:

  • Mark Holland is warning that the US’ backing down on their policies on dogs crossing the border may yet be a nine-month “grace period.”
  • Manitoba First Nations are upset that the federal government is shifting some uncommitted funds for residential school site searches (to make them sustainable).
  • Documents released as part of a lawsuit alleging discrimination against Afghan refugees based on the Ukrainian arrivals shows a memo warning the minister.
  • The CFIB wants interprovincial trade barriers eliminated, just like everyone has since 1867. (No, seriously).
  • Unsurprisingly, some Liberals in LaSalle—Émard are unhappy that a candidate was imposed, particularly as they had would-be candidates signing up members.
  • Tim Houston skilled the Halifax Pride Parade for “safety concerns” because they might have been Palestinian protesters.
  • Previously unreleased emails show that Blaine Higgs’ received complaints about drag story hour before he decided to impose anti-trans policies.
  • The Walrus takes a closer look at Scott Moe, the guy who kept failing upwards to become premier, and who now drives populism with fear and anger.
  • Because this is currently an Anne Applebaum fan account, here is an interview with Tim Mak in which she posits that we are not in a Cold War 2.0.
  • Emmett Macfarlane shreds the arguments made to defend provincial governments’ anti-trans policies.
  • My column looks at how the broken nomination system perversely protects against foreign meddling, while Elections Canada has suggestions for the parties to ignore.

Odds and ends:

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4 thoughts on “Roundup: Desperately latching onto a narrative”

  1. Dale, someone truly needs to force mainstream media to back off handing our autocratic Trump wannabe the election on a silver platter. They are feeding the rhetoric. The Biden situation is not in anyway equivalent to PM Trudeau. They are 30 years different in age, which was the factor for Joe. And you’re right, at this time there is no obvious successor.

  2. Yeah dude KAMALAMANIA is sweeping the land! All manufacturered by the Democratic Party media machine. In the 2020 primaries her campaign was a miserable flop with zero voter appeal despite the backing of the Democratic Party establishment who anointed her as the Queen in waiting. She dropped out early after amassing a grand total of zero delegates. Well things have come full circle with the Democrats and their donors. They’ve got the candidate they wanted all along with almost no input from the party’s rank and file.

    This is in sharp contrast with the Republicans. When Trump burst onto the scene in 2016 he was greeted with universal disdain by Party insiders, declaring themselves “Never Trumpers.” Over time they have grudgingly accepted Trump, reflecting the mood of the voters to the point Trump has become the establishment.

  3. I agree with “a healthy Westminster democracy with caucus selection of leadership” but am reminded that the UK produced a flurry of leaders with dismal abilities.

    • But they were also able to swiftly dispose of dismal leaders, which is the more important part.

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