Robert Silver at Macleans: Media Spin

Robert Silver

20, March, 2008 | 12:43 am

While the pile-on Dion continues, a bit of reflection:

Collective Media Groupthink ("CMG"): “It is so unseemly to have disagreement on matters of war between the two major political parties in Canada. Come on Dion, won’t you compromise with Harper and find a common position to extend the mission in Afghanistan? For the good of the country?”

Dion compromises on Afghanistan

CMG: “I can’t believe Dion caved like that on Afghanistan. I mean, it was the only issue he had going and he just handed it to Harper. He’s such a loser.”

CMG: “Dion is crazy if he forces an election any time soon. I mean, it would be just nuts to do it”

Dion decides to not cause an election through the only means possible – abstaining on confidence votes.

CMG: “Dion is killing himself and his party by not bringing down the government. He’s such a loser”

CMG: “Dion had better win at least three of the four by-elections this week or he is toast, I mean, really toast”

Dion wins three of four by-elections

CMG: “I cant believe Dion only won three of four by-elections and one of them was really, really close. This can only be taken as a repudiation of Dion. What a loser."

Finally, Media in March 2008: paints a picture of Dion winning the Liberal leadership as if he was some homeless guy who walked in off the streets of Montreal in sweat-pants and was selected by the collectively drunk Liberal Delegates without any rational or reason as they ignored two clearly superior candidates. Why did they choose this loser?

But...but....Media in 2006:

Globe and Mail: “There is no perfect choice for Liberal delegates, but Stéphane Dion comes the closest to deserving their support for leader.” – Globe and Mail, November 26, 2006 Editorial Endorsing Dion

Montreal Gazette: “Liberal grandees have been making their choices, and expect rank-and-file party members to follow them to this or that candidate. But this weekend, at least, each card-carrying Liberal still has some individual clout. Using it to advance the cause of Stephane Dion would be a service to the party, and to the country.” – Montreal Gazette, September 29, 2006, Editorial Endorsing Dion

Toronto Sun (!): “Which brings us to Stephane Dion, our choice for leader because he was willing to fight for Canadian unity when it counted, despite the fact most of his academic peers in Quebec were separatists, who made his life hell. That took courage. While we think he's out to lunch in his support of the pie-in-the-sky Kyoto accord, we also think he's smart enough and tough enough to be a leader. And that's rare these days.” - Toronto Sun, November 26, 2006 Editorial Endorsing Dion

And I won’t even start pulling out quotes from folks on this site talking positively about the man.

The media may have bought into their own ridiculous narrative about it being a two man leadership race between Rae and Ignatieff but a plurality of papers in Canada thought Liberals SHOULD choose Dion - even if they thought Liberals WOULD choose Rae or Ignatieff.

I have about 100 problems with the Liberal Party of Canada these days – the party, its caucus, its members, its bloggers and yes, its leader are about three inches away from permanently turning into a sad caricature of a political party (I would include the party's symbolic bird, if only the party had one...). Even with that depressing state, some reality from time to time is called for.