A historical interlude: Trudeau’s White Paper
May 30, 2011
From the CBC in 1978 — Peter Kent hosts a special on Prime Minister Trudeau’s constitutional proposals.
Notice how much more substantive the discourse was then.
Categories: I am Canadian!, Re-litigating history
If you want to know when it all changed into what we have today, go to the National Film Board site and watch “History on the Run”.
This?
http://www.nfb.ca/film/history_on_the_run/
Well, it’s not just Canada. Look at the 1980 US presidential campaign — that was a substantive, rich debate.
McCain vs. Obama in 2008 was exciting, sure. But it wasn’t a very substantive campaign.
Yes, take a look. The reporters all complaining about the lack of time to present issues and that the campaign had devolved into leaders and image. The pols on the other hand complain that thoughtful politicians are getting screwed by the media.
I’m watching, I’m watching.
The thing is this: it takes a hell of a lot of talent to present a substantive message that works in the present media environment.
Otherwise, you spend your time tripping over yourself and seeming incoherent.
See recent examples of that: John Tory and Michael Ignatieff.
Two people who are actually quite thoughtful and really smart about this, but know that they have to present a clear & consistent (and maddeningly brain-numbing) message? Stephen Harper and Jack Layton.
Drives me nuts, but there it is.
Same thing goes for the ‘off scripted’ stuff. One accidental faux pas and you’re a youtube sensation. If you watch the good wife, you’ll occasionally see this used to hilarious effect as a comedic device. So, politicians never go off script, rarely take questions and never answer novel ones.
I do however hold out hope that this will change. Just like facebook is slowly changing attitudes; people are coming to accept pictures that might not be flattering are not a big deal. I predict that this will slowly change in the political culture stuff.