Stephen Harper is the epitome of the tightass conservative. He abhors change and his world is turned upside down by surprises. That explains Harper’s iron fist on the media, his party and the message.
There is no room for imagination or free thinking in Harper’s land. Everything must work like clockwork or that world will come tumbling down. Improvisation is not the PM’s strong point.
One way to achieve this is to go backwards. To embrace customs and perspectives from long ago. Because there are no surprises in repeating a rose-coloured royal past.
I don’t care much for Stephen Harper but I’ll give him this. He knows his weaknesses and stretches the boundaries of his position and that of his party’s to protect his worldview. His masterful manipulation of the media (even, yes, the CBC), coupled with his iron-fisted control of both his party and its PR, keeps him in power.
The establishment of a Canadian version of Fox News should have been one of his finest coups but that network never received the red carpet it was expecting and is floundering now. In fact, it’s become a bit of a joke. But the concept was immaculate, the reality a bit of a surprise.
This is where the Canadian media is sorely needed but is so inadequately prepared. It must dig into the dirt of the Conservative party, throw it into panic mode and uncover scandals and any other surprises. We bloggers can only do so much – we don’t have the resources or skills to dig into the inner workings of the government. But shit-stirring is absolutely necessary to knock Harper off his carefully-crafted pedestal. If we keep the pot boiling, perhaps the media will follow along. Ahhh, didn’t think so.
