John Ibbotson's Scary Journey Into Harper's Head

Ten days ago the Globe writer John Ibbotson was awarded the Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing, for his book Stephen Harper.

With the jury praising him for managing to "put us inside Harper’s head during some of the most critical moments of his life."

But although I've always been interested in meeting the voices in Harper's head, and asking them to explain themselves, I haven't read the book.

Not after I read Bob Rae's review, and what he had to say about Ibbotson, and what Ibbitson had to say about Harper.



The “Harper revolution” is permanent and can never be undone. For all his flaws, we are told, his successes and achievements justify the ruthless means. Ibbitson is a fan of the core of the Harper agenda and so attempts to put the most positive gloss on its shortcomings. He is a sophisticated and intelligent cheerleader.

And not after reading this other review.

Ibbitson’s approach to Harper is generally approving: “I believe that he sought office hoping to leave things in better shape than he found them,” the author writes in his afterword, “and that he has, in the main, succeeded. I believe he has governed well.”

Which convinced me that reading Ibbitson's book, might be bad for my health.

Persuaded me that the only situation in which I could see myself reading it, would be if I was on a camping trip and had run out of toilet paper. Or had swallowed a poisonous mushroom and urgently needed to vomit.

And of course warned me that John had gone wild over Steve. Again...



Still Ibby is not stupid, just besotted.

So when I saw that he had made a little video telling us the three most surprising things he had learned about Stephen Harper, I couldn't resist watching it.


And when it was over I must admit I was stunned to discover that Ibbotson and I did agree about something.

Harper was clearly a deeply troubled young man who only lasted two weeks in university before running back to daddy, to seek refuge in the mail room of Imperial Oil. 

Or in his room...



To escape his paranoid delusions.

That mutated into delusions of grandeur, when he became a monstrous control freak who thought he owned the truth.

And he was a lousy tactician, NOT a political genius as so many in the MSM had us believe for so many years.

So maybe I will buy Ibbotson's book, as soon as it's remaindered.

So many years from now, I can remember what a small and crazy man was Stephen Harper. 

And how so many in the MSM  made him seem bigger and better than he really was...



Harper will live in infamy, until he is soon forgotten.

But those who collaborated so eagerly with him, should live in shame for the rest of their lives...

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