When I saw this photo of Andrew Scheer getting his portrait as Speaker hung in the House of Commons, I couldn't help thinking of Oscar Wilde's classic story The Picture of Dorian Gray.
Where a portrait of the murderous Dorian ages, while he remains unchanged.
Except that in my version of the story nobody gets murdered, but as the portrait ages Scheer looks more and more like a loser or a Con clown.
For so many reasons.
Starting with the fact that he was one of the worst Speakers this country has ever known.
A Speaker so biased he was compared to a robot.
Who became an Opposition Leader so weak and slavish he was known as Harper's monkey...
A monkey who has already made two mistakes that will almost certainly cost him the next election.
One, by opposing a carbon tax at a time when climate change cannot be denied any longer.
And by so doing shooting himself and his Cons in the foot.
Beginning in 2018, the Liberal government will implement a $20-per-ton carbon tax on provinces that haven’t implemented their own carbon reduction strategies. Later in the year, before the October election, the same Liberal government will begin mailing out cheques to the citizens of these recalcitrant provinces — a payment upwards of $900 for a family of four, courtesy of the country’s biggest carbon emitters.
In short, cutting carbon pays ordinary voters. For Conservatives, lulled by ideology and obstinacy, this is perhaps their biggest threat in the coming year and beyond.
And two, by threatening to re-criminalize marijuana just as its legalization has boosted Justin Trudeau's popularity.
This was the week Justin Trudeau recaptured the cool factor.
And, suddenly, the Trudeau government looked fresh and modern again. It took a risk in legalizing recreational marijuana. Now it should reap the rewards. You don’t need to be a pot smoker to see the wisdom in the Liberal government’s willingness to break the taboos around cannabis use. It makes the Conservatives look downright reactionary and stodgy.
A year is a long time in politics and Mr. Trudeau could still screw up again. But unless they were smoking something, who, after this week, would put their money on anyone else?
And by so doing setting the stage for another massive Liberal majority.
Unless Scheer can find another way to Schmear Trudeau by taking a page from Teen Vogue...
The only thing that has ever really reduced poverty is capitalism. Can’t end poverty without educating young people of the benefits of free markets and fighting socialism. https://t.co/PUSeftHqGS— Andrew Scheer (@AndrewScheer) October 20, 2018
And accusing him of being a Communist...
But no, I realize Scheer is desperate, but I don't think that will work either.
The dress looks good on him, but the helmet and the gun make him look a little too desperate AND dangerous.
So let's check out how The Picture of Dorian Scheer will soon look...
And yes, it's just as I feared, Scheer will not stand the test of time.
The man really is a Con clown, a threat to our country and its values.
And we can't get rid of him soon enough...
Communism the system that run Star Trek and the National Football league.
ReplyDeleteJT has had three huge victories the MSM is not giving him credit for. The YMCA save, The LPG investment, and of course ending the ridiculous war on pot.
I think the people know. I think weak Andy knows.
Hi Steve...Trudeau and the Liberals are not perfect, but they have managed to banish the horror of the Harper regime, as well as restoring our image in the eyes of the world. For almost ten years I felt I was living in some kind of Harpistan nightmare place, and now I feel like I'm living in Canada and that's good enough for me...
DeleteThe Globe & Fail just can't bring itself to give a full-throated endorsement of Trudeau, can they. Whatever "screw-ups" he allegedly made were ant hills made into volcanoes by the same Con media that's been setting him up for years. They remind me of Fox News still prattling on about Obama's "57 states" gaffe. FFS, Trudeau stared down the orange monstrosity in Washington and the murderous thugs in Riyadh, as the Cons were ready to capitulate to satisfy their own self-serving interests! That's not "cool" enough?
ReplyDeleteBlah blah Indian clothing Fidel Castro waahmbulance chasers Kokanee rock concert tan suit BENGHAZI. I still have yet to see anyone demand that Scheer publicly denounce Marshall or the hatemongering rhetoric from the Rebel scum of his own party. But Trudeau "screwed up." Whoever writes for these papers needs to get some new material, or smoke a bowl and chill out.
Hi Jackie...No they can't, and Yakabuski is one of the worst of the Cons working for them. But I figured if he's giving Trudeau credit, Justin must be doing something right, so I included it in my post. And yes, you would think that the Globe might by now have had the time to investigate the Con Death Machine, and find out who is really pulling the levers behind the curtain. But like most Ottawa media organizations they think Hamish Marshall is a really nice guy, and Don.t understand why people like me are so mean to him. Ottawa has got a village mentality, and the Ottawa media live in a world of their own that couldn't be more provincial and mediocre...
DeleteScheer on CBC, won’t say if he will remain in Paris Accord if elected.
ReplyDeleteEarlier on CTV wouldn’t commit himself on whether he might repeal the Liberal pot legalization legislation.
How can they stick this guy. Bernier who came close in the Cons vote is at least a straight shooter and you know where he stands.
J. W.
Hi J.W...it seems clear to me that Scheer is playing the same game Doug Ford's Harperite handlers did during the Ontario election campaign. They were always promising to put out a platform but they never did, and unfortunately the moron masses never held that against them. And now they're going to pay for it big time...
DeleteI like your portrait much better Simon, it's quite true to life. The first one makes Scheer look like he just cleared a bowel obstruction.
ReplyDeleteHis "kind" and "gentle" image is one we never actually see of him which is fitting, for his time as Speaker of the House was a sham as much as the personification they're trying to emulate with this creepy portrait.
JD
You don’t have to be too bright to be Speaker. Scheer may not be the only example of this.
DeleteAll the heavy lighting and brain work is done by the constitutional experts and legal minds behind the scenes.
Scheer just read out loud in the House the serious stuff.
Now he can’t make a decision about anything.
J. W.
True to a large extent but a major problem was that he was Harper's doormat when the House was sitting.
DeleteHi JD...thank you, I had fun playing around with the idea of Dorian Scheer. It doesn't endear me to the poobahs in our social media who look down on me for not being "serious" enough. But I look at their stuff and think that I would rather be dead than be that boring, so although I have thought of changing my style to conform to these grim times I don't think I will. I'm writing a fairly heavy novel and blogging is my escape. As for Scheer's record as Speaker, when it counted he always came down on Harper's side, and allowed the Cons to turn the House of Commons into a fascist circus. BTW, in case nobody noticed, that's his very large family way in the back of the portrait....
DeleteHi J.W....It,s true that the Speaker is only the front man for a whole lot of experts behind the scene, but Scheer I thought still played the role badly. He had no gravitas at all and that idiot grin made him look like he was playing Speaker in a high school parliament....
DeleteHi jrkrideau...yes that needs to be said. Not only did he allow the Cons to turn Question Period into a circus, he allowed Harper to get away with murder over and over again...
DeleteI love your portrait of Dorian Scheer, and it’s so true. Scheer is the most two-faced Con this country has ever known. He smiles like Howdy Doody, but behind that smile is pure evil. Your illustrations make that clear, better than any words could. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteHi anon...thank you. I was just telling JD that I have been made to wonder whether I should be doing things like that, but I do really believe that sometimes even my crude graphics can get an idea across better than words can. And since I have a lot of fun making those photo shops I think I'll keep doing them...😀
DeleteThere are a lot of "Dorian Gray's" on this BIG BALL of MUD!
ReplyDeleteHi Kathleen...I'm not sure what you mean, but it sounds like you're saying something really bad about Andrew Scheer, so I totally agree...😉
DeletePeople are going to vote for Trudeau, he hands money over to those who need it in this country. Rebates on the carbon tax and add that to the money received for children in families in need. Great politics. good for the economy, good for families. whats not to like about trudeau and the federal Liberals.
ReplyDeleteHi e.a.f...In the decent world where I wish I lived that would be true. But Scheer and his Cons are not decent and they will do all they can to Schmear Trudeau, so we will have to fight for our Canada harder than we ever have before...
ReplyDeleteVery sophomoric. I challenge anyone here to find a single gaffe that Scheer has made.
ReplyDelete