Groundhogs, prairie dogs, and Harper

I know I've been lax at blogging. Blame it on the lack of stimulus. Now, this week I'm going to give some rare praise for Harper. I know, it's a shocker! But, I am impressed--Harper went on Corner Gas. And actually was funny, delivering his statement on how both groundhogs and prairie dogs didn't get the respect they deserved under the previous Liberal government! Who knew Harper had a sense of humour? I mean, the line was scripted for him, but he did it. He was ok with halfway mocking himself and 'Canada's New Government's' message. The man must be preparing for an election. Budget's on Monday, and there was that 'secret' memo calling for contributions...but still. He was on Corner Gas! And he was funny! I can't get over it.

Apparently, we Canadians search for leaders with a sense of humour and a personality. We don't succeed very often, but we want it. That's why the Rick Mercer Report (RMR) has so much luck getting politicians on, and now Corner Gas is doing it too. Consider some recent appearances by politicians, want-to-be politicians, and former politicians on Canadian TV:

- Bob Rae, on the RMR, revealed a lot of himself while the two were out fishing. Unfortunately, that included his naked old man bum, but he was still pretty funny (and those images are finally starting to get fuzzy in my brain)
- Gerard Kennedy, on RMR, went buying hot dogs with Rick and got all flustered about what to put on it
- Stephane Dion, on RMR, with his dog Kyoto. I can't remember his wife's name, but his dog is cute. And he chased after its frisbee.
-Adrienne Clarkson, on Corner Gas. You could easily forget about her spending sprees when she was trying to knock down that barn with her own two hands yelling "bad barn"
-Elizabeth May on RMR, cutting down a tree...she is yielding a chainsaw on national television!
-Rona Ambrose, on RMR, tapping maple syrup, though it was kind of sad to hear the environment minister ask if getting syrup would hurt the tree
-Chuck Strahl, risking life and limb by letting Rick Mercer chauffeur him

And, even Harper appeared on RMR, going so far as to make Rick a sandwich, let him play with the kids, and tuck him in. Aww.

These are just ones in recent memory. Apparently, Canada is a country that can make fun of itself, and wants leaders who can do the same.

But still, Harper on Corner Gas? I never saw that one coming...

Well played Dion, well played

Stephane Dion has had a rocky start to his leadership. He has appeared to be a bit of a one-trick pony on the environment, without having a stellar record to lean back on. He's been tough on some issues, but not others. The party seems divided, as seen on the anti-terror measures, and his dual citizenship and grasp of the English language have led to a lot of criticism. Plus, not all Canadians love the Quebecois, so he's got some work to do.

But, this week, he launched a 17-stop tour, which looks like the start of an election campaign. He was in NS on Friday, and seems to be trying to get out there and get people to see him as a person, rather than a bumbling Frenchman. The Conservatives have been helping too, as the attack ads just made people more sympathetic to the owlish man, who's just starting to come into his own as a leader.

But, the piece de resistance? Dion has joined Facebook. The social networking site for university and high school students. As the other parties are struggling to find a way to attract and connect with youth voters, Dion's getting presents and wall messages from his 2029 friends. He posts news and photo albums and notes, and people love it. Other Liberal MPs are getting into the act too, like Mark Holland and Michael Ignatieff. And, he posts everything in English and French, appealing to his Quebecois fans as well as those Anglophones who still don't trust him.

It's a stroke of genius. In the last Liberal newsletter, he sent out a video message to all of his facebook friends. Initially, his page attracted only those students who were already politically active, but it's spreading, and fast. And, he's capitalizing on the old adage--"If you're right wing before middle age, you're a cynic, if you're left wing after that, you're an idealist." Even though the Liberals do tend to be pretty centrist, they are the viable option for those who are leftist but know that Canada won't be having an NDP or Green Prime Minister under the current electoral system.