12.01.2008

two quick thoughts on political punditry

1. People belittle serious political debate as "bickering" when they are on the losing end of the fight.

Ed Stelmach wants Ottawa to "stop the nonsense" and "put Canada first". Sit down, Ed. That's exactly what they're doing.

I'm only singling out Stelmach as an example. We hear this all the time. Republicans tell Democrats to stop bickering. Conservatives tell Liberals to stop bickering. This is not bickering. It's the democratic process.

2. Many people would appear smarter if they stopped making predictions.

"Harper will first be elected with a minority, then come back with a strong majority." "There will never be a coalition government in Canada." "Stephane Dion will never be Prime Minister." "Americans will never elect an African-American President."

I have been hearing all of these for years. My first few months in Canada, I heard about Stephen Harper's impending majority government on a daily basis. My skepticism was dismissed as ignorance. But the future is unknowable.

I wish more bloggers would stop imitating mainstream pundits, who earn their bread-and-butter by making predictions and are never held accountable.

No comments: