Of heads and brick walls.

I am glad to see this. The Marche article was such a screed. The NYT is getting worse and worse.By contrast, Frum's article is well reasoned.

Good article he hits on that vapid,empty feel to those suffering form Harper Derangement Syndrome.
They continually come across as parrots or idiots.
I guess an echo chamber works best in an empty vessel or head.
Half of these suffers seem about to throw a tantrum, laughing at them seems to be macro aggression.

It would be nice if David Frum would be a dependable voice for the right. Article demonstrates he could be, but the truth of the matter is he is not. More of an inside the beltway Republican, he can talk a good game but often sides with the left.

The New York Times article would not likely have been convincing even to those who knew nothing about Canada or Stephen Harper. As just one example...

The major foreign policy goal of his tenure was the Keystone Pipeline, which Mr. Harper ultimately failed to deliver.

Most Americans would know that there was nothing Harper could do in the face of Obama's intransigence. Even a Republican majority in both houses could not see the pipeline through.

Read the article. conclusion....Well written, articulate and an accurate depiction of the left in this country. I and i mean this I have not yet once met a lefty of any stripe middle of the road, ndp, liberal, green what have you,and simply say i don't like him or his policies, and articulate what it is they don't like about said policies.

It's usually a diatribe of frothy mouth swears and slures insult's and just all out aggression towards Harper. I mean the tazmanian devil comes to mind when i ask what exactly it is they don't like about Harper.

Where he say's "especially rabbits" switch that with "especially conservatives"

And where bugs say's "meeeh whats up doc?" switch that out with "which conservative policies"

lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ed0Hg7stjHE

For any person of intelligence, knowledge, and or preference of principles, voting usually involves holding one's nose to some degree. Supporting Harper is no different. For others, you just follow the herd. I consider the "Walking Dead" to represent far too many when it comes to politics.

News for Rosie's daughter heroin
About 4,580,000 results

But Trump jokes all day 24/7 all channels locked down with solid politics of personal destruction of the leading Republican Primary Candidate all the time not one of which will mention his public argument with Rosie now.

Yes. He's swallowed the leftist script, capital letters and all.

I would like to thank Frum for sparing me a full read of Marche's article. After two paragraphs of insipid "analysis," and ridiculous nonsense about avoiding debates and being conservative ideologically, I had to stop for a good laugh anyway. What's to be expected from an Obama Democrat - meaning he would support the NDP here - so what? Then again Marche does have his doctorate in Early Modern Drama; that might explain his poetic license and paucity of substantiation of Harper's close mindedness, though revealing of his own.

I guess he was too busy working on his "degree" to notice the consolidation of PMO power under Chretien, his throttling of a protester, and many less than candid answers to questions about his role in actual scandals, like Adscam and other LPC "entitlements to entitlements."

BTW Harper is a centre right, not right of centre, politician; which also includes classical liberals in Canada - who knew they were "extreme?" I am also bemused by the irrational hatred of Harper. I ask what Frum asks - specifically what is it about the man and his policies that drives one to such venomous, irrational, bigoted hatred? It's pure emotion, so as Frum states, no answer to that question will be forthcoming.

The Duffy "scandal" is a case in point. While one may reasonably ask how Duffy's Senate appointment reflects on Harper, the question should end there. It doesn't for the simple reason it's grist for the mill. I guess that's normal in political affairs, but the delusional mindset of the mediocracy's desperate gotcha attempts (wafergate being the classic) and the general non-sequitir spewing from the HDS afflicted, especially those who have now caught anti-Harper rabies, seems unprecedented here.

Newflash: Except for his opponents, including the fading mediocracy, nobody gives a f*** if Harper knew about Wright's payment to Duffy. So what, Duffy was a member of the party caucus whom they were trying to help out before he bladed them to try to save himself. Harper says he didn't know the specifics and he has no reason whatsoever to lie.

In the mind of the rabid ones, he "must have known, being the control freak he is, and if he didn't he should have" IOW I'll beg my own question where I win the argument either way; more "logic" from the Harper haters. BTW Trudeau is a hypocrite on this one, with the Max Harb trial postponed so making way for the Duffy trial resumption. Mulcair is laughable - his party is involved in an ongoing scheme to use taxpayer dollars for party purposes and won't return the money, citing court action the NDP initiated, and partisanship with nary a denial of culpability nor any recriminations from the mediocracy.

Of course, anyone who points that out is "angry," like the profane Tory currently being stalked by the junk media. Let them bitch, I hope Harper goes after these fools good and hard after Labour Day.

Counting on his media free ride thus far & hoping to avoid debating, Mulcair channels Margaret Thatcher, who once characterized his politics with those who "would rather the poor were poorer provided the rich were less rich." Taking instructions from the UN, facilitating Quebec separation & making the poor the casualties of the war on poverty is his stock and trade, far removed from liberalism, freedom or liberty.

As has been said you don't have to like Harper to accept him as PM. Fully 70% of the electorate has not made a final decision on their vote. Spewing anybody but Harper slogans is not license to put statist fools in his place who would risk our prosperity with half baked ideas about fixing Canada and making it climate change compliant, having to pass muster from Al Gore and the IPCC.

If by Oct 1st, the Tories have still stalled in the polls, be worried, though only because of the debacles of the latest ON and AB provincial elections.

The striking thing about the article is how inane it is - a rote recitation of tired old left-wing talking points without of style, insight, or originality. I doubt any Canadian on the left or right read it and was enlightened.

Oh Lord, it's election time.

Any day now I expect to hear that Harper personally tampered with the breaks on that train at Lac-Mégantic himself.

Oops!

Make that "brakes" not "breaks".

It's funny when a child of the same privilege that Frum enjoyed talks about "elites". I assume I'm one of the so-called elites he was talking about because I was born to a light-blue collar family and had to work/borrow my way through university. And about the only jobs my parent's connections could land were cutting grass along highway service roads for the city and disposing of toxic waste.

But besides that goofiness, Frum accuses Marche of failing to go into any detail, and then does that himself. In fact he totally failed to address any of the well-documented accusations Marche made in his NYT's piece. Instead he dismisses them as: "gaseous vagueness about the man’s offenses. You’re supposed to just know. If you don’t know already, it won’t be explained to you."

That's because it's a column in the New York Times, not a feature-length article. But all you have to do to learn more about what he's talking about is google it. Not really that hard. Well... not for at least 70% of the population, anyway.

I see the idiots are out in town today waving "Stop Harper" signs and not having a clue what he is supposed to stop. We really do need to fix our education system.

Attempting to engage a sufferer of Harper Derangement Syndrome in a logical discussion is futile and ranks right up there on the frustration scale with herding cats and pushing a rope up a hill. I'm sure that most of us have, at one time or another, confronted a Harper-hater and asked politely for a concrete example of whatever it was that Harper was currently being accused of. And I'm also quite sure that, instead of providing said example, the replies ranged anywhere from a blank look to "I saw it on the CBC". It has gotten to the point where trying to rationally discuss Harper's alleged nefarious behaviour with lefty haters is simply a complete waste of time and effort.

John comes on this site quite often and has, on countless occaisions, been asked unsuccessfully for clarification or proof that would substantiate his/her sh*t-flinging antics.

I hope in the home stretch, there will be strong attacks on the Dippers.

BC do you remember?
Ontario, do you?
Manitoba, how does it feel?

Do you want more taxes and higher gas and electricity prices and less jobs?

Montreal, how about a few thousand jobs refining Alberta crude oil?

"Montreal, how about a few thousand jobs refining Alberta crude oil?"

Gee, I don't know about that but those daycare spots sure sound like a really neat deal. And the government will pay for it so it's free. What's wrong with that? And getting rid of income splitting and tax-free savings accounts sounds OK. I don't know what they are but it sounds like they might be good for someone with more money than me so they gotta be bad. Right? And a carbon tax won't affect me. I don't have no carbon. And the "Friends of the CBC" told me on TV that the CBC is holding this country together and everyone in Canada watches CBC and Harper doesn't want to give them more money. I think they're getting government money now but it's not much. Is it? I also seen somewhere that Harper wants to put criminals in jail. I always thought that's where they belong but if Harper likes the idea, it must be bad. And where do farmers get off thinking they can sell their own grain? And without that there gun registry thing, I just don't feel safe anymore. I saw some guys carrying around a "Stop Harper" sign. Now I don't know what they want him to stop doing but it sounds OK to me.

This is how the average liv views life. Some can be made to smarten up but it will take a lot of work.

what is it about the man and his policies that drives one to such venomous, irrational, bigoted hatred?

Canadian leftists aren't smart enough to think for themselves so they just ape U.S. and European leftists. They're using Harper as their version of Bush 43.

"Marche is a Canadian who is a friend of Christia Freeland. A U of Toronto Liberal. He must be a Justin Trudeau groupy."

He is an illegal alien in America...Give him an apple & a Bus ticket back across the border.. The NYT & ABC have nothing but brain dead Marxist aliens.. ICE raid is due when Trump rules. I guess the NYT is so dead they don't care.

Are Canadians that stupid that they believe anything published by the NYT is something important... Yes they are attempting to influence a foreign election...Laws exist

Stupid lefties...the ability to fill your heads does not make you intelligent, much less wise.

Re: "muzzled" scientists. Who knew that political activism in the workplace is frowned upon.

John, try to remember this discussion involves adult issue. Now don't cry OK.

I have no need to google opinions from others that are not substantiated, much like your attacks on Mr Harper. You have demonstrated clearly the notion of HDS sufferers' inability to come up with a single substantive idea to support their derangement and childish hatred. On that score, well done John.

Johnknee BOY, U are such a hoot.

Yer whole list is a bloody joke.

So lets discuss a real issue. The Hair Apparent was quaking about legalizing pot, with which I agree, when there was at issue "economy". The economic health of the nation is of federal concern, pot legalizing and regulation should be, like booze, at the provincial level, so why the hell was the idiot quacking about it when there were real federal issues???? Hay John BOY.

You, like this Marche A-hole, talk a lot and say nothing

As to yer education, it's a bloody waste

your city road side grASS cutting, my SIL works for the "city", and he says the only ones lazier and less productive than city employees, are hydro employees. Having had many chances to observe both, I agree with my SIL

Damn John, you had to go and demonstrate the vapid stupidity of Harper Derangement Syndrome.
That is one pathetic list, hell I can find more real reasons to have HDS and I will support his crew.
That education you are still avoiding paying for, (those overdue student loans you know,)maybe that shyster who is trying to tree Ezra will cut you a deal, you need to sue the university for taking advantage of the truly helpless.
They really took advantage of you,this was cruel opportunism by the administration , it is not your fault….
Yeah right.
So it is all about who you know, that gets you work?
So no talent, no skills and no endurance.
So what relatives are you sponging off of today?

I agree with Ward and Jamie. Frum usually writes from a CINO or RHINO point of view, but he did a great job of this article and showed up Marche for the rabid lefty Laurentian Elite that he is.

It is a good thing that the Laurentian Elite are losing their grip on the country. Ibbitson is right.

Shamrock, great comment @ 2:50.

John says 'only jobs my parent's connections could land were cutting grass along highway service roads for the city and disposing of toxic waste'
I want to know more details from John about disposing of toxic waste. Who the hell entrusted John to dispose of toxic waste.

Perhaps John, Mr. Marche et al would like to explain how Canada is or is gradually becoming some sort of totalitarian state. Have any of these nay-saying parties been imprisoned or opinion squelched? They can be in Trudeau's favourite states of China, Cuba and North Korea but I digress.

This sort of fear-mongering is so silly that a child could dismantle Mr. Marche's arguments.

Whatever Harper's faults, the alternatives are far worse and come election time people will see that. Fear of having a sputtering man-child run a functioning economy into the ground is frightening for any thinking individual. Hell, just look at what the Liberals did to Ontario. It was a province that used to work. Look at it now.

If the well-heeled liberal elites are so bothered by it, they can move to the US where Trudeau gets his talking points, Ignatieff and McGuinty get their employment and the country is barely a shadow of what it used to be thanks to an Islamist-supporting jack@$$.

Let's not go too hard on John. To his/her credit, an attempt was made to participate in the discussion as opposed to the usual MO of making an outrageous comment then running for cover.

The examples provided however were, as one commentator put it, lame. Government employees were expected to follow orders and maintain confidentiality. Big deal. The long-form census was abolished. Who cares? Who really misses it? The voting procedures were tightened up a little. Only a fool would argue that changes weren't needed. It's still pretty damned easy to vote in this country and those who would argue otherwise are either stupid or lazy or both.

If Harper is the tyrant he is made out to be in some circles I expected to see something like scientists tortured or made to disappear, armed thugs at polling stations interfering with voters, martial law being declared, political opponents being assassinated, censorship of the press, banning of books. John's examples of tyranny were rather benign or, as my granddaughter would put it, first world problems.

As I said before, Brawndos got what plants crave.

Not waiting for the asteroid: National Newswatch has posted a rebuttal to Frum's piece (from the Tyee, no less), but never posted Frum's article. The original NYT piece was of course given prominent placement on the page when it was published...