NDP Karate Kid Communist

Big surprise that the media is portraying our MPs as clowns and jokers.  The headline of this Star article somewhat annoyed me: "Reality show stars, students, museum guides: meet the new NDP MPs"

http://tinyurl.com/3jnsktw

This is a disservice to all the talented, experienced people in the NDP who have just been reelected, as well as to the many new NDP MPs who are serious candidates.  It's even a disservice to the placeholder candidates, who are (it sounds like) politically active and highly motivated.

The media is also trying to make it sound like many of our candidates in Quebec don't speak French (rather than just one or two), a perception that needs to be changed.

I wish the Party would counter the Media's profiling with its own messaging about its newly elected and reelected MPs. Perhaps for starters the website could host pictures and more detailed bios or even interviews with the candidates about their lives and accomplishments.   There could be a section called "Meet Your NDP MPs" or something.

I listened to an interview with Mathieu Ravignat on "As it Happens" and of course the interviewer asked him about his fencing etc, but (as someone else pointed out in another thread) he handled her extremely well and made it clear that he is a serious person with real political experience (Union-based, I think), a Master's in Political Science, etc.

As for the Quebec MPs (and the handful from BC) there needs to be a fairly comprehensive mentoring program whereby the older experienced MPs are paired with the newbies -- but I think the Party is already doing something like that, which is good.

knownothing wrote:

Who wouldn't want this guy as your MP?

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/sports/Cannon+loses+newcomer+major+upset/47...

Cannon was gracious in defeat. Some of his supporters, not so much. But reading some of the comments from the Liberal camp, wow. Bitter much?

Like this gem:

Quote:

Supporters [of Conservative Lawrence Cannon] were disappointed, but also puzzled. Several said they had no idea who Ravignat was.

"This riding has always had close finished that depended on the split of the votes," said Mike Lemay of Chelsea.

"With the orange wave that was going through -the south end of this riding was always very NDP to begin with, and the Bloc collapsed and the Liberals too."

"Nobody even knows where he (Ravignat) is from," said Ron Dufour, also from Chelsea.

"Nobody even heard of this guy until two weeks ago."

Franceska Gnarowski, an aide to Liberal candidate Duncan McMillan, was even more critical.

"That NDP candidate showed up, what, 10 days ago? Cindy deserved to win, she's been working in this riding for so long," Gnarowski said.

"I don't think that was a reflection on the campaign, I think it was a reflection of what was happening across the country."

I just read on another post that a newly elected Conservative MP is also a karate expert.

Let's see if we can arrange a match somewhere, shall we?