Written by James Murray
Wednesday, 14 October 2009 18:00
THUNDER BAY - While there has been enormous commentary on Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff over recent weeks, with many pointing out mistakes that he is making, the spotlight has been off of the Green Party. Green Party Elizabeth May is a little like a two-year-old. When she is being quiet, she is either sleeping or she is crayoning up the walls.
Lately Ms. May has been crayoning up the walls.
The Green Party has launched a website youth.greenparty.ca/en/ directed at Canadian Youth.
The theme of the site is a simple one; "Your Parents F*cked Up The Planet". The remedy according to the new site is for young people to do something about it -- "Live Green and Vote Green".
May who is both a mother, and a grandmother is, in effect saying she is one of the people who have "f*cked up the planet".
It demonstrates why when adults try hard to "look cool" to kids, they end up looking extremely foolish. May and the Green Party are looking really out of touch with Canadian political reality in this move.
In taking the approach that parents have messed up planet earth, the Green Party is suggesting that anyone parent is not capable of fixing the problems, or that any prospective candidate for the party shouldn't have kids. After all, if they do, they are parents, and therefore part of the problem.
Taking this rather uncouth approach to Canadian politics might appear edgy and "cool" to some people, but in her message to young people Green might not realise that by insulting everyone else - especially parents.
Simply put, I suggest that it is arrogance in abundance that is May's real problem. In her outline of who she is, on the Green Party site, May writes, "Only the Green Party grasps the future".
That kind of arrogance would, in power, generate a Parliament that would make today's somewhat disfunctional group look like a walk in the park. However the chances of May ever becoming Prime Minister are virtually impossible.
Considering that in the youth, voter numbers are traditionally far lower than with older Canadians, like parents, and grandparents, it is likely that May's message isn't going to generate a great deal of support with the people who actually vote, or might support her party.
That is one of the problems with arrogance. May in her apparent glee to appear cool likely missed it, and likely will never get it.
As word of this approach gets out, support from people over twenty to get the Green Leader into the next federal leader's debate isn't likely to generate the groundswell she got last time. That would only be fair, despite all the whining from May and some of her supporters, the Green Party has yet to demonstrate the kind of
Likely, for the Green Party, the reality is that Elizabeth May is one of the party's biggest liabilities. The Green's latest effort, under her leadership, is a demonstration of the silly kind of anger against "the system" that likely most people May's age have got over.
Likely, for the Green Party to make actual progress in Canadian politics, it will come with a new leader who combines intelligence, humility, and maturity. That certainly won't be Elizabeth May.
That of course is just my opinion, your mileage as always may vary.
James Murray
Last Updated on Wednesday, 14 October 2009 18:29
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