The Hill Times asks “Where’s Jack??”

The Hill Times, April 20, 2009

Does Anyone Know Where Jack’s Been?

Since the collapse of the coalition idea, NDP Leader Jack Layton has basically limited his political activities to mourning the death of his dream.

By Angelo Persichilli

TORONTO—Does anyone know where Jack Layton’s been? While federal Liberals and Conservatives are elbowing for positioning in the next federal election, it appears the NDP leader has fallen off the federal political radar screen. Since the collapse of his initiative of a centre-left coalition with the Liberals and the Bloc Québécois, Layton has basically limited his political activities to mourning the death of his dream.

There’s no doubt that the manoeuvering for the creative and daring coalition didn’t just start after Finance Minister Jim Flaherty’s controversial presentation in November of the economic update. That event was the spark that provided life to an initiative Layton was already working on.

Jack and the US Republicans?? Odd bed-fellows indeed.

I was on the subway a couple of days ago and I saw that the Liberals were running their Bush-Harper ads on the screens on subway platforms (this is a great idea, by the way — you would be hard-pressed to find a more captive audience than people waiting for the subway).

It got me thinking about political advertising, and it reminded me of a couple of odd things that I had seen recently.

The first is this screen-shot I took of Jack Layton advertising on the Drudge Report.  The Drudge Report, of course, is a right-wing American gossip blog and Republican smear-machine.  It was responsible for leaking the Monica Lewinsky news, and earlier this year for posting a photo of Hillary Clinton looking wrinkled and asking whether America should have to watch their President become an elderly woman.  Right under Jack’s ad, it says “Support the Drudge Report.  Visit our Advertisers.”  Support the Drudge Report?  Thanks Jack.

 

Then I remembered a clip I saw of Jack Layton on CNN: he was doing a chummy interview with, of all people, Lou Dobbs!!  The same Lou Dobbs who is an anti-immigrant, xenophobic protectionist, and who harbours conspiracy theories about NAFTA super-highways and currency unions.  Anyway, he and Jack get along swimmingly:

Jack’s Communications Team Asleep at the Wheel

Jack’s meagre campaign team here in Toronto-Danforth just dropped this piece of literature on one of my friends’ doorstep. I couldn’t believe it. “Don’t Vote for an Empty Chair.” Jack is clearly out of touch as well as out of riding. But for the first time in a long while, I agree with Jack. Except the empty chair that I’m not going to vote for was the one at the local debate that belonged to Jack Layton.

Jack Layton’s Debate Stunt is such a joke, Comedy Central (in the US!!) is covering it!

Just saw this piece from Comedy Central on Jack’s failure to show up for the local debate, and Peter Tabuns’s ejection from the debate hall when he tried to debate on Jack’s behalf. 

They even stole my line about it being a “most-candidates debate.”  Oh well.  Imitation as flattery…

http://blog.indecision2008.com/2008/10/09/eh-canada-its-jack-laytons-debate-and-hell-skip-it-if-he-wants-to/

Jack’s a hypocrite. Criticises Tories for not showing up to debates.

From today’s Toronto Star (I had a good laugh at this… scroll down to the bottom of the link):

FOOT-IN-MOUTH SYNDROME

NDP Leader Jack Layton was scathing when asked during a campaign stop in Courtenay, B.C., this week what he thought of candidates who skip debates.

“I’d heard that it’s a malady that seems to be sweeping across the Conservative candidates across the country,” he said.

“I think that the best way to deal with it is to replace them in government so they can go back and get some bed rest, or whatever is required.”

That evening, one candidate failed to show for a debate in the far-off riding of Toronto Danforth.

The absentee? Jack Layton.

Jack Layton sends Peter Tabuns to debate for him. Peter Tabuns is promptly ejected from the debate hall.

Just a quick run-down of what happened last night at the Toronto-Danforth All Candidates Debate:

Despite assurances from his campaign that Jack would be there, Jack was in Comox, British Columbia.  It marked the second time he went to the riding of Vancouver Island North, which means that he has been to that riding MORE OFTEN THAN HIS OWN.  Talk about taking your voters for granted.

Anyway, in his place, Jack Layton sent Peter Tabuns to debate for him (though he didn’t tell the other candidates that this was happening, or the local residents there to hear Jack debate).  People in the audience started shouting, and the moderator decided to put it to a vote.  Get this: the audience decided to send Peter Tabuns packing.  I’m glad the audience stood up to the NDP’s arrogance.  If Jack Layton seriously wants our votes, he’s going to have to do a lot better than this. 

Here’s my pre-debate take:

And my post-debate wrap-up:

JACK PULLS OUT OF THE LOCAL DEBATE LAST MINUTE — an open letter from a constituent.

Dear Jack Layton,

My name is Gabe.  I’ve lived in Toronto-Danforth for 21 years.  I haven’t been a voter very long.  But every time I’ve voted in a federal election, I’ve voted for you. 

But this time, you’ve lost my support.  You take my vote for granted.  You insult me and my neighbours by asking for our votes, and then lie to us when we ask if you’re going to be here in Toronto-Danforth to debate the local issues.

On October 5th, I called your campaign office.  I asked your staff if you were going to be at the debate.  I asked your staff if I was finally going to get the chance to hear you speak to me about the issues that you purport to fight for.  Well, they lied to me.  They told me you were going to debate.  They told me you cared about the local issues, and that you cared about local voters. 

So why are you in BC?  You didn’t think I’d find this, did you?  It’s an article from the Comox (BC) Valley Record.  It says, in plain language, that while you’re supposed to be in Toronto-Danforth at a debate that was scheduled at a time that you said was convenient for you, you’re going to be speaking to a crowd of Vancouver Island residents.  The article says it’s your second time in that riding since August.  How many times have you been in Toronto-Danforth since August??  Well, your campaign office says ONCE.  Once.  It’s shameful – but then again, they could be lying to me about that too.

I can’t believe the arrogance.  I can’t believe the disrespect.  You tried to pull a fast one on your constituents, Jack, and we’ve had enough.  Between now and October 14th, Mr. Layton, you’ve got one hell of a lot of explaining to do.

Respectfully,

Gabe.

Footage from the Where’s Jack?? Protest and Launch outside the NDP platform announcement

Here is the video we took of our protest/launch outside the NDP’s platform announcement.  Jack Layton hadn’t been in the riding since August — a fact that was confirmed to me personally when I called the Layton campaign office.  My favourite part of the video is near the end when a crazy NDP woman starts accusing me of both living out of riding (I offered to show her my driver’s licence with my address) and of not knowing the last time Jack was in the riding.  The man with the microphone is a journalist from CBC radio.

Despite all the NDP’s yelling and attempting to cover up our signs (I won’t even get into this…), we were able to get our message across in a calm, effective way.  The people of Toronto-Danforth deserve (and demand!) a representative who believes in local representation – someone who understands that Local Matters.  No matter how loud the NDP yells and screams, it doesn’t change the fact that in this election, I have personally met more local voters than Jack Layton has, and I’m not even on the ballot.  MP for Toronto-Danforth??  Yeah, right.  More like MP for Air Canada. 

Welcome to Toronto-Danforth, Jack.  Nice to finally meet you.

Jack Layton makes Transit Announcement in Toronto… Just not Toronto-Danforth

Jack Layton made a transit announcement at Bathurst subway station — in his WIFE’s riding of Trinity-Spadina.  2 theories here:

1 — Olivia Chow and Jack Layton are terrified of Christine Innes, Olivia’s Liberal challenger in Trinity-Spadina.

2 — Jack Layton doesn’t want to hold any more events in Toronto-Danforth, given the tepid welcome with which he was received by the residents of Toronto-Danforth (I think I saw some signs — “Jack of All Ridings (Except Toronto-Danforth)” comes to mind).  I mean, we’ve got several subway stations in Toronto-Danforth: Broadview, Chester, Pape, Donlands, Greenwood… 

Talk about taking the voters of Toronto-Danforth for granted!  Makes you wonder:  Where’s Jack??

Jack and his Website: Bad Obama Rip-offs.

It seems Jack’s whole campaign thus far has been one big Barack Obama rip-off, without the widespread popular support or the possibility of forming a government. At first the evidence was purely rhetorical – Jack was all “Change” and “Hope” ad infinitum, even using the same stories as Barack (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVh2_2SpW9g).

But now, there is hard visual evidence that really makes you wonder whether Jack himself knows where he is. Jack looking off into the distance surrounded by an inspirational orange glow — now that’s graphic design I can believe in. Le voilà: