“The last one I want to speak first is CTV”

[allhatnocattle]

Yeah I'm going to harp on about this, because I think it's relevant to Liberal leadership.

Dion is missing. This is the last known video of Monsieur Dion as he exits the bldg. CTV has become the post-election battleground for the Liberals

Comments

[kdborg]

I like how the CTV reporter said he was roughed up. He didn't look roughed up.

Having seen Mike Duffy's live interviews, he seems to let the Conservative supporters talk a lot and interrupts everyone else.

Dion's interview with Steve Murphy probably did influence a few swing voters. A promise was made to not air the repeats and broken. Steve Murphy is better than that. It was also a bad question.

The question could have been simplified to something like: "What would you have done differently on the economic crisis?" Dion's answers about the 30-day plan were interrupted. Now guess who's taking that road...

[allhatnocattle]

Steve Murphy had nothing to do with the decision to air the flubs. It was editorial deciders that aired it.

CTV won't apologize. The promise was broken because to CTV editors it was deemed relevant. It was. Redo's are not the norm. Several redo's in a row is exceptional. CBC's Hiscox said as much.

The interview hasn't stopped Liberals from being on CTV. They don't seem to blame CTV as Dion does.

It may have influenced some swing voters, but Liberals were already on the path to loosing seats. Loosing seats had less to do with the interview and more to do with the party, it's platform and it's leadership (not necessarily in that order)

A clearer question would not have helped Dion remember his own talking points. He started to reply with his plan to fight poverty, not his economic plan.

The high road would be forgivness. Dion blames CTV. Dion still needs to take responsibility. He flubbed the interview, the question and the entire campaign. CTV didn't flub it.

[siobhan63]

As Duceppe pointed out, and i agree with him, there is a double-standard in this country when it comes to second-language skills. Anglos can get away with really mangled French, but a francophone isn't allowed to have issues with English. Maybe it's sort of like training a cat to walk on its hind legs - you're just amazed that the cat is doing it at all, it doesn't matter if it doesn't do it well - same for Anglos who learn French - we're amazed they can speak it at all, doesn't matter if they don't do it well. However, francophones in public life are held to a much higher standard re: their ability in English.

I thought Colby Cash's take in the National Post was a good one:

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2008/10/10/198297.aspx

[kdborg]

Good article.

CTV is partially to blame.

[allhatnocattle]

I don't think Volpe's motivation was or is to be leader. Maybe I'm wrong on that. Volpe's motivation was honest. It's his opinion the Liberal Party needs to rebuild from it's leadership on down. That's my opinion too.

[allhatnocattle]

True.

[mijopo]

Dion's Liberals just got the lowest percentage of the popular vote in Liberal party history if I'm remembering my post election analysis correctly. He can't blame that on 9 minutes of outtakes either.

[allhatnocattle]

Volpe exposed the rift in the Liberal Party. That's newsworthy.

There's a rift in the Tories too, between the extreme Christian right and more moderate Tories, but Harper has made it clear that exposing differences won't be tolerated. Such censorship gives the perception of stability. I believe stability is good for Canadians.

Of course I totally understand Dion blaming CTV. It had to have been disappointing. But Dion has to step back from his emotions and be objective. He has to take responsibility and accept the brunt of the blame. The fact that he's hasn't further proves he was never ready to be PM and the voting public was right to choose another party over his.

[snowwalker]

Disagree.

This single point alone offers no incite. In similar circumstances Harper would have sued CTV. Remember how he treated 22 minutes? Also keep in mind that less then 24% of eligible voters actually voted for the current PM. Regardless of other parties doing no better, that's pretty piss poor.

[allhatnocattle]

24% was what won then the gov't. Sorry, but that's a stat that doesn't make sense in the Canadian context. If there were only two parties, you might have a point. But percentages don't win in the Parliamentary system.

Yep, Harper probably would sue. So what? Responsibility would be imposed by the courts.

[snowwalker]

I'm glad that you posted the video of him telling the CTV reported that he didn't want to speak with them at the moment. Though, I think that it may not have been the best thing to say, the video proves to me that the whole thing has been grossly blown out of proportion.

I agree with Frikinmuck's statement above:It's simple - when a journalist or a news outlet breaks the trust of a celebrity or public figure, they pay the price through having less access to that person. Happens all the time. Not sure why this is news, or worth discussing here.

[sun_tzu]

It's not even public figures like that. A couple of years ago CTV released the name of a soldier killed in Afghanistan, before it had been officially released, and as I recall, before the soldier's family had even been notified. They were shut out of every press conference, CF members were forbidden to talk to them, and their embedded reporters were all punted until they issued a complete apology.

[bronnyelsp]

...before the soldier's family had even been notified.

Now that's REALLY irresponsible.