Three Weeks On

The Story of the Third Week: The Winner of the Debate

I’ve been watching debates since the Trudeau years. (Remember that time Joe Clark wore mismatched spats? What a scandal that was!) I always enjoy them. What’s not to like. Our democratically elected leaders desperately trying to frame themselves in the best light, occasional policy discussions, quips and one liners. I love that stuff.

This year’s had a lot going for it: a terrible set with hues that matched the tone of Jack Layton’s skin, occasionally rendering him invisible; Stephen Harper delivering the most leveled one-note performance since the last Matrix movie; Ignatieff connecting to regular joes by reminiscing about his days hanging out in prisons as a graduate student; Gilles Duceppe trying and failing to get laughs; the Scottish tones of the French debate. What more could you ask for? Priceless television.

Our Ears Are Burning - March 28

Here's the daily round-up of international media coverage of the Canadian election.

The Wall Street Journal is mildly interested in the fact that the markets aren't mildly interested in the election at all.

For the Atlanta Journal-Constituition the big story is that Stephen Harper won't make William and Kate's wedding.

The good folk at LifeSiteNews.com have reason to celebrate. Apparently the "pro-homosexual bills that would have added gender expression and gender identity to the Human Rights Code died on the order paper with the calling of the election.

The Hindu wonders how Canadians will handle their first social media election.

SkyNews.au focuses in on Igantieff, recounting how the man with "bushy eyebrows and a stern glare" was wooed from Harvard to Canadian Politics but has yet to catch on with the voters.

In totally unrelated news but included only because of a shout out to the 1993 election, the Sydney Morning Herald compares the decimation of the labour government in New South Wales to the massacre of the Tories under Kim Campbell.

-BC