The day Michael Ignatieff lost the youth vote

[steven lloyd]

Chris Selley: The day Michael Ignatieff lost the youth vote
Posted: March 16, 2010, 4:30 PM by Chris Selley
Canadian politics, Full Pundit, Chris Selley
March 15, 2010. O'Donel High School, Mt. Pearl, Nfld.:

"If I had to tell you as a parent or as someone who has spent his whole life working with young people, the last darn thing I want you to be doing is smoking marijuana," the federal Liberal leader said.

"I want you to be out there digging a well, digging a ditch, getting a job, raising a family ... doing stuff, instead of parking your life on the end of a marijuana cigarette."

What a unique combination: eye-rolling, giggle-inducing, old-timey copspeak ("marijuana cigarette") and really terrible career counselling. Digging ditches? What, did the local tannery close down? Or ... hang on, is he envisioning these kids on some sort of chain gang? Also ... just, wow:

Noting he likes an occasional drink and having a good time, Ignatieff didn't seem concerned if his anti-weed stance made him appear conservative.

"Given the things we need to do together, that's what I think," he said, adding that legalizing marijuana would create problems in dealings with the U.S. because the drug would remain illegal there.

So there you have it. The leader of the Liberal Party of Canada says we can't make our own laws, because Washington wouldn't like it — which is both utterly depressing and among the most conventional thoughts a Canadian politician can have. I'll point out, not for the first time, that 12 American states have decriminalized cannabis. The only thing that lies between Canada and decriminalization is an attack of common sense, a bit of backbone, and a political leader who isn't either ideologically hidebound against the move or desperately trying to turn himself into Jean Chrétien for some reason.


Read more: http://network.nationalpost.com/NP/blog ... z0iMGp7xTr

[fvkasm2x]

I know nothing about the guy, but I hate him because of the commercials played over and over about him.

Whoever was in charge of that advertisement on TV has done a great job. "Just visiting"

[steven lloyd]

What guy ? Chris Selley or Iggy ? I don't know anything about this Selley guy either. Just posted this for interest as it happened to come my way. Iggy ? I know all I want to know about him.

[Al Czervic]

Chris Selley: The day Michael Ignatieff lost the youth vote
Posted: March 16, 2010, 4:30 PM by Chris Selley
Canadian politics, Full Pundit, Chris Selley
March 15, 2010. O'Donel High School, Mt. Pearl, Nfld.:

"If I had to tell you as a parent or as someone who has spent his whole life working with young people, the last darn thing I want you to be doing is smoking marijuana," the federal Liberal leader said.

"I want you to be out there digging a well, digging a ditch, getting a job, raising a family ... doing stuff, instead of parking your life on the end of a marijuana cigarette."

What a unique combination: eye-rolling, giggle-inducing, old-timey copspeak ("marijuana cigarette") and really terrible career counselling. Digging ditches? What, did the local tannery close down? Or ... hang on, is he envisioning these kids on some sort of chain gang? Also ... just, wow:

Noting he likes an occasional drink and having a good time, Ignatieff didn't seem concerned if his anti-weed stance made him appear conservative.

"Given the things we need to do together, that's what I think," he said, adding that legalizing marijuana would create problems in dealings with the U.S. because the drug would remain illegal there.

So there you have it. The leader of the Liberal Party of Canada says we can't make our own laws, because Washington wouldn't like it — which is both utterly depressing and among the most conventional thoughts a Canadian politician can have. I'll point out, not for the first time, that 12 American states have decriminalized cannabis. The only thing that lies between Canada and decriminalization is an attack of common sense, a bit of backbone, and a political leader who isn't either ideologically hidebound against the move or desperately trying to turn himself into Jean Chrétien for some reason.


Read more: http://network.nationalpost.com/NP/blog ... z0iMGp7xTr

And this is the one thing I actually kind of like about Iggy…being a true academic at heart (as opposed to a career politician ala Jack Layton) Iggy has to speak what he knows to be the truth. The fact is our youth are far better off learning the value of hard work instead of wasting their time smoking dope.

When I hear people in other threads say there are no choices in life, that people do not have choices at all I get so very concerned. Smoking dope, cigarettes, drinking booze are all choices at some stage in your life. Iggy is right, hard work is not sexy but it is what you need to do to get ahead in life.

Iggy is also just telling it like it is if Canada really thinks drug legalization would not lead to serious problems with out largest trading partner in the United States. I mean let’s not kid ourselves dope is already basically decriminalized in small personal use quantities as it is Canada.

I respect that at least Iggy is out there passing on his views to young Canadians. He is certainly not trying to BS them as so many politicians would. It’s not unlike Iggy supporting the HST, he has the intelligence to actually understand the benefits and that is why he avoids the petty (but popular) politics and supports the HST. Of course it is his ongoing “tell it like it really is” attitude that will eventually lead to his downfall.

Just think of Iggy next time someone says they are looking for a politician who will sometimes tell you the truth...

[Liberty and Truth]

I agree - I don't mind Iggy at all. It's the pit viper Layton I just can't stand.

[quietlywatching84]

I don't know if he'll lose the youth vote considering the only way to go is far left to the NDP (that's where you end up if you want a pro-marijuana vote). Once you get that far, youth will have to balance prohibition against things they probably care more about in federal politics.

As long as the police continue to be as lax as they are with personal usage, it won't be a major issue. The average young voter probably isn't being haressed for smoking pot, but probably feels something like lower taxes or access to education and skills training is more imperative at the moment.

That's why the marijaunia party is a dumb idea - you can't get elected on that issue on its own. I think most are waiting for the demographic shift to push legalization over the 50% in public opinion polls which isn't far off from where it is currently (and has been for over a decade). It might contribute to apathy in the youth vote although...

I think Ig should be way more concerned that he told the audience that they have a future of digging ditches. If I was 17 again and you told me I was going to be a ditch digger for the rest of my life, I would have ran out of the audience and went straight to the bottle!

[steven lloyd]

That's why the marijaunia party is a dumb idea - you can't get elected on that issue on its own.

Same problem the "Green" Party has.