I was dismayed today. I took a brief few moments out of my visit at the Royal St. John's Regatta to walk around the lake and was met by Lorraine Michaels and candidates wearing orange NDP shirts. Heck they had people giving out their propaganda... politicking on a day of historic proportions to our small nation.
I was disgusted at their ease with which they took a family oriented, historic day at the races, a day of national pride and cheapen it into an opportunity to meet people who wouldn't bother to come within squinting distance of them normally.
And I don't care which political party would do the like... this was tasteless. Any party campaigning there was doing so in poor taste. I've never seen it before, I've seen politicians there enjoying the day and making an appearance, like Michael Ignatieff and others, but always in good taste. This was different to that, but if all three parties were at it? Shame on all three of them.
Some were quick to state that anyone opposed to this was "in fear of the NDP" as if that would equate to the testicle removing power of such a statement as "Homophobic". Such is not the case. Fear ≠ disgust at cheap political engineering.
One NDP supporter stated: "Dunderdale was there Ward front n' centre ...whatcha bitchin' about!?"
To which I respond...
Was she campaigning too? Was she handing out PC shirts? If so, she should be ashamed as that kind of behavior would be tasteless and not many folks wouldn't be happy about Steve Harper doing it - use that as your benchmark. And there in lies the problem... all is fair for the left, a clear double-standard! But should the normal middle of the road conservative majority ever lose their common sense and stoop to so low a tactic, the left would be screaming for their heads on silver platters!!
See, it can't be ok just because our personal favorite political group was at it. We have to have some principles about something... and to me, it doesn't matter who was at it. It was just plain wrong!
Oh sure, it's fine for Lorraine and cronies to be a part of the event. But leave the politics (and the religion, sorry fellow pentecostals) out of it!
It's a day of National Pride for ALL Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.