Dropping by just to note a great case study of how the well-oiled machine that is the Toronto establishment media works.
All of sudden, elite liberal opinion has decided that Bob Rae, the failed socialist Ontario premier, is a hero. They are now trying to coax him into a political comeback.
It started in Saturday's Globe and Mail when Michael Valpy weighed in with a puff profile. Entitled "The Comeback Kid," the piece came with a giant photo that took up the entire page above the fold in the Focus section. Since Rae is being touted as a potential successor to Adrienne Clarkson, the timing of the piece couldn't have been more perfect. (One has to laugh at Valpy's list of whom he considers Canadian "statesmen"; among them are Stephen Lewis, Roy Romanow, Mike Harcourt and -- wait for it -- Gerald Caplan!)
Valpy, a defeated NDP candidate, is back again today with "Rae risks life to build Iraq constitution." What Rae is doing in Iraq is certainly admirable, and I admire him for doing it. But this hagiography is getting a little over-the-top. (If you can't directly access the Globe stories, go to news.google.ca and type the story name, then click on the link.)
Also today, the Ottawa Citizen joins the chorus with "Liberal insiders look to Rae as possible successor to Martin". The piece quotes Senator Terry Mercer, a rock-ribbed Chretienite, as saying Rae is a possible contender for the leadership. Rae's brother, John, is a honcho at Power Corp. in Montreal and a long-time Liberal backroomer.
Perhaps its just that it's summertime and there's nothing else to write about. Maybe Rae really is that great. But I think the more likely explanation is that Rae's new Establishment pals are trying to elevate him to high political office again.
Since his conversion to third way politics (he jettisoned socialism sometime back in the 1990s) he has become the toast of Toronto. Now that crowd wants to see their new star rise to the top. They're doing a great job positioning him for it with this media campaign.
# posted by Adam Daifallah : 9:56 AM
