Yoni School Federal Election Watch 2008 Pt. 2

Update on Green Party Debate Debacle Sept. 10:

A victory today for grassroots outrage. This afternoon, Jack Layoff agreed to let Elizabeth Mayormaynot participate in the debates, and after Jack said OK, Stephen Harpie said OK too.

I'm taking full credit for this about face. I personally sent emails to Harpie and Layoff and Mothercorp...very snide emails. I am capable of full-metal snidity when provoked. Here are those emails:

To Jack Layoff:

Jack, Jack, Jack, I never thought I'd see the day that you would actually agree with Stephen Harpie. You have seriously lost face in my books. I fear that the NDP will never again be able to think outside the box. Or are you just pissed off because Dion out-manoeuvred you in a potential alliance?

If the NDP still had any socialist or democratic socialist DNA, you might have a claim to represent a real alternative. As things stand, however...

The Green Party ought to be in on the debates. They represent a significant chunk of voters. You, Mr. Democracy, ought to be leading the charge.

To Mr. Harpie:

You and the other leaders are acting like a bunch of twerps by not allowing Elizabeth Mayormaynot to express the voice of several million Canadians in the televised debates. What's the matter? Ya scared?

I'm not a member of the Green Party, but I want to hear what she has to say, and how she stacks up against the twerp factor. If you and the other party boys want to have your little circle jerk debate, fine, but don't be asking to do it in public. As for the rest of your so-called programs and platforms and solutions, my suggestion is that you should just go and debate yourself.

So because they could not bear to face my withering snidifery, they backed off. But not exactly with good grace. Here's an excerpt from the Canajun Press article:

A spokesman for Harpie said the Constipators still object in principle to Mayormaynot's presence, but given that Layoff has changed his mind, the prime minister will not boycott the debates if the Greens are admitted.

"We're not going to stand alone on a point of principle," said Kory Teneycke. "We don't think she should be there. But if the NDP have decided they're changing their position, we will not stand alone."

But some Constipators suggest it wasn't Harpie's idea to keep Mayormaynot out of the debates.

"The truth of the matter is the NDP took a position and we agreed to back them because we, like the NDP, thought that this was unfair on principle," said Sen. Marjory LeBreton, the Constipated campaign co-chair.

"But if Jack Layoff has decided to change his position, I mean, we're not going to stand in the way of her participating in the debate."

Harpie's change of heart came less than an hour after Layoff's about-face. Layoff said the issue had "become a distraction" and he did not want to continue "debating about the debate.

In other words, Stephen Harpie doesn't care enough about "principle" to stand alone in the face of strong and vocal opposition. (Sorry Stephen, you don't get to win here. I think it's good that you finally agreed to let the Green Party into the party, but you should not have phrased it in those terms...principle...not going to stand alone...sheesh!)

BTW, after all that, Elizabeth May...or...maynot show up.