So my MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament) and I were having a vigourous exchange on my doorstep about the multitude of reasons why he and his party disgust me.
Finally he muttered something I didn’t catch and started to walk away. I called after him “Hope you’re ready for the unemployment line after the election!”
He turns to me and says “Looks like you’re already on it!”
:wally
Now, I’ll concede that I a) was home on the middle of a workday and b) was wearing my favourite (i.e., ratty) T-shirt and most-comfortable (i.e., old, tattered and faded) jeans. But jeez, the simple explanation is that c) I work from home, I run a pretty successful home business, and haven’t seen fit to establish a dress code for myself.
Cripes, this guy really has to work on winning over his constituants. Time for him to go in for another coating of Teflon.
Anyone else got any good stories about melt-downs on the part of their local politicians?
It sounds like you were rude, and he was rude back.
Not that I’m particularly fond of politicians, but unless there some foaming at the mouth, puppy kicking, or screetching that you’re not informing us about, this isn’t a meltdown.
Well, if you want to get back at the guy, tell the papers. The tabloids love this sort of shit. I can almost see the headline: “Local MPP abuses small businessman.”
But, to tell you the truth, i doesn’t sound like much of a big deal to me. I guess he figured that offending you wouldn’t hurt him come election time, because you’ve made it pretty clear that “he and his party disgust” you.
I know politicians are, in theory, meant to be concerned about all their constituents, but for the most part that just isn’t how it works.
Alice - agreed “meltdown” was too strong of a word. No foaming, screetching, or puppy kicking, which I guess is a good thing - especially the no puppy kicking part.
But rude? Perhaps . . . but I’d characterize it more as gleefully anticipating the upcoming downfall of a Tory backbencher who has done nothing but count the hairs on the back of the heads of all his colleagues as he has sat in the rear row of the legislature for the past two governments. You have to savour these moments whenever you get a chance
GMRyujin - I live outside of Toronto
Diogenes - I must say, I thought all the cynics would be on my side on this one
I must admit that i don’t keep up with Canadian provincial politics, except for BC where i used to live, but i thought that since the Kim Campbell meltdown of ten years ago there was barely a Tory politician left in Canada.
I thught it was the Liberals that are now the evil right wingers.
At least, that’s the case with Campbell and his systematic fucking-over of BC.
mhendo - You’re right about the Tories federally, but provincially, they still run Alberta, Ontario, and I believe New Brunswick and Nova Scotia (although they just eked out a minority government this past summer)
You evidently feel the same way about Campbell in BC as I do about Harris and now Eves in Ontario.
I don’t think you were being rude. I see nothing wrong with berating a politician to his or her face. You were being a responsible citizen by letting your elected representative know how you felt about his policies.
On the other hand, he was rude to you. Insulting one of your political constituents, especially without legitimate provocation (I don’t see your threat to put him out of a job by exercising your right to vote as rude at all), is extremely unprofessional. It’s comparable to, say, a waiter insulting a restaurant patron.
