jamesdeluxe
Administrator
Actually, there are no connections that I'm aware of. I'm just looking forward to the top-to-bottom ass whoopin' the repubs are going to get two weeks from now.
:snowball fight:
:snowball fight:
Harvey44":1fy9xhg8 said:I thought the Al Smith dinner was pretty funny. Look's like John does have a sense of humor.
Be careful what you wish for. In this era of polarized political parties divided government does the least damage, and definitely exerts the most fiscal responsibility. I think this is one lesson of 2002-2006.Actually, there are no connections that I'm aware of. I'm just looking forward to the top-to-bottom ass whoopin' the repubs are going to get two weeks from now.
Tony Crocker":1wkvhzk2 said:Be careful what you wish for. In this era of polarized political parties divided government does the least damage, and definitely exerts the most fiscal responsibility. I think this is one lesson of 2002-2006.
In recent history one could argue that the most sensible legislation was enacted under Reagan (Dems had the House the whole time) and last 6 years of Clinton (Reps had both House and Senate). This is McCain's best argument (and he has a track record of working with opposition to prove it) but he hasn't been making it, though his former campaign manager Mike Murphy is.
Admin":2ca6ei7s said:I enjoyed both of them at that event, actually.
jamesdeluxe":2swww9b0 said:I'll try to steer this back to SR territory...
How many presidents or vice presidents were skiers? The only one that comes to mind is Gerald Ford. I remember him being all involved with some ski area in Colorado.
Admin":287tkyk2 said:jamesdeluxe":287tkyk2 said:(Gerald Ford)How many presidents or vice presidents were skiers?
I can't think of any others, either.
Why is it that all of our recent prime ministers of the Liberal faith have been skiers, indeed good skiers, while none of the Tory PMs or leaders of the Conservative/Reform/CA history will wear a ski jacket for what it’s intended? Do they not realize that a major powder day on January 23 will seriously affect the outcome of the election?
Think about it: Paul Martin, Jean Chrétien, John Turner and PET were all strong skiers. But on the right side of politics, Joe Clark, Brian Mulroney, Kim Campbell, Preston Manning, Stockwell Day and Stephen Harper—all hailing from the major skiing provinces—are in the chalet, fighting like skiers and snowboarders, or, I don’t know, working on policy papers and not moving beyond après ski. Pollsters have told us for months that Canadians want a change in government, but when it comes to leaders, are we really ready for a non-skier?
Having little personal interest in politics since working on an election campaign for a dad of a former roommate (and later Mulroney cabinet minister) back in the ’80s, I’ve always perked up when a political leader is photographed or filmed on the slopes. We’ve been treated to infamous but nevertheless entertaining stories such as Chrétien wanting to take just one more run at Whistler rather than attend the king of Jordon’s funeral. (“Dis is da ting about me and Hussein,” one source told me he overheard in the gondola lineup, “dere are no friends on a powder day.”)
Longtime Ski Canada photographer Don Weixl skied with JC at Silver Star in 1995. So keen to get going, Chrétien took off, with his posse scrambling to catch up, before Weixl was even off the chairlift. “I didn’t have to just get close, I had to get in front of the pack so I could shoot him skiing toward me,” said Weixl. “But I guess my big dark knapsack spooked one of the RCMP officers (jeans tucked into his rental boots, dark goggles, ear piece and mike) skiing beside him, so when he saw me overtaking, he tried to run me into the trees!”
Three years later, Weixl was asked by Silver Star management to shoot another visiting Right Honourable, this time Pierre Trudeau skiing with number-two son. “Sacha could easily have been a ski instructor,” said Weixl. “His dad was a little stiff but anyone skiing at 70 is a hero in my books.” (Trudeau was actually 78 at the time.)
So while Trudeau continued to impress his followers by skiing in the winter and paddling his cedarstrip canoe in the summer, Stockwell Day was roaring up to a press conference on a Jet Ski. A Jet Ski!
How Snackwell Day isn’t a skier is a mystery to me—his riding is the Okanagan! Stephen Harper divides his time between Ottawa and Calgary, two of the most outdoorsy cities in the country and he’s about as MEC-like as Madonna. Kim Campbell from Vancouver, Clark from Calgary, Mulroney from Quebec? What are their excuses? Sheila Copps is from the mountainous region of Hamilton, for crying out loud, and even Sheila skis.
When I called the Prime Minister’s Office to confirm our current PM’s taste in winter sports, I found it fascinating how the tone of voice softened so abruptly when his press secretary realized what I was calling about. Indeed, I was taken aback when she called me again the next day to let me know, in the heat of the impending no-confidence vote, that she and her boss had discussed my earlier call. He wanted me to know that although he grew up skiing with his Ottawa school buddies at Camp Fortune, dated Mrs. PM, Sheila, on the slopes of Blue Mountain and later was a regular around the Eastern Townships, he’s been permanently sidelined with a serious knee injury from a waterski accident. I wonder if a Jet Ski hit him.
Allegedly Ski Canada is viewed like SKI and SKIING here. But I get that from Leslie Anthony, who was the founding editor of SBC Skier, more in the Powder mold. I'll defer to our Canadian posters in analyzing the relative merits/maket positions of those mags.Interesting article, Patrick. I like Ski Canada magazine.
McCain has historically done very well with the press, and making the rounds of the talk shows. This was very evident the first time he ran in 2000. Unfortunately, he's contracted "political advisor" disease this time. Listening to these people, many of whom were successful working for Bush (hello, the political landscape is different this time!?!?!) has not served McCain well. I tend to ignore the campaign BS, and thus tend to believe we'll get the 2000 version of McCain if he wins. But he has only a 7% chance according to http://fivethirtyeight.com.I thought they were both funny too. I just didn't know McCain well enough to know that he was funny too.
I believe Iraq has almost gone away as a campaign issue, despite its salience in getting Obama launched a year+ ago.I now think that we've got to get out asap. We are bleeding cash.
YES: 2000, 1992, 1956, 1952, 1948, 1944, 1940, 1928there is a strong correlation between the Yankees losing or not making the series and democrats winning the presidency.
Tony Crocker":3ht3xifn said:McCain has historically done very well with the press, and making the rounds of the talk shows. This was very evident the first time he ran in 2000. Unfortunately, he's contracted "political advisor" disease this time. Listening to these people, many of whom were successful working for Bush (hello, the political landscape is different this time!?!?!) has not served McCain well. I tend to ignore the campaign BS, and thus tend to believe we'll get the 2000 version of McCain if he wins.
Harvey44":2b33ppc2 said:Anyone see Colin Powell on Meet the Press? There's a guy I would vote for. What a great interview.
jamesdeluxe":3o81oomh said:Wonder how things would've turned out (for him and for the country) if he'd won the 2000 repub primary instead of W.
Tony Crocker":1c4i15xp said:Not too surprising about Canadian politicians being more likely skiers. US has 10x Canada's population but only 3x Canada's skier visits.
I believe JFK and Robert Kennedy did. I remember seeing pictures of them (JFK and Jackie) at Tremblant/Gray Rocks in the 60s.Tony Crocker":1c4i15xp said:Gerald Ford was the only avid skiing president I know about. I recall from 2004 that John Kerry snowboards. Our governator Arnold is an excellent skier and owns a place in Sun Valley. On that tack we know that many of the Kennedy family ski, though I don't know whether JFK did.
Tony Crocker":1c4i15xp said:Allegedly Ski Canada is viewed like SKI and SKIING here. But I get that from Leslie Anthony, who was the founding editor of SBC Skier, more in the Powder mold. I'll defer to our Canadian posters in analyzing the relative merits/maket positions of those mags.Interesting article, Patrick. I like Ski Canada magazine.