Not long ago, in a fit of pique brought on by a series of Andrew Coyne tweets, I was intemperate enough to refer to him as a “Conservative shill.” It got worse: I called him a “Harper cheerleader” in an otherwise fairly decent blogpost I did on the English-language leaders’ debate.
Chris Selley came by to chide me, back-channel. He’s back again, this time to laugh at me.
He’s right. I was dead wrong.
If we return the Conservatives with a majority, if we let all that has gone on these past five years pass, then not only the Tories, but every party will draw the appropriate conclusions. But if we send them a different message, then maybe the work of bringing government to democratic heel, begun in the tumult of the last Parliament, can continue. And that is why I will be voting Liberal on May 2.
Unlike the Usual Suspects, Coyne is nuanced about politics, and thoughtful. And, academically trained as I am, I am usually sensitive to nuance and detail. I obviously missed all the cues, however, in Coyne’s early election campaign coverage. I jumped to conclusions. I reacted, rather than reflecting.
Apologies are due, and I offer them freely.
