What was she (or her advisers) thinking! NDP Leader Carole James was handed a rare opportunity Monday to reach voters on B.C.’s top-rated telephone call-in show, Bill Good on CKNW. But she couldn’t … or wouldn’t … spend more than 22 minutes .. even though she was offered a full hour.
Ridiculous! Idiotic! And why? James said she had another matter to attend to … the opening of her campaign office in Victoria and bidding farewell to local supporters as she heads off on the campaign trail.
What a crock! James was not in-studio in Vancouver; she was interviewed by telephone, starting at 8:35 a.m. .. and she couldn’t even stay on the phone til 9:30 a.m.??? To spread her “message” to maybe a couple hundred thousand voters around the province???
Ridiculous! Idiotic! How often does an NDP Leader get air time on B.C.’s private corporate media to impress the voters, counter her critics and push her party’s platform! Not very often … and to cut short that opportunity seemed like a terrible error in judgement.
Or was it?
If I were one of her strategists, I would be very concerned about her performance on the show.
James sounded chippy, unfriendly and, in my view, showed absolutely no passion for her party’s platform or prospects.
It was like a tennis match: Good … perhaps still smarting from criticism from his puffball interview with Premier Gordon Campbell last week, was quite easy on the NDP leader, lobbing her way easy queries on various issues.
James replied like one of the those automatic ball machines set on “easy” : tossing the ball back with almost a boring recitation of policy. She could have been reading from a pamphlet.
I detected no emotion, no passion for her party’s positions and no real popular appeal reaching out to the listeners … and the voters. If anything, she seeemed almost impatient with the questions .. rather than seizing on them as a great opportunity to explain, to convince and to win over public support. (No Maude Barlow here!)
With the show starting at 8:35 a.m. … and breaking at 8:57 a.m. for wrapup/ads before the news .. the NDP Leader’s appearance lasted only 22 minutes … with only about seven minutes of questions from callers.
Judging by her performance … maybe it actually was a wise decision by her strategists, after all, to get her in and get her out as fast as possible.
Harv Oberfeld
16 responses so far ↓
1 Patrick Bell (Not the MLA) // Apr 13, 2009 at 5:07 pm
Thanks for the update. I missed the interview as I had the rare opportunity to sleep in (small kiddies about).
Like said before and I’ll say it again…stick a fork in the NDP…they’re done! Its Campbell by default…arrrrgg
I miss the days (early 90′s) when we had three options in the NDP, Libs and So-creds…
(Response: If anyone wants to hear it … go to CKNW.com ..look for Audio vault and find 8:35 a.m. to 9 a.m. Monday. See if you think she sounds testy, as I did, or of you can find any real passion, which I did not. h.o.)
2 Norman F // Apr 13, 2009 at 5:32 pm
This explains how an unworthy Government, with all authority focused in the office of a mistrusted Premier, continues limp toward undeserved electoral victory.
We can have better leadership. Yes, we can!
3 genuine // Apr 13, 2009 at 5:45 pm
You know I have no problem with James trying to be nice but lets face it even if she wins, she loses,personally with an interview like that,Just the platform,you have issues with quite a few inefficiencies and questionable ,dealings and she only had 22 minutes for us.geez just maybe that’s all the time I have for her? For crying out loud she wants to run a province and has no time for the peeps go figure! Don’t we all ready have somebody like that in there?where does this kind of stuff end?and why do we allow it?
4 frosty // Apr 13, 2009 at 5:52 pm
perhaps she had a date with am 1040 sports. They apparently have the listeners now…I wonder if she’s picking the Blues or the Canucks?
(Response: I’ll check her pamphlet … LOL h.o.)
5 Double T // Apr 13, 2009 at 6:25 pm
So easy to criticize Harv…
If she didnt talk about policy, you would complain that she has no plan. With people like you, theres always something wrong. “Damed if you do, damned if you dont’. I think she did a good job, and accomplished what she needed. She appeared very competent; she knows the issues and knows how to handle them.
Do you think Carole gets to decide to start at 8:35 and end at 8:58? No, its the station that decides. You should take your post about Campbell’s radio address into account before criticizing Carole. Bill played hardball, threw dozens of balls ever moment Carole paused.
(Response: I appreciate your view, BUT you’re wrong on one thing. James was offered a FULL hour .. Good has said so repeatedly, and she did not deny it. But she said No. Do you honestly believe it helps a BC party leader at the start of a BC election campaign to send that message to the voters? I sure don’t. h.o.)
6 Rav // Apr 13, 2009 at 6:47 pm
Well we all heard how Gordon was treated and we all heard how Carole was treated. I think she did a fantastic job. She was able to walk into a dragon’s den and walk having done some damage. She was not allowed to get all of her points across as she kept getting interrupted. Gordon was allowed to speak for MINUTES without interruption and Carole was given only SECONDS. I think if she been allowed to speak without interruption, she could have done an even better job. Do you blame her? its so clear CKNW/Bill Good is pro-Campbell, staying there for an hour just gives more opportunity for them to pillage her policies.
To add to it all, one of the callers was talking about post-secondary funding. It is an important issue for students who have seen ‘cuts to the bone’ in the past few years and to this Bill Good replied “oh so you let one of them through”.
7 genuine // Apr 13, 2009 at 9:15 pm
sure she did a good job but she should have brought up issues that bcers are concerned about everyone seems to tip toe around the issues get the jack boots on and kick the hell out of the issues give em hell ! who cares how they were treated differently,Im not an idiot i can see whats happening and a lot of people fall into that trap,they worry about how they’re being treated ,how are we being treated by them?All they do is complain and ask for more of our tax dollars lets all stop being partisan and start being bcers! Lets vote for people who are supposed to be working for us ,we are the prize and we’re being sold out by parties to corporations not only campbell is to blame for ror harcourt started the ball rolling and campbell has given it a huge push wake up people lets get on track and take our province back or there will be nothing left or right policies should be in place where a party can not sell any asset belonging to a people beyond a 4 year mandate without going to referendum!What gives any party a right to enact laws that will stretch well beyond there tenure,and if they want to there would have to be a refferendum any huge change in policies demand that! now thats democracy.
8 Grant g // Apr 13, 2009 at 9:57 pm
Sorry harvey….You just won`t vote for a skirt,your male stigma is so apparent on previous posts and this one….Ya,she was offered an hour,so what!……..
Bill good wasn`t easy on her,he was wayyyy harder on her then Campbell……..
Bill good interupted several times,he had an obvious disdain in his voice and he argued with her(and lost)
She answered every callers questions,she didn`t rag the talk like Campbell who in his interview used……
The phrase “The fact of the matter” 6 or more times?
Carole James will be back for the CKNW radio debate,and Carole offered to come back anytime Bill wanted……….Finally,she was firm,confident,(not testy)…….
The only one who was testy was Bill Good!
Last point Harvey—I really think you have “issues” with females,your old school,no females wanted,all boys club,you have displayed this over and over again in your blogs!
Or maybe you just like the girls who dance on your lap a 50$ bill.
Cheers–EYES WIDE OPEN
(Response: Wrong, Grant. Voted for a “skirt”, as you call it, in the last provincial election, the last federal election and the federal election before that. I’m just trying to tell it like it is ..and James sure didn’t display any passion or sound like a Premier to me today … in either a skirt or a pant suit. h.o.)
9 Grant g // Apr 14, 2009 at 12:03 am
Harvey,I listened to the interview again,explain what Bill Good meant when he said “Craig,you let one through” it was at 8.56 ish to 8.57 am ish……
Sounds like good was “arranging calls” staging…..comment please
(Response: I’m sure Good never arranges calls … never. No need to. If you wonder what he ever means ..call up and ask. Should make for interesting listening. h.o.)
10 Patrick Bell (Not the MLA) // Apr 14, 2009 at 12:09 am
Grant. * Yawn* Harvey apparently has issues with Islam, women, other people’s kids, the mailman, the next door neighbor’s dog…
Am I just out of it or did Harvey not just rip apart both party interviews. I sure don’t see him as a *raw raw* guy for either party.
One of my friends on Facebook has been pumping the NDP candidate she has been volunteering for. I told her as long as “pro-big-business” has control of the media the NDP are in a tight spot as far as getting their message out. She put up a link of an article written by Rafe Mair in the “Straight” regarding the Libs selling off BC. I told her that Rafe seems to have changed his political strips in recent years (former So-Cred) and perhaps played a huge role as to why NW let him go…I told her his article in the “Straight” was great, but that he was preaching to the already converted as it is already a left leaning rag. If he could only somehow get that article in the “The Sun” that would be fabulous…but that that would NEVER happen.
She ripped into me saying at least Rafe has insight, too bad I didn’t. Huh? I am an NDP voter, but I am only stating that the party doesn’t seem to have any traction with the BC voters and needs a serious overhaul. Check out the latest polls.
Then again, I guess it is good for the blog to have differing views, but accusations such as anti-Islam and calling someone a chauvinist is way off base.
Grant. Do you have issues with the NDP having a female leader, because you are the one bringing it up?
(Response: Actually I think it’s kind of flattering when, unable to effectively counter the analysis, partisans attack the messenger! I figure it means my critic can’t argue against my conclusions!
It’s much worse when they refute what I say with facts ..and make me rethink my opinion! LOL! h.o)
11 Patrick Bell (Not the MLA) // Apr 14, 2009 at 12:16 am
PS. I personally wish Joy Mcphail was the leader of the party as she is incredibly intelligent, more than capable of running this province and she’d eat Mr. Campbell alive in a debate. However, she saw it more prudent to step aside and let the party take a new direction.
12 Grant g // Apr 14, 2009 at 3:25 am
Carole does just fine,Harvey is old school(maybe)She beat Campbell in the last debates and she will beat him again,a honest Carole James,inexperienced or not would be a 1000 times better than an obvious corrupt Gordon Campbell!
79% of all voters,both Liberal and NDP say that Gordon Campbell is NOT HONEST or TRUSTWORTHY
And after 8 years in goverment,it`s not like we don`t know him…………..
A sad province,no one trusts him and many will still vote for him…………
Not enough to elect him though……3 big bombshells are to be dropped on Gordon Campbell before the election……..
I can`t much more now,stay tuned…………And wait for the fireworks
(Response: Would love to see it … I enjoy watching good political battles. h.o.)
13 DMJ // Apr 14, 2009 at 3:38 am
Carole James is a joke; always was, always will be!
When we need a strong and decisive leader, we get a sexist (white males are just not allowed to run in certain ridings) leader as limp as a noodle – pathetic!
The Campbell government is one of the most corrupt and evil governments this country has seen and what do the NDP do; run a third rate twit.
I feel sorry for the NDP supporters, they know they could have had a better leader.
Send both parties a message – vote the independent!
Note to Patrick; Ms. McPhail may be a lot smarter than Campbell, but she has burnt way too many bridges behind her.
14 Patrick Bell (Not the MLA) // Apr 14, 2009 at 4:19 am
DMJ. Regarding Joy. I’m betting you’re right. I only know what I see and read and really have no inside information to go on. I’m smart enough to know there is always way more behind the scenes that the masses are not aware of.
Vote “independent”…you’re on to something there
Grant
You said Not enough to elect him though……3 big bombshells are to be dropped on Gordon Campbell before the election……..
I really hope you’re right
15 A. G. Tsakumis // Apr 14, 2009 at 5:59 am
Full agreement with DMJ (and, of course, Harv).
I just listened to the interview again. I have no clue what anyone of you are talking about when you state that she did well. I’ve managed dozens of candidates in my time…her performance was better, only marginally, than pathetic, by the time the interview was complete.
She quit early? Of course. Her handlers knew she would be in hostile territory, so she bolted…as much as you can call Bill “hostile”–bless him, he cannot do hard-nosed talk radio and when he tries just sounds like he’s complaining (as he did last week).
Carole is a lovely woman who I am pleased to know well enough, but her performance was well below the minimum bar requirement to being a premier. Now, there is no question, that Gordon is dishonest and arrogant, but that doesn’t mean that we give Carole a pass for her opponent’s failings, anymore than he should be premier because she truly comes across as an choppy den mother.
Her interview showed a complete lack of readiness to be premier. It showcased Bill’s inability to do a strong interview, although there was one question on the environment that almost mirrored one he gave Gordon as a follow up, where I thought Bill went after her a little…very little.
She was, in the end, as terrible as the interview.
Sorry boys, the NDP campaign, from messaging to handling is as much a pig as the Liberal one.
Stop reaching for the lipstick.
16 Mark B // Apr 14, 2009 at 7:31 am
Look Harvey,
As much as you would like and as much as I would like, Canada will NOT produce a politician that inspires the common person like ab Barack Obama does.
Maybe when my kids grow up, but not now.
It would be nice to have a politician that I could relate to.
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