Monday, January 29, 2018

Time For Caroline?


The Ontario Progressive Conservatives are looking for a new leader. And Caroline Mulroney is waiting in the wings. Her selection as leader would establish another dynasty -- a dynasty which is well connected. Micheal Harris writes:

Politics is already tainted with the democracy-killing reality that at the leadership level, it is the preserve of the rich, well-connected, and entitled. That is particularly true in the United States, where it now costs a billion dollars to run for President. But to an increasing extent, the same thing is happening here. Through her parents and her marriage, Caroline Mulroney is all three.
Brian Mulroney’s daughter married Andrew Polk Lapham, son of one of my hero’s in life, the former legendary editor of Harper’s Magazine, and an exquisite writer in his own right, Lewis Lapham.
Lapham’s daughter, Delphina, married a prince.
Caroline’s husband, Andrew Lapham parlayed his hedge-fund experience in New York into the Chairman’s job at Blackstone Canada, a private equity firm whose US parent has $387 billion under management.

And her father is now a wealthy and influential man:

Though his days in political office are long gone, along with his former party, Mulroney still carries a big stick. He is a senior partner in the Montreal law firm of Ogilvy,Renault, and has garnered Board memberships with the ease that regular people amass crumpled gas receipts.
His board appointments include Archer Daniels Midland, Barrick Gold Corp., Quebecor Inc., and Wyndham Worldwide Corp. He is also, by the way, on the Board of Blackstone US, the company that employs his son-in-law. And when a cancer fundraiser held at Donald Trump’s Mar-A-Lago estate last year needed someone to sing “Irish Eyes Are Shining”, one Brian Francis Mulroney did the honours. Ronald Reagan no doubt beamed down on the flannel-throated encore of Mulroney’s most cringeworthy moment in the lap of presidential power.

Increasingly, politics is the playground of the wealthy. The children of bricklayers -- and most other ordinary folks -- haven't got a chance.

Image: ipolitics.ca

13 comments:

Lorne said...

And, of course, the fact that the elite are now considered the best to lead the masses also means that they will have no understanding of ordinary people's lives, Owen. it's probably one of the main reasons the world is in its current state.

Owen Gray said...

As the distance between our leaders and ordinary citizens increases, Lorne, our democracy dies.

Owen Gray said...

I'd like to publish your comment, Anon, but it needs to be initialed.

Ben Burd said...

Of course the hillbillies that fell for Harris and hate Wynn will immediately fall for Caroline - shades of trump and non-politician.

Personally i will not vote for anything that resembles a dynasty.

Owen Gray said...

That strikes me as wise policy, Ben.

the salamander said...

.. was it John Paul Jones who famously declared.. 'I've just begun to spend more time with my family' ? Just kidding.. but its becoming the go to mythical dodge fed to lazy media. So off trots Patrick Brown, defended by family.. and oops there it is, Ken Dykstra. But wait - there's more.. its now a perfect storm season of women coming forward - because the haters can't keep track of these women who are coming forward with sheer force of numbers & astonishing accusations. Ok, there's always going to be the tough girls a la Christie Blatchford & Rosie DiManno to defend the male thugs as the real 'victims' who's political empires have evaporated.. but the last hetero male politician who was plied with booze and assaulted or cornered.. while in high school or upon entering politics was was.. uh ?

But into the valley rode Caroline Mulroney.. or Doug Ford.. eager to exploit the sudden void.. Well my thought is mebbe let the radioactive wasteland cool down before the political charge of the white brigade. This is just getting up to speed. We've yet to hear from Andrew Scheer, but suddenly the toxic toad herself, Jenni Byrne reappear from the executive boardrooms, Harper himself goes silent, no sign of Ray Novak. Tom Mulcair must be sailing across the Atlantic & incommunicado.. and as the old saying goes.. never interrupt your adversary when they are imploding.. so that must be the current provincial Liberal credo - step away..

Owen Gray said...

If Wynne's Liberals are wise, sal, they won't get anywhere near this mess.

Anonymous said...

No brown-bagging it for Carolyn. For her, I'm sure it's Birkin bags only.

Cap

Owen Gray said...

I'm pretty sure that Caroline -- when she has her druthers -- goes first class, Cap.

zoombats in Hong Kong said...

I guess we will eventually have to have a "None of the above" space on our ballots both federal and provincial to truly vote with a conscience.

Owen Gray said...

That way your vote wouldn't be wasted, zoombats. Proportional representation would help, too.

The Mound of Sound said...


What is politics any longer? Vision and leadership are gone, atrophied to the point of irrelevance. It's theatre of the self-serving, my gang versus yours, my gang right or wrong. It's no accident that from Harper to Trudeau, from Wynne to B.C.'s Horgan, we've fallen under the spell of technocrats, mere administrators, who utterly fail to inspire us or empower our nobler instincts. Grey suits stuffed with wet cardboard although, occasionally, with polka dot socks.

I've largely given up on politics, Owen, but only after realizing that our political caste has given up on us. If you're in any doubt look at the political response to the great challenges of the day and how they're ducked, fended off, kicked down the road, left to inevitably worsen.

If a real leader were to emerge today I don't know that the political apparatus as currently constituted would not instinctively turn on that person and fight, fang and claw, to keep them out.

Owen Gray said...

Your conclusion is underscored by the fact that today Doug Ford entered the race, Mound. He claims he's running against the elites. He's crude but he's no common man. He's the Canadian version of Donald Trump.