The Magnificent Marbella Mistake: How Michelle Obama Sealed the Democrats’ Fate
We sat as we always did, across from one another at his desk.
His arms folded above his head, wondering, thinking, about every observation I’d made in the previous six months, that he surely worried about.
In this particular dawn meeting in the Prime Minister’s office, well before the arrival of Brian Mulroney (usually some time before 7:30am, but never later), one of the best political minds I’d ever encounter asked, “…so, whad’ ya think is gonna happen…when he leaves?”
I couldn’t wait to reply, it was automatic. “I think we’re going to get killed…”
And then I ran down a whole litany of reasons, that ended with one…
“In a fickle electorate, things change rapidly. They go from fickle to frantic to angry. Forget the GST or the lack of tax reform to make the pain easier to take–Mila started this gig looking like the PM’s wife. She now looks like a cross between a Milano fashion model and a New York socialite . The economy’s changing, and the vast majority of Canadian women not only don’t look like that–they don’t want to know anyone who looks like that–it’s the constituency which we need to win. And it’s just not there. It’s gone.”
To this day, I would bet significantly, that those words were what put him from where I sat, in Jean Charest’s camp (I was eventually one of only a handful of BC delegates for Charest), to that of the infernal Kim Campbell–even begrudgingly. I was, after all, THE man on the street. I heard everything. I listened intently. I had friends in the Liberals, I knew what they would come with. It was going to be devastating.
We still laugh about it today from time to time. We see each other rarely.
Although, back then, it was hardly funny. I was a speech writer with overly cautious clients that were about to involuntarily go back to previous careers in a political market about to sustain a seismic shift. Mr. Mulroney was about to go and the floods gates to hell would soon open. There was no turning back.
And in all the reasons ranging from the GST, to Ministerial scandal, to a faltering Cabinet, my pivotal concern was that we’d lost the women’s vote so significantly, that popping up a candidate as woefully unqualified as Kim Campbell would only inflame Canada’s women further. It was tokenism. For every woman that loved her for her gender, there would be five who would pick apart her elitism, aloofness, and sanctimony.
It was one of those moments where the brutality of your own observation floors even you.
I put my King Street apartment up for rent shortly thereafter, and never looked back.
I couldn’t. It was done.
So why am I telling you? Because politicians spend too much time concentrating on various constituencies that make up the whole of their electoral success–they look at a total but ignore the importance of individual values. And they forget the one key constituency that is ESSENTIAL for success.
Women.
They are our mothers, sisters, wives, doctors, lawyers, social workers, bakers, dentists, check-out clerks, waitresses–you name it. No constituency straddles more societal strata than women. Not one.
It’s a key reason why Mulroney won his second election. It’s why George W. Bush won his first term. It’s the constituency that is somewhat apprehensive about Stephen Harper–thus the warm-coloured sweaters, quaint piano-playing and Inuit dancing.
It’s what brought you the likes of Barack Obama.
And why his wife will cost him immensely in the polls in November and, very likely, will assist in making St. Barry a one-term wonder.
When a sizable amount of the American electorate, in the throes of a double-dip recession, can’t find the money to vacation in a campground facility not far from their possibly repossessed home, where the President and First Lady sun themselves is of paramount importance.
The Spanish trip Mrs. Obama was fool enough to take earlier this year is STILL reverberating through the plains, hills and valleys of our neighbours to the South.
When Hillary Clinton used to push Slick Willy to hoist anchor with the Kennedys in the 90s, the President’s poll numbers would tumble–badly.
It’s why, post-Spanish omelette, the Obamas headed straight for oil-slick ravaged Florida for some modest vacation time. Of course, that was only after they were stupid enough to head to exclusive Martha’s Vineyard right after Ms. Obama’s return from Spain.
Predictably, Florida hasn’t helped and the President’s numbers are now, in the middle of his term, almost even with President Bush’s numbers at the end of his eight years.
When the Bushes went to down-home Crawford, Dubya cleared fields, repaired water mains on his property, and served pancake breakfasts at the local Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs. Hate him all you want, there was no pretension. The cowboy boots weren’t prop.
Where the Clintons took lavish vacations, while President Clinton was glued to the tube on the aft deck of Teddy Kennedy’s yacht–watching the finals of the annual ‘Miss Hawaiian Tropic’ contest, Ms. Clinton visited women’s shelters, burn units and summer camps for underprivileged kids. It didn’t matter that America’s ‘Dragon Lady’ was going through the motions, it appealed to the electorate.
Not so with America’s new ‘Dragon Lady’. From the beginning, Michelle Obama just gives that rancid, malodorous whiff of red velvet, high-entitlement.
Ms. Obama’s problem isn’t that she believes her husband is the saviour. She thinks SHE is. And that’s the big problem going into the November elections–now just a short 65+ days away.
It took Mila Mulroney two election cycles to lose touch. Michelle Obama was already there, well before the inaugural ball had stretched past midnight.
And worse yet, the American electorate have caught on and the bloodbath for the Democrats in November will be devastating. I’m still working through the numbers, but they could lose major Senate seats as well as being pummeled in the House–leaving the President in a very lonely spot.
It’s what happens when you are unqualified and over-inflated by your self-importance.
It’s what happened when you’re spending $20 billion a month, keep blaming your predecessor, lie about the state-of-the-union and can’t get your salivating wife to stop looking at the world map like her own personal runway.
In their greed and elitism, they’ve lost America.
Oh well, they’ll always have Marbella…
The Thought of The Day
“I wasn’t sure until now. Most definitely, what I heard the Beach Boys singing, during their PNE concert in Vancouver last week, was:
‘Marbella, Jamaica ooo I wanna take ya’,
Bermuda, Obama come on pretty mama’…”
Excellent piece, Alex!
It reads like a pre-election campaign autopsy.
BTW, have you too, noticed that the Campbell name is as popular in Canadian politics as the name Patel is in the Bombay’s phone book?
Soup of Gordon, Kim and Larry.
What a chowder. I never liked it. They all are full of MSG.
We live in Vancouver and this keeps us busy.
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Another beauty!
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You are right Alex. It almost looks like she is running the ship and not him. The Spanish trip was the worst thing she could do and then they topped it off by going to Martha’s Vineyard.
Now I am hearing pundits say that the economy will turn around if the Dems lose the House and Senate in November. Reasoning is that they market will be satisfied that excessive spending decisions by the President will be balanced out by a Republican Senate and House.
For our sake lets hope something happens down there to get their ball rolling again as we need a healthy US to maintain our economy over the long run.
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I think the Obamabots are in for a rude awakening.
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Fascinating introduction to, I think, a scathingly accurate appraisal! Obama lost me when he re-organized the car companies. Well, not that he ever had me….
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Yeah, thx, I too am mystified at how much of a free ride this man is getting. He railed against the Bush record and then went out and proceed to surpass him in a fraction of the time. It’s really quite extraordinary. Just today, he’s pleading with Congress to pass the next economic recovery bill that’s loaded with billions in pork–AGAIN! This is in addition to his $20 billion dollar a month runaway train. No wonder Arizona and Florida are continuing to lead the way in foreclosures. California is no seeing that creep into their own market. And the DOW dropped triple digits this morning and his been as stable as a trollop’s garters for over half this year. Yup, Obama has reeeeeeeally delivered hope….a hope for a Republican return!
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I dont follow US politics enough to know what is going on , i do find them funny though you have the tea party hardliners who would rule with right wing religous based ideaolgy which really is supported by big business as a gimmick to run the Dems out and they truly did inherit one corrupt corporate made mess Obama didnt let the Banks and Wall st financiers do what they did , not sure why what vacations they take much matter though maybe they decided they better before they had no money left lol.
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The electorate are suffering while she suns her pampered derriere in Marbella! And you don’t see why the people would be put off?
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I can see why but they really should eb angry at Bush Cheney and the ones who watched Madoffs , Enrons and the like take the American economy down to begin with it was Bush Jr who really didnt care and they saw the dark clouds coming so blame whoever is in power but at they did not create this mess and tons of GOP folks with plenty of cash are living every bit as pampered without doubts Bush may work the farm but many of his supprters sure do not , pot calling kettle come to mind somewhat.
about time politics became less about look what they did and more about lets do things we need to do leave and if Obamas wife wants to blow his paycheques in fancy spas shes not the only one who is and yep i get it but theres way bigger things for media to look into than that.
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I don’t ave the energy tonight to debunk this myth. The sub-prime issues and bank failures plus the car company woes had NOTHING to do with bush or Cheney. It’s well know economic fact that many of them have been riding this train, like Freddie and Fannie, from when CARTER WAS PRESIDENT. The convenient whipping post of GWB is tedious and tiresome.
And inaccurate.
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I dont just think it was Bush either it was an entire system built for 30 years to suit corporate elite that gave the results I have many relatives in the US as well they say this was a long time in teh making and likely along time in fixing , simply said Obama no matter what he or she does isnt the one to blame either lets hope they dont tank worse because if so we may be very sorry as well.
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I quite agree. but it is interesting to watch the sea-change AGAIN…I have some very good friends who in New York that are die-hard Democrats–their families have been Democrats for generations. All five of them said the same thing: Essentially, that if they had known Obama would turn out to be such a bad President, they would have voted for McCain. Think about that…that INCLUDES Caribou Barbie on the ticket! Astounding…
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Yep Obama has done poorly no doubts politically speaking a mess what his wife does is pretty insignificant in the big picture and that was what i was tongue in cheek saying, now as far as US politics goes if wed have seen McCain elected we may have become the northern state by force as now lol, theyd have needed a hiway to Barbie state and we were in the way .
Only place with more goofy polarized left and right than Canada may be the USA .
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He also doesn’t have a clue as to what the Tea Party is really all about. But at least he admits to his ignorance of U.S politics.
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Actually read who financed the beginings of the Tea Party it was not a grassroots funded group but one well funded by links to big oil not the mom and pop flag waving it appears , i only have passing interest in US events now but at one time did much work and business in USA am more aware than you think , they have a nasty mess and nasty politics let em eat each other up as their economy crumbles .
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Felt like a fly on the wall while enjoying your reminiscence of those fin de siècle days of Mulroney-Campbell. And your linkage of Mila Mulroney to Michelle Obama is apt.
Still, the Republicans could be peaking too early, especially if there’s an assassination attempt on Pres. Obama. Not at all far fetched when you listen to the birther innuendo and Marxist Barack cascading out of the mouths of Limbaugh, Beck, Hannity et al.
The first rule of Opposition politics is to stand back when incumbents are floundering. Obama’s detractors should can the vitriolic hyperbole and let him and the Dems continue to self destruct.
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Thank you. Those were heady days to be sure.
The Republicans are not peaking too early at all. In fact, the democrats are already preparing for a trouncing. While I don’t not believe in the truthers, at all, each of Limbaugh, Hannity and Beck in particular, make excellent points.
Obama is not a Marxist, but his personal philosophy is spot-on ‘Salon Socialist’. No question. This is guy who has never seen pork he hasn’t included in an omnibus bill!
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You would think by now that politicos would learn that some appearances are far more helpful or a hindrance than some actions. With all the high priced help around this guy you would think that a slick operator would have had him shoveling oil for a day on the beach, and the wife with her sleeves rolled up feeding displaced kiddies. The media would eat that up and serve it whole.
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Yes, but I doesn’t fit the ‘Salon Socialist’ in him–and particularly HER!
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