Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Quiet Charisma!!


I have noticed that PM Harper is more relaxed now after over 3 years as our Prime Minister. He is really starting to hit his stride. He has gotten into a comfort zone and Canadians are noticing his excellent management of our economy at a very difficult time. Foreign leaders respect him and listen to his opinions. His Ministers are performing their duties with dedication and skill.

We can whine that he is not Conservative enough, that he hasn't moved fast enough on things like the gun registry and the Canadian Wheat Board, but we have to remember that this is a minority government.

Positive news coverage is close to none existent for not just PM Harper but his Ministers are well. So, when I see some positive news, I want to share it.

Stephen Harper, wedding crasher

Bruce Monaghan and Dianne Brister celebrated their wedding at the Glenerin Inn in Mississauga this month with 85 of their closest friends and family, plus one surprise guest: Prime Minister Stephen Harper dropped by with congratulations. Melissa Leong talked to the newlyweds about their wedding crasher:


Q. What was Steve, I mean, Mr. Prime Minister like?
Mr. Monaghan: He was very nice, very casual, very friendly, really laid-back.
Ms. Brister: There were probably about 15 or 20 of us. He went around to each person and shook their hands and asked their names and asked how they were related to us. My nephews who are 4 and 6, he stopped and talked to each of them.
Mr. Monaghan: Pretty nice guy, actually, whether you vote for him or not.


He even signed the guest book! This is the side of Stephen Harper that the media doesn't want people to hear about. I would like to see more pictures of him with his family. Laureen Harper is a gorgeous lady who is smart and independent. Why doesn't some enterprising reporter do an article on her? I would love to see them on the front cover of a magazine, I would even buy it. If CBC and CTV are so worried about ratings, maybe they should get out of their Liberal mindset and actually interview Laureen Harper.

Here is another article that gets to the essence of Stephen Harper, the man.

‘Me and Mr. Harper’

Let me be clear: I am a private citizen who does not belong to any political party nor do I harbour any political aspirations, and as such, I would like to share my personal impressions of our prime minister with my fellow citizens.

I have never worked for or with, Mr. Harper and never had the opportunity of a private meeting. However, I have had the good fortune of meeting him publicly five times, most recently on the day Mr. Turner’s scathing article was printed. I think Canadians now have the right to see him from a totally different perspective.

I first met Prime Minister Harper during the 2007 Chanukah celebration on Parliament Hill. It included a Menorah Lighting ceremony in the historic Railway Room and I had the privilege of introducing, amongst others, the prime minister, who had graciously agreed to participate.

The impression my peers and I had (and let me add that nearly all of us had met prime ministers and presidents before) was of an exceptionally affable, friendly and witty leader who went the extra mile to put his constituents at ease. His tone and demeanor were remarkably respectful and congenial, and all were impressed by his understated quiet charisma.


Quiet charisma, that is it exactly! I couldn't put my finger on how I felt about meeting PM Harper, but that is what I felt as well, a quiet charisma! He is very attractive, those blue eyes are very warm, and he is very easy to talk to, but he has a presence that you can not ignore. Quiet charisma describes it perfectly.

PM Harper is a man who is very comfortable with who he is and where he is going. My hope is that more and more people are seeing that as well. We have a true leader for Canada, who puts Canada first. He has reignited our respect for our military and made them a priority, gone are the years of darkness.

I know Conservatives come in many stripes and colours, but when you look at the man who is our Prime Minister, you should be proud! Quiet charisma, not loud arrogance.

27 comments:

Southern Quebec said...

"He is really starting to hit his stride"

This is the third time you have posted this. Enough already...How about some substance.

BTW...This post sounds like it was written by a 13-yr girl on Facebook. "Oh, my god, his BLUE EYES...Oh, oh, oh..."

FoxtrotBravo said...

You make an interesting point about Maureen Harper, and I just dead a quick test to see if you are correct.

Google this: CBC Maureen Harper

then...

Google this: CBC Michelle Obama

Very Interesting!

FoxtrotBravo said...

of course, I meant "did" a quick test above.

Anonymous said...

Who is Maureen Harper?

Southern Quebec said...

FoxtrotBravo:

Google this: CBC Bo Obama

then...

Google this: CBC Laureen Harper

Spelling...it's not just for elitists anymore...hahahahahaha

you were right with dead...

Bec said...

Good post, Hunter.

I have posted this before but I love the story.
My parents, were at his very first candidates, meet and greet. They became avid supporters, volunteers and fans. My Dad, did not easily get talked into anything that involved political volunteerism, but Stephen Harper, hit such a chord with him that he became completely committed.
They describe him those many years ago, exactly as these folks do and now you.
He is capable of recognizing a familiar face in the crowd and making them feel like the only person in the room. More importantly he IS EXTEMELY intelligent but not in an arrogant, 'I'm smarter than you' sort of way.

In my parent's world, he is considered one of their kids.

As far as Laureen Harper goes, well she is an absolute jewel. No pretension, haughtiness or limelight seeker.
She has it all and I would love to see more of her but if the shallow Ottawa media found her with a broken finger nail, they'd turn it into a humiliating expose'.
I don't trust them to tell the truth because look what they have done with her Husband.

Anonymous said...

How 'bout that Cathy McLeod !

Southern Quebec said...

HRH PMSH has been nominated for an award!!! OMG!!!OMG!!!

Oh...it's The Canadian Association of Journalists Code of Silence Award. I would actually vote for Dear Leader to win.

wilson said...

This last 10 months has been a real boost to PMSHs confidence in the public arena, something he was not very comfortable in.

Taking Canada on a global tour, meeting leaders from every corner of the world,
and US interviews, and always talking policy,
has rounded out PMSH into one excellent leader.

The media hasn't gone gaga over the wife of Iffy.me, yet.

wilson said...

Southern Quebec, there are very few Canadian journalists worth speaking to.

'Were you in the can when the photo op was called?'
'Do you love Canada?'
is not journalism.

wilson said...

Wow, found this photo collection of Laureen Harper

http://images.google.ca/images?hl=en&um=1&q=laureen+harper&sa=N&start=0&ndsp=18

Anonymous said...

How do you acquire such a low opinion Canadian journalism? Where do you think journalism is better?

Gayle said...

"Taking Canada on a global tour, meeting leaders from every corner of the world,
and US interviews, and always talking policy..."

Wow - no Prime Minister has ever done that before. Why, I think Harper invented all this stuff.

Of course, most PM's spend their time talking to Canadian media, but Harper is too scared to do that so he sought refuge in the friendly arms of Fox news.

Gayle said...

"...if the shallow Ottawa media found her with a broken finger nail, they'd turn it into a humiliating expose..."

Nothing like hyperbole to make your point.

Anonymous said...

I guess you COULD call a google search a "collection", but it's not so reliable in terms of allover great lighting. Check out this one of Laureen and Laura from the first page of images in your "collection". Attack ads are easy.

wilson said...

mystereeoso, it's the gotcha crowd.
And Cdn journalists do it to all parties.
With the Dippers, they write bland critical articles, seldom giving them credit for anything.

With the Libs, when they aren't rallying 'for' they are trying to tear down a Lib MP/leader,
always making or breaking a Lib with 'sources'.
They seem to take a personal stake in the LPC.

With the Cons and PMSH they write misleading headlines followed by some pretty wicked truth stretching,
often by omission of a balance of facts.
Mostly, they ignore the government, except for the gossipy stuff.

Anonymous said...

Well - what journalists do you read? I can't believe you think they all suck. And I'm still interested in where, in the world you think they have better journalism.

wilson said...

Why would anyone want to attack the Prime Minister's wife?

Libs gotta get a grip on this American thing,
their boy thinks of himself in terms of 'we Americans',
their boy was urging Bush to invade Iraq,
their boy sang the praises of torture,
their boy kissed many Republic butts

Gayle, PMSH did Canada proud on the world stage, and you know it.

Anonymous said...

"Nothing like hyperbole to make your point." Kind of like the MASSIVE income tax cuts in a so-called revenue neutral green tax. Yupper, nothing like hyperbole to make a point.

"but Harper is too scared to do that so he sought refuge in the friendly arms of Fox news." Balderdash. It's a case of Harper not lowering himself to speaking to an unfriendly media. Why should he, if the media is going to slag him? Get this one straight, Gayle - our PM is not scared. You keep making statements which are pure conjecture on your part.

I've noticed that since your return from your absence, your comments have become less rational and more akin to the emotional rantings of some of your less than rational bretheren.

wilson said...

They all don't suck, and some of them don't suck all of the time.

When they get hell bent on a mission, they lose all objectivity.

ex: right now the LibLuvin media is ballistic on the 'truth ads' about Iffy.me

Their columns are 100% opinion.
It's amusing because they did the same thing over the coalition of losers.
Every pro-coalition 'expert' on the planet was dragged out and quoted. Harper is dead, long live parliamentary proceedure.

It failed, 67% of Canadians formed their own opinion, unswayed by the media. The coalition of losers was killed by public opinion.

And same will happen with the truth ads.
A picture (video) is worth ten thousand articles bashing 'attack ads'.
Iffy's committment to Canada is in question.

Anonymous said...

wilson - I can't see the correctness of your view when you have famously conservative columnists like Rex Murphy denouncing the ads. It's a weird set up you have - Canadians are entitled to opinions but journalists are not? As for how it is determined what percentage of Canadians form their own views, swayed or unswayed by media - you must have access to special information:->


East - Re:" It's a case of Harper not lowering himself to speaking to an unfriendly media. Why should he, if the media is going to slag him?"

Leaving aside PMSH is quite happy to launch his election campaign in the very media he wouldn't lower himself to speaking to..... Isn't it a case of Harper not wanting to be held accountable in his own country, you know, before an audience of Canadian viewers? Why should he face a critical and issue savvy Canadian Press when his statements will pass unchallenged for the most part by 'merican repub reporters?

liberal supporter said...

And same will happen with the truth ads.Say it enough times and you'll be believed?

A picture (video) is worth ten thousand articles bashing 'attack ads'.Indeed, the "second rate" comment comes to mind.

Iffy's committment to Canada is in question.PMSH's is not of course. He wants to destroy every one of our institutions and replace them with branches of his political party.

hunter said...

Gayle, if every time you said something, you were taken out of context, would you enjoy it?

PM Harper asked for reporters to give their names if they wanted to ask a question, they went into a 3 year hissy fit and they haven't stop yet. PM Harper is not "scared" he is just and adult and expects reporters to act like adults too.

If you were a fruit, what fruit would you be? This is the level of discourse from our reporters. Maybe if they would ask intelligent questions, like they do in the US, they would get more respect.

Gayle said...

Hunter - Harper is being treated in the same way as every other politician before him.

Gayle said...

"Gayle, PMSH did Canada proud on the world stage, and you know it."

I am at a loss to understand what you are talking about. Did he do something that no PM ever did before him? If so, could you please provide details?

hunter said...

Gayle, do I understand that you felt proud when Chretien was the PM? Seriously? The guy was a thug. Every time I saw him overseas, I was so embarrassed I cringed.

Whether you like it or not, PM Harper has been listened to by other countries on economic and environmental issues.

You might not respect him, but world leaders do. Most Canadians are going to understand that Canada is back on the world stage after years of flip flopping.

Get used to it, PM Harper is just starting to hit his stride, and the Conservative party is about to get revved up. The ads are only the beginning.

Gayle said...

Aside from your simple assertions, what do you have to back up statements like this:

"PM Harper has been listened to by other countries on economic and environmental issues.

You might not respect him, but world leaders do. Most Canadians are going to understand that Canada is back on the world stage after years of flip flopping."

The mere fact you say something does not make it true. I am afraid I will need something more than your devotion and adoration to be convinced.

(or, maybe now that you have put the comment moderation on I can forget about any reply from you, hmmm?)