Mark steyn: Even turnips wouldn't help Bush

Macleans ^ | 06/07/06 | Mark Steyn

[Pokey78]

Steyn ping!

[hoosierboy]

Can you add me to the steyn ping list.

Mark Steyn rocks!!

[Celtjew Libertarian]

Arthur Haberman, the big history prof at York University, says the American President has "a power and deference unknown and inappropriate to parliamentary governments." In fact, the president of the United States has far less power than a prime minister under the Westminster system.

Haberman got it way wrong and Steyn could have more explicit in explaining why. In Parliament The Prime Minister is chosen by who wins parliament. Therefore the power of the executive and the power of the legislator are in the same party. In the U.S. the President and Congress are elected separately, so it's quite possible for the Executive and Legislative branches to be in different hands.

At this moment in time, I suppose, the President may have more power than the Canadian P.M. The President and Congress are held by the same party, while the Canadian P.M.'s party is merely a plurality, not a majority, of the Parliament. Even there, Republican Congress often feel free to publicly disagree with the President. But that's a question of a moment in time, not a question of how the system generally works.

[stop_fascism]

Helprin had been in recreating Dole as an authentic human being

BTW - Heprin does a hilarious parody of the Dole/Clinton election in his novel Freddy and Frederika.

[Mike Darancette]

Arthur Haberman, the big history prof at York University, says the American President has "a power and deference unknown and inappropriate to parliamentary governments."

This Gentleman would disagree.

[knighthawk]

Ping

[Irish_Thatcherite]

A ping to you - Stephen Harper is discussed here.

[null and void]

ping...

[Irish_Thatcherite]

In Parliament The Prime Minister is chosen by who wins parliament. Therefore the power of the executive and the power of the legislator are in the same party.

That is true - the legislative and executive are joined at the hip.

[fanfan]

Thanks for the ping Irish.

Canada ping!

Please FReepmail me to get on or off this ping list.

[Irish_Thatcherite]

Welcome!

[Candor7]

Mark steyn: Even turnips wouldn't help Bush>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

But turnips could help Mark Steyn. He can orally insert one and rectally insert the other.

That's it Mark. You look and sound much better now.

[NCSteve]

So the complaints about "presidential" PMs are less constitutional than tonal: they seem a bit too full of themselves when they're getting out of the limousine. That's also a bit of a stretch (the argument, not the limo).

Not one of his better bits for the groundlings. It's far too obvious. Still merits a chuckle, though.

[Tax-chick]

Small chuckle. When you have to explain a joke, it didn't work.

[Antoninus]

But turnips could help Mark Steyn. He can orally insert one and rectally insert the other.

Your comments seem better suited for the DUmp, pal. Mark Steyn is a brilliant writer. By contrast, you apparently don't even stand on your hind legs yet.

[Candor7]

"God bless Canada" makes Harper seem too presidential.

This is act7ually quite laughable. In 1963 if a Prime Minister had said that, no big deal. Canadian patriotism has been dead since Trudeau took office and defined nationalism as an exercise in political maturbation, both for Rene Levesque and the rest of Canada. Then he promptly embarqued on a policy to destroy all icons of British traditional patriotism.

Now when the Prinme minister says " Gid Bless Canada " he is being "presidential." I say , give birth to a patriotic Canadian Nation thgat can say, " God Bless canada," and " God Bless the True, North Strong and Free," and even better moniker.

There is nothing wrong with a healthy movement of Canadian Patriotism, even if the cultural mosaic must thrive in spite of it.

[GMMAC]

'Candor 7 ' has a point; even if his outrage may be misdirected:

If one goes to Steyn's 'steynonline.com' website (linked ahead) here's the title assigned to the article in question:A TURNIP FOR THE BOOKS

However, if you then follow the link at 'steynonline' it goes directly to the Macleans site where the new one then appears.

It would appear the actual Bush-bashers are - not surprisingly! - the leftist msm hacks at Macleans and not Steyn.

While I may not be Steyn's biggest fan - as I often find him unduly & pompously verbose - I'm inclined to doubt he authored the offending title.

[Candor7]

And you don't have a clue about what Canadian Patriotism is , pal.

As to hind legs, speak for yourself. Yours may be politically correct.... but hardly fit to go the distance as my pegs are, having lived in Canada and the US for 3 generations.

Trogladites always disparage opinions on their sacred icon. Steyn is no sacred icon, just a smug POS.Your hind legs are too used to genuflection.

Perhaps knee pads would improve your humor.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Mark steyn: Even turnips wouldn't help Bush

I love Steyn but the title does not seem to go with the article.

Bush is mentioned only once in passing.