Vive Le Canada

Tommy Douglas Greatest Canadian

Posted on Monday, November 29 at 22:37 by whelan costen
The late politician emerged victorious in the public contest initiated by CBC Television this fall and which climaxed in an hour-long prime-time special Monday night. "I feel that Tommy Douglas is getting the recognition he deserves," declared a jubilant George Stroumboulopoulos, the TV host designated as Douglas's official advocate. "When we started this campaign in the summer, folks had never even heard of Tommy Douglas." Douglas's victory came at the end of a show in which the other advocates were asked to throw their support, political leadership convention style, to another candidate when theirs was voted off. But it was a moral support only, not affecting the public tally. http://www.mytelus.com/news/article.do?pageID=news_home&articleID=1780018

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  1. by avatar arc628
    Tue Nov 30, 2004 7:05 am
    Congrats to the CBC for this wondeful series. I watched it from begining to end. The best thing about this was the conversation and interest in Canadian history it generated. We do such a poor job teaching our kids about our history, so it was nice to see so many youths getting involved in their "campaigns". My guy didn't win, but the purpose of this was not to single out one person. The purpose was to celebrate our country, I think it did an awesome job!

    ---
    It's all up to us, all of us, now. The woods are lovely, dark and deep. He has kept his promises and earned his sleep.

  2. by anarcho
    Tue Nov 30, 2004 7:09 am
    In an age when most politicians are amoral, cynical mediocrities, of course, someone like Tommy would really stand out. Not to mention all the thousands of lives his medicare system has saved. My gosh, a politician saving and improving lives rather than destroying them! Where does that leave Myron Baloney, Flag O. Convenience Martin, Pinocharest, Cambullshit and all the other slime eels ruining this country?

  3. by tyrannyresponse
    Tue Nov 30, 2004 7:50 am
    Go Tommy. He was a good man.

  4. by 4Canada
    Tue Nov 30, 2004 8:20 am
    I loved his quote about (I can't find it anywhere exactly), us flying, sailing, digging and now if we could only walk upright like a man we'd be in paradise.

    Also loved Trudeau clip that was him making a speech saying something like "...all we had to do was talk over the heads of the multinationals, all we had to do was talk over the heads of the Premiers, all we had to do was talk over their heads and talk directly to the Canadian people."

  5. by Captain Flynn
    Tue Nov 30, 2004 9:06 am
    <p> He was a good man, and also lightweight boxing champion of Manitoba 1922-1923 -- unafraid to get in a scrap. </p><p>---<br>The poster formally known as Action-Jackson <br />
    homepage: http://againstallflags.blogspot.com

  6. by bmac
    Tue Nov 30, 2004 3:55 pm
    My favorite Tommyism was made as Premier of Saskatchewan during an election campaign in the 50s. His opposition was promoting more private ownership because they felt that the citizens would benefit from trickle down economics. Mr. Douglas retorted " that's like feeding birds by giving oats to a horse" - something tricles down.

  7. by Anonymous
    Tue Nov 30, 2004 3:57 pm
    Cannot argue with the top five really. While I admire Cherry's pro-Canada stance, I can't stand half of the other things that come out of his mouth. Good to see him at number seven.

    Roy

  8. by N Say
    Tue Nov 30, 2004 4:44 pm
    Jack Knox (Victoria Times Colonist) asked for submissions for "the greatest Canadian you've never heard of" which had many heavyweights that didn't make the CBC's popularity-contest list. Still, it says a lot about Canada when the only communist government leader in the western world gets voted as greatest canadian.

    ---
    "We have now sunk to a depth at which the restatement of the obvious is the first duty of intelligent men" - George Orwell

  9. by Calumny
    Tue Nov 30, 2004 5:59 pm
    I agree.

    ---
    "When we are in the middle of the paradigm, it is hard to imagine any other paradigm" (Adam Smith).

  10. by robert_fisher
    Tue Nov 30, 2004 6:27 pm
    I was really happy with this result.

    The NDP is on the up and up. Watch out Liberal voters, the people of Canada have started to smell what's really cooking in your kitchen!

    ---
    "Those who would sacrifice a little Liberty for more Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." -Benjamin Franklin

  11. by anarcho
    Tue Nov 30, 2004 7:13 pm
    You have to be a complete and total ignoramus not to be able to distinguish between mild Canadian social democracy and Marxist-leninism-stalinism. Wipe the drool off your face and read a few books on political theory. Second though don't - they might be a little difficult for you to understand since they use a lot of words of more than one syllable.

  12. by robert_fisher
    Tue Nov 30, 2004 7:30 pm
    From a purely technical point of view: Why is that after the winner was announced they handed the cup to George Stroumboulopoulos and that was it, end credits, the end?

    Why was it that a show that lasted for weeks and weeks came to such an anticlimactic ending? Also, who was it that hired those two 'hosts' they were horrible. Me thinks they won't be making the next GC list!

    Come on CBC, you've been in the tv game for longer than that, what's the deal?

    ---
    "Those who would sacrifice a little Liberty for more Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." -Benjamin Franklin

  13. by avatar arc628
    Tue Nov 30, 2004 7:32 pm
    Tommy Douglas was hardly a communist.

    ---
    It's all up to us, all of us, now. The woods are lovely, dark and deep. He has kept his promises and earned his sleep.

  14. by avatar arc628
    Tue Nov 30, 2004 7:36 pm
    I liked the hosts. Shaun Majumber is hillarious on 22 minutes. I think they did an adequate job. I laughed pretty hard when he introduced Charllote(sp?)Grey "Now making her case for John A. MacDonald, or as we call him back east 'Buddy on the ten spot (In a thick newfie accent)'"

    ---
    It's all up to us, all of us, now. The woods are lovely, dark and deep. He has kept his promises and earned his sleep.



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