In his live Web video last night, Prime Minister Stephen Harper tried to reach out to Canada’s youth but apparently didn’t stop to look at what normally passes for decent YouTubery. The interview, which ran the gamut of issues from childcare to the economy and even briefly touched on marijuana policy, was predictable and redundant, with Harper repeating the canned responses Canadians have encountered in the papers and on TV.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about the production was the man relaying the questions, Patrick Pinchette. We know that he’s no journalist (he’s a senior VP and chief financial officer at Google), but in last night’s YouTube interview with Harper, he reached a level of sycophantic softness that would have made Ben Mulroney roll his eyes. Pinchette tentatively relayed questions posed by Canadians as if he were worried they would offend Harper, and then inevitably responded with prayer-like gratitude when the Prime Minister answered. “Great. Thanks. I’m sure Harvey will be thrilled with his answer,” Pinchette says after Harper tackles a question about senate reform (at 10:30 in the video). When someone poses a potentially controversial question about the seal hunt (at 19:00), Pinchette and Harper share the stiffest laugh in Canadian history.
Hard-hitting stuff. The whole production definitely would have benefited from a sneezing panda or two.
• YouTube Interview with Prime Minister Harper [YouTube]
I am a young Canadian and this did NOT ‘lull’ me to sleep, nor many of my peers…
In Fact… this ‘snoozefest’ had the opposite effect… it was soberingly fear inspiring…
Harper is a in-the-flesh incarnation of all that is intolerant, indignant, intransigent and harbours prehistoric and visionless opinions (which isn’t the problem… the problem is that he is acting on them unilaterally, without good-faith or oversight and with total disregard and contempt for due process, common sense, fairness and equality).
Get this clown out of power… I am a child, and Harper is taking a fat crap on my future… and everyone’s future.
March 17, 2010 at 12:03 pm | by John BA summary of the interview if you don’t have 40 minutes to spare:
March 17, 2010 at 12:13 pm | by Tylerhttp://blables.com/2010/03/17/articles/politics/summary-of-stephen-harpers-youtube-interview-on-talkcanada
My fave part was how he managed to mention his kids’ names in his answer about how drugs are soooo bad.
March 17, 2010 at 12:55 pm | by Andrew