“aoc” is not a person as much as it is a state of mind. “aoc” is where you want to be if you are a candidate in what’s considered a “change election.” You want to be the agent of change, the aoc. And that’s the crazy thing in the current election south of the border. When it was Biden versus Trump there was no aoc --- it was two grumpy, old, white guys who represented doing things the old way, their old way in particular. But then Biden pulled out, convinced that he was part of a past whose time was up. And so along came Kamala Harris – portrayed as the “change agent” even though she’s spent the last four years as Biden’s number two, parroting all his lines and policies. Some change.
But hey, don’t knock what’s working. While Trump stumbles and mumbles his way through one embarrassment after another, and his sidekick J D Vance can’t tell the difference between Abbey Road and Abbey Gate, Harris is seen as the aoc of our times.
Latest example? Thursday night’s much-heralded interview on CNN.
What was the change on display? Not much really, unless you consider, and you may be right, that “ordinary” is change. That was the take from David Bauder of the Associated Press:
The interview: Kamala Harris’ inaugural sit-down was most notable for seeming ... ordinary
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Not a day goes by now when someone in the U.S. - could be a university, could be a company, could be a polling organization - doesn’t have a new survey result on the presidential election.
The latest shift in the polls over the past month has been significant, with most polls showing a lead for Kamala Harris, albeit still within the margin of error.
So, what’s the secret to correctly and responsibly reading and analyzing that data?
Time wanted to answer that question so they put Philip Elliott on it and he came up with the following, something by the way which is worth clipping and saving because we will be in this same situation next year:
How to Read Political Polls Like a Pro
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Has MAGA-mania run its course?
Has the master lost his touch? Has Donald Trump bloviated so often that it’s simply become boring?
“Never count him out” are the watchwords the most experienced political watchers follow, but even they are suggesting it’s time for a change in the Trump script. The Guardian was on that angle this week
Are Trump’s campaign rallies energizing his base – or sowing doubt?
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How would you like to be Jagmeet Singh? You’re the leader of the fourth party in the House of Commons, but at times it seems you are more the target than anyone.
This is one of those times.
Yes, it’s true: your little party is keeping the Liberals in power, that same party that is at least fifteen points out of the top position in most polls these days. So, if you pulled your support, an election would likely follow, and we all know what that would mean.
“So do it and do it now,” says the man who thinks that he’d be the one to benefit most:
Poilievre asks Singh to pull support for Liberal government to prompt fall election
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I’m not sure if Poilievre is reading more than he’s writing, but if he is he might want to spend some time on this incoming missive.
It comes from one of my long-time most-admired columnists. Not sure there’s a week that goes by where I don’t find Andrew Coyne either fascinating, engaging, thought provoking, or annoying! I’ll leave you to your own reaction to this one:
If Pierre Poilievre weren’t so unpleasant, he might get more of a hearing for his agenda. If he has one 🔒
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Time for a deep dive now into what in the heck is going on inside the walls of the prime minister’s office.
The Buzz and my podcast, The Bridge, have not been shy over the years about taking shots at how things unfold in that office. Have all the shots been fair? Or have some been cheap? Probably a mix, to be honest.
So, move over Mansbridge and let a distinguished deep diver in with her assessment of where things are now. Here’s the Toronto Star’s Tonda MacCharles:
Behind closed doors, Justin Trudeau ponders the road ahead — as one of his former advisers says the PM faces a massive challenge 🔒
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Over the next few days, Canadian students start going back to school and many high school graduates take that first higher education step inside the hallowed halls of the country’s universities and colleges.
It’s a major decision and one they have thought about for years. But is it the right step or have times changed?
Moving up to higher education is one of those questions people like me often get asked about and the go-to answer for years has been, “If you can, if you have the marks and the financial resources it may well be the right move.”
This article from CNBC’s Morgan Smith has made me pause my automatic assumptions of the past. It’s obviously not the answer for all but it may be for more than we have previously thought:
Meet the Gen Zers skipping college to take blue-collar jobs and launch trade businesses: ‘One of the smartest decisions I ever made’
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This article from Newsweek perked my passion for the Arctic and should perk yours too if you are worried that Canada is falling behind in the race to prove we belong in the Arctic.
Check this story out:
China's Icebreakers Challenge US Staying Power on Arctic Frontier
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