Harper should meet McCain and invite Obama to Canada as well
Regular readers of this blog know that I am a Canadian Conservative who is supporting Barack Obama. I do not support George Bush, the war in Iraq or the current administration's economic or foreign affairs record since taking office. Having said that, I think Stephen Harper (or a high ranking Conservative if he is out of town) should hold a meeting with John McCain when he comes to Canada tomorrow. McCain does have strong Canadian credentials. He has strongly acknowledged Canada's role in Afghanistan. He has been a strong defender of NAFTA. His daughter currently lives in Toronto. Traditionally the Conservative Party has had good relations with the Republican Party such as when Mulroney and Reagan worked together to bring us the world's largest free trade agreement. Canada is important to the United States and our relationship with America is important to Canada. It is important that the Canadian Prime Minister has good relations with the United States president regardless of who that person is. For those reasons, I think Harper (or MacKay, Emerson, Day) should meet with John McCain.
I understand there might be some optics issues. With George Bush off the stage, it will be nice not to be compared to the unpopular President when the Canadian election finally occurs. It is also true that the majority of Canadians (including Conservative voters even in Alberta) support Barack Obama and the Democratic Party. I can tell you that off the record conversations I have had with MPs, candidates, staffers and supporters indicate a split in the party between Democratic and Republican supporters. To be honest I think that can be expected in a right of center party based in a country traditionally more socialist than our neighbors to the South.
I also understand that the "NAFTA-gate" leak could again put Canada in the spotlight of the American election campaign and I would not want to see the Canadian Prime Minister endorse a candidate or be used as a prop to attack the Democratic nominee on CNN, MSNBC or FOX News in the United States. With all of these concerns mentioned, I think a meeting with John McCain would make sense. There are plenty of potential issues that could be discussed with both presidential candidates. Afghanistan, NAFTA, NATO, the Arctic, Windsor/Detroit border crossing, increased cooperation on justice/immigration/terrorism/gun smuggling, and of course the current economic conditions and much more. If McCain does become the President, this snub may not be good for future relations although a meeting could have further negative implications should Obama become President if it appeared the Canadian government was playing favorites among the American candidates.
Some would argue that a meeting between John McCain and a senior Canadian Conservative (or Harper) would be seen as interference in the American election campaign. I would not see it that way. McCain has already had meetings with leaders in Europe and the Middle East. Obama will be holding rallies in London and Paris later this summer and will also meet with leaders in those countries. I think it would be appropriate for Harper or Emerson to meet with McCain on key issues that impact both our nations. Following that meeting, I would invite Barack Obama to Canada and offer him a meeting to clear the air on NAFTA and also discuss other major trade, foreign policy and environmental issues that affect both our nations. If I was a Conservative strategist, I would then use photos from both meetings to show that Harper can work positively with either leader and is prepared to allow Americans to chose their own elected officials. For Obama a rally at the Corel Center, ACC or even the Skydome would also be great optics for him back home as it is expected he will speak in front of huge crowds in Europe following his tour of Afghanistan and Iraq. Both candidates would benefit from understanding issues Canada cares about and a meeting could perhaps tone down any US campaign rhetoric that may affect Canada in a negative way (such as pulling out of NAFTA without considering the consequences of ripping up a free trade agreement with America's largest supplier of oil).
Again I stress that I support Obama, but I am glad to see McCain take the time to speak in our nation tomorrow in the middle of a Presidential election campaign where time is limited and November will come fast. I think McCain's Ottawa speech is a reflection that Canada is back on the world stage. I would also personally love to attend McCain's speech at the Economic Club in Ottawa, but unfortunately it is sold out and falls on my mother's birthday. For what it is worth, John McCain is not George Bush, has served his country with pride and is a powerful figure in the US Senate. He is also a nominee for the most powerful position in the world. That in itself would be a good reason to hear him speak and I think Canada should welcome him with open arms even if they prefer that he does not become the next President of the United States.
In February I had the opportunity to attend an Obama speech live in Chicago on Super Tuesday. For Canadians interested in politics, I can tell you that the experience of being involved in a US campaign event is something to see. I think staffers and Conservative supporters could gain a lot of insight and campaign knowledge by watching how they structure an event, speech and media relations. Liberals would also gain something from attending.
That is my two cents on the subject. Please tell me what you think would be appropriate regarding tomorrow's speech. Should Harper, Emerson, MacKay, Day, Prentice, Flaherty, Baird or some other high level Conservative minister meet with McCain tomorrow? Should Harper also invite Obama to Canada? Is the approach of avoiding this speech tomorrow the correct one from a campaign optics perspective? I would really love to hear what my American and Canadian readers think about this subject.
I will post the video of the speech (or text) on this site as soon as it becomes available.
Thanks for reading...
Darryl
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Few Tories to attend McCain lunch
Not A Snub: Pmo; Just coincidence Harper out of town: staff
OTTAWA - It may be the most sought-after ticket in Ottawa, but when Republican presidential hopeful John McCain addresses a sold-out luncheon tomorrrow, it will be hard to find a Conservative politician in the crowd.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper will be out of town -- rumours suggest his absence is more than just convenient timing -- and he declined to meet with Mr. McCain, sources say. Mr. McCain's advisors had hoped for a formal meeting with the Prime Minister or someone from the government, but were told there would be no meeting during his Ottawa visit.
The Prime Minister's Office, concerned about the optics, also advised staff working for MPs to avoid the speech. Tickets for Mr. McCain's speech sold out in an hour but, among the 380 guests, the federal Conservatives will be limited to those with official reasons to attend. David Emerson will be there as Minister of Foreign Affairs. Conservative MP Rob Merrifield will also go in his capacity as co-chair of the Canada-U. S. Interparliamentary Group.
Mr. McCain was invited by the Economic Club of Canada. It is thought to be the only time a presidential candidate has given a speech in Canada in the midst of a campaign.
Although Conservatives are generally assumed to be sympathetic to the Republicans -- as Liberals are for Democrats-- Mr. Harper's advisors are concerned about the appearance of interference or favouritism in the middle of a fiercely fought U. S. presidential campaign.
They also want to avoid feeding ammunition to the opposition parties, which regularly compare Conservative policies with those in the United States and accuse Mr. Harper of being too friendly with U. S. President George W. Bush, whom polls indicate is unpopular with Canadians.
Although the government did not initiate the visit, Mr. Harper would have been caught in a bind if he failed to treat the Arizona Senator with appropriate respect. Refusing to meet Mr. McCain may have been viewed as a snub, but Conservatives feared the Liberals would use photos of Mr. McCain with senior Conservatives as election fodder in a bid to tie the party to the Republicans.
The visit is further complicated by the fact Mr. McCain's speech is to deal with the North American Free Trade Agreement. The Tories are still smarting from the diplomatic embarrassment caused when Mr. Harper's chief of staff suggested to journalists that Democratic Party attacks on NAFTA weren't to be taken seriously.
Advisors in the Prime Minister's Office insisted Mr. Harper's absence was not intentional; they said he already had plans to be out of town today and tomorrow and noted it is not unusual for him to travel on Fridays, usually a quiet day in Ottawa.
As for the limited number of Conservative MPs attending, officials suggested MPs would be leaving town because the current parliamentary session ends this week and members will be heading home.
However, a number of Conservative sources said the McCain event has been a delicate matter for the government and Mr. Harper. One Conservative source said "staff were told by the centre not to go to the McCain event."
"It is a sensitive issue -- no doubt about that. I know of at least one person who opted out for precautionary reasons."
Some think the extent of Tory caution is over the top.
"People from all parties should go," said one Tory insider. "Since when is it a bad thing to be exposed to a potential American president? The same would be true for me if Obama were in town. Democracy gets its oxygen from dialogue. I hope we don't make the air stale because of paranoia. People are exceptionally sensitive because of the NAFTA stuff and a broader desire to be seen as not picking favourites in the U. S. race. Our guys are trying to be purer than the driven snow on this one."
Another Conservative argued there is a double standard in Ottawa: "Of all the political parties in Canada, the Liberals enjoy the coziest relationship with their American counterparts, often bringing in American strategists and ad agencies for their campaigns in Canada."
Conservatives point out that the Liberals invited Howard Dean, the Democratic National Committee chairman, as featured speaker at the leadership convention that chose Stephane Dion.
"The Liberals' out-and-out, in-your-face cheerleading for the Democrats and its nominee seems to be acceptable interference," said Tim Powers, a Conservative strategist.
It is not clear how many opposition MPs might attend -- most did not reply when asked yesterday. One Liberal aide, asked if his MP was attending, said no, and suggested it would "more than likely be a neo-con jamboree."
jsmyth@nationalpost.com
