Polls were for dogs

On December 5, 2000, then private citizen Danny Williams launched what would become the single bid for the leadership of the opposition Progressive Conservative Party.

Among other things, he told his faithful followers:

Real Leadership is not governing by polls but it is listening and responding to all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. Real Leadership is making sure that your priorities will be my priorities and I'll make you one promise we are going to have some fun while we are at it.

Just ten years ago. It seems like a lifetime.

Today in the Bow-Wow Parliament, the same man spewed the same talking point that his band of kool-aid drinkers spew, day in, day out, on the internets and in the talk-radio gutter; indeed, that his caucus of zombies spew, day in, day out, in the legislative chamber itself (and in the talk-radio gutter):

PREMIER WILLIAMS: Mr. Speaker, 93 per cent is a lot of confidence. That is the kind of confidence I think people have in this government as a result of our performance so far.

From not governing by polls, to being utterly consumed by them.

It's enough to make a body wonder: is he still having fun?