Shudder

Here’s an interesting exchange, made even interestinger in light of subsequent and recent events, from CBC Radio’s The House, which aired on February 7, 2009, in which host Kathleen Petty sat down with Dear Leader to deconstruct the “ABC campaign” of 2008:

PETTY: But perhaps you alienated [Harper], and that's why you're seeing these measures in the budget. Do you look back and wonder whether this "Anybody But Conservative" campaign in the federal election was such a good idea?

DEAR LEADER: I would shudder to think so. I mean, I live in Canada. We live in Canada. It's a great country. It's a democracy. Freedom of speech, our right to vote as we see fit, and, you know, if the people of Newfoundland and Labrador disagree with the fact that Stephen Harper made a very express, strong written commitment to them for ten-billion dollars and turned his back on us, then we have a right to vote against him in the next election and... or the past election, so for him, on a go-forward basis [That’s quite enough – ed.]

Democracy.

Freedom of speech.

On a go-forward basis.

Shudder to think that, in a democracy, the governing party might mete out petty retribution for an electoral outcome.

Shudder to think, that in a democracy, in Canada, in the 21st century, citizens might have their freedom of speech and expression; nay, their very citizenship and loyalty, put into question, by such a great lawyer, such a great civil libertarian, such a great defender of the common man.

Shudder to think.

Shudder to think.