THE CONSERVATIVE HIPSTERS

So I'm here getting my car fixed (which makes me think the system has some flaws when the waiting room in a auto dealership is much more comfortable -- high back armchairs, today's paper, TV, free coffee -- than a doctor's waiting room) and I'm reading the Globe and Mail.

Amongst the debate coverage is an article claiming that Harper's "everyman" image has been tarnished because he couldn't correctly guess the current price of eggs and milk.

We all know this game: you illustrate a politician's disconnect from voter's everyday struggles by showing they have no idea what daily life is like. I remember the media doing quite an effective job on that with George Bush I during the 1992 election (although I suspect he stopped making the treck to the local FoodWay long before he became President).

So Harper, after reiterating that it is his wife who does most of the shopping, guessed $3.00 for each. Apparently, eggs go for $2.19 and milk for $2.52.

That game is such a crock.

In defense of Harper, I am a homeower and father who regularly does the shopping. If you asked me what the price of eggs or milk was, I would have NO idea. And I just bought milk last week! His guess was only off by 50-80 cents, which I think was pretty accurate. Its not like he told the scribe it depended whether or not its delivered in a bottle.

Although if Harper just guessed the price instead of repeatedly prefacing the answer by saying he doesn't spend a lot of time in the supermarket, he would have been fine.

Either way, I have a feeling Paul Martin wouldn't know a "power saver special" if it bit him in the ass.

# posted by Anonymous : 11:17 p.m.