Lessons For Harper from a 3-Year-Old and Yoda

"A Conservative counter-offensive that aimed to link the Liberals to an American speed-dialing company appears to have fallen short of the mark."

Last night, my three-year-old-son was being fussy about getting ready for bed.  I told him it was time to brush his teeth; in a retaliatory moment, he shot back "No, you brush your teeth!"

The second after he'd said that, he realized he'd made a mistake and quickly apologized.  Once he got past the emotion, he got that the process wasn't designed to torment him, but to help him.

So far, that puts him a step ahead of Prime Minister Stephen Harper and far too many of his Cabinet Members.

Best yet; because they have been continuously on the attack for years, the Federal Tories have become increasingly bellicose and, as a result, less patient and mindful.  It was only a matter of time before sufficient slip-ups wore the teflon off. 

Now, the pressure on their research staff to not screw up will mount, making them tense, bitter and more prone to error.  If the Feds replace any of these staff, newbies will come in to a hostile climate and absorb that mentality; it'll just spiral from there.  Of course, this is what the politics of fear gets you.

The lessons for Stephen Harper today? 

1) When you're in a hole, stop digging.

2) "Anger, fear, aggression; the dark side of the Force are they. Easily they flow, quick to join you in a fight. If once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny, consume you it will..."

3) An additional lesson for Team Harper: Petulance is not a leadership quality.  While it's tempting to think so, rigidity isn't strength - given a big enough storm, even an oak will be uprooted.  It certainly can't move to where opportunity is best.

Water adpots the shape of its receptable; it is sometimes a trickle and sometimes a wild sea... If you master the principles of sword-fencing, when you freely beat one man, you beat any man in the world.