There's no reason that Ontario can't expand its role as a hub and become a centralized access point for innovation, industry, investment and human potential for the global village.
The Ontario Liberal Party's Common Ground online policy platform is drawing positive commentary as an innovative, purposeful and engaging use of social media.
It's early days yet, and it will take ongoing commitment from OLP staffers to keep their policy hub ticking and to dole out periodic value-add upgrades, but things like this can make a huge difference both in terms of fuelling policy the people will like and associating the Liberal brand with all kinds of positive things.
Of course politics isn't about being positive, it's about poking a stick in the eye of your opponents. Therefore it should really come as no surprise that someone (or ones) out there in Oppositionland immediately started looking for ways to rain on the Common Ground parade.
Appropriately enough, it appears someone did a Google search of "common ground" to see if they could find any meme-worthy material (or likes music and is old enough to recall the mid-nineties). In this effort, they landed on the line "we've got nothing in common/No common ground to start from" of the song Breakfast at Tiffany's by, funny enough, the band Deep Blue Something.
It's a great song - upbeat tune, good to dance to. When I was in university, I lived with a DJ who used to play it all the time. We'd play it and drink Moody Blue before heading out to the bar. Good memories. Which is why I can recall how the rest of the verse (and chorus) went:
So it's not that the two Parties don't share common ground - only that one simply isn't interesting in trying. But then:
CHORUS:
And I said, "What about 'Breakfast at Tiffany's'?"
She said, "I think I remember the film, yes
and as I recall, I think, we both kinda liked it."
And I said, "What about 'Breakfast at Tiffany's'?"
She said, "I think I remember the film, yes
and as I recall, I think, we both kinda liked it."
So it's kind of a silver lining sort of thing. There's always common ground to stand on. In fact, we always stand on the same ground - and breathe the same air, cherish our children's future, etc.
Not such a good meme theme to pick, when you think about it. Regardless of who's seeing through who, though, there is so much left undone - massive, structural challenges that will require shared solutions with broad support to fix. None of us are getting any younger; if we don't care enough to move beyond entrenched positions and end our differences, we can at least help make world safe for diversity (of ideas, of personalities, even of partisanship) tomorrow.
I feel bad for those who choose not to get on the train - it's leaving the station regardless.
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