Charlatan

So I just read that Belinda Stronach is leaving politics and will not seek re-election in the next election.

I can't say that I am surprised but this move but it is disappointing. I don't really care one way or the other about her but it would have been nice if she had been able to prove her critics wrong and have a long and successful career in politics.

What do you think?

__________________
"My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars."
- Old Man Luedecke

james t kirk

I'm not impressed with her frankly.

My take on Belinda is that she's a spoiled child basically. She wants it all. She wants it now. She doesn't want to work hard to achieve anything and it's the All about Belinda show.

I thought when she got into politics that her motivation was to achieve something on her own rather than whatever Daddy handed to her. I thought that maybe she felt she had something to prove. She was CEO of Magna before getting into politics, however, let's be honest, if her father wasn't the founder and majority share holder of Magna, she would have been at best a secretary at Magna. (Canadian companies are steeped in nepotism - e.g. Bombardier, Lowblaws, Magna, you name it.)

When she decided to run for the Conservative leadership I remember thinking that she was a nice piece of ass, but she had no right to be on that podium. She had never "paid her dues", nor was she even remotely qualified (a first year York University Drop Out). The old man was always a card carrying liberal (hell, socialist even), and I couldn't understand how she would end up running as a conservative.

The fact of the matter was that she figured that it was an easy way to get in at the top without having to work for it.

When Harper beat her out she figured that she would switch to the liberals (which politically is where she belonged anyway.) She basically leveraged her way into a cabinet position under a desperate Martin. Martin figured that her one vote would be enough to keep him in power and he was willing to pay the price to have her ass on his side of the house. Presto, the blonde with the nice ass and NO experience and NO qualifications is Minister of Whatever.

(As an aside, it's ironic that Martin by buying Stronach off with a cabinet position sewed the seeds of his own defeat. If she hadn't crossed the floor, Martin's gov't would have surely gone down 8 months before it did. It's arguable that at that time, the damage from Gomery was not out in the open and Martin stood a better chance at winning than he did 8 months later when he was getting hit full throttle with Gomery.)

Never the less, the liberals went down hard. Belinda was never even a contender for the liberal leadership race because frankly, she didn't have a prayer, nor did she deserve to even be there.

So, she looked at it purely objectively. The fantasy of becoming Prime Minister was gone for at least 10 years, if not forever. Belinda, always having things handed to her in life, never having to work for anything, always being in a hurry, simply said "fuck it" I can't be bothered.

So she quit.

It's all about Belinda, always has been, always will be. Since she didn't get what she wanted when she wanted, how she wanted, she took her ball and went home (to Daddy and Magna).

As Stephen Harper once said of Belinda's defection to the liberals, "I didn't see any evidence of principle, just ambition" I think he hit the nail right on the head.

Belinda wanted to be PM, however, she learned that she was waaaaayyy out of her depth (no education, no experience, no ability, no work ethic), so she quit.

Thing is, she may think that she's going to be welcomed back at Magna, but she faces an uphill battle. She's not that good at Magna, and the other Magna employees will no doubt be snickering at her behind her back. She's a quitter, and she's incompetant. That's a very bad combination.

highthief

She's the MP for my riding - she'd keep winning here as long as Magna and the auto industry keep employing about 30% of the local population.

I thought she was OK except for her taste in men (Tie Domi).

__________________
Si vis pacem parabellum.

fresnelly

I gave her more credit than JTK did when she first came on the scene and I thought her crossing the floor was a gutsy move that showed her dedication to her ideals etc, etc.

But quitting now when the going gets tough and the prestige is absent? She couldn't wait a few months for the next Federal election? It makes me feel like she was only in it for the perks and doesn't give a lick for her constituancy.

This move also plays into the hands of those who believe that Women aren't cut out for politics. I doubt that's a majority view but it still plays on the subconcious.

How disappointing.

__________________
Building an artificial intelligence that appreciates Mozart is easy. Building an A.I. that appreciates a theme restaurant is the real challenge - Kit Roebuck - Nine Planets Without Intelligent Life

Bossnass

I'd just repeat everything that JTK said. But add something about keeping your private life out of the media, or at least trying to. I don't know how it came about, but I was neutral on McCay until she dropped him and crossed the floor. I don't know if he has since become a better politician, but iI like him now.

percy

Hmmm,...Belinda. Couldn't cut it in politics eh. Must be that good ole boys network or something that shut her out.

This chick is what gives the rest of us hard working women a bad name.

What's next?,...Let's see. Maybe she could go to college or university or something and give that a go.

Mmm. Maybe not. Let a person who has earned the right and wants to be there go rather than some stupid spoiled bitch.

And this concludes the Belinda show,...move along now,...nothing to see here.

Baraka_Guru

Yes, it's a real setback to the women's equalization movement that the "ole boys network" forced her out of a seat as a Member of Parliament in the House of Commons (which consists of 63 "ole girls") and into a position as Executive Vice Chairperson of one of Canada's largest companies. Pity, that.

-The National Post has named her "The most powerful businesswoman in Canada."
-The World Economic Forum named her a "Global Leader of Tomorrow."
-Fortune Magazine listed her as #2 of the world's most powerful women in business.
-Time Magazine ranked her as one of the world's 100 most influential people.

Hmm... I think she's doing just fine without a piece of paper from an educational institution.

But I do agree with you on the spoiled bitch part. Anyone with enough gall to do something that would land her a Beth Shalom Humanitarian Award deserves to be labelled as such.

Trust me, we aren't finished watching. Not even close. Didn't she mention that she left the door open so that one day she might return to politics?

Oh, and by the by, that's The Honourable Belinda Stronach to you.

__________________
Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön

Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot

percy

Baraka,...my comments were tongue in cheek. But as for Forbes, National Post et all have to say for her,...really. If daddy wasn't who he is, I would highly doubt we would even have a clue as to who she is or was.

Baraka_Guru

Yes. Mine were too.

Maybe, maybe not. There are many high-profile men and women with unknown sons and daughters who haven't accomplished enough to have public profiles for themselves. There's a difference between opportunity and accomplishment. Although they certainly can be tied to each other, one does not rigidly dictate the other. Besides, I don't always like to play "what if" or "woulda, shoulda, coulda." She could very well have been the daughter of a coal miner and still have vaulted herself into the business community. I think your disdain for privilege is misplaced here; don't you have a Paris Hilton to despise?

__________________
Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön

Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot

percy

I think your disdain for privilege is misplaced here; don't you have a Paris Hilton to despise?

Who said anything about privilege? I'm talking between the ears here sweetie,.....anyone can be rich.

Stronach was too rich, had too short an attention span
Barbara Yaffe, Vancouver Sun
Published: Friday, April 20, 2007
The Duchess of Windsor is often quoted as having proclaimed the snippet of wisdom that one can never be too rich or too thin.

The late Wallis Simpson, herself so slender and so wealthy following a marriage to her besotted duke, at last has been proven wrong.

Belinda Stronach was too rich.

The auto-parts heiress, Liberal MP for Newmarket-Aurora, was in fact too well off, too indulged, too financially independent to withstand the rigours of being a common, garden-variety politician.

She might have endured in Canadian political life instead of announcing her pending retirement, as she did last week, had she been accorded the status of a party leader.

But given that this did not happen in 2004, when she made a bid for the Conservative party crown, and given that prospects for her leading the Liberal party don't look promising -- with Michael Ignatieff being heir apparent to Stephane Dion and Stronach herself not being bilingual -- she has opted to leave the political stage for better options elsewhere.

What is ironic is that she, of all people, is utterly unsuited to lead a political party. Truth be known, she is unsuited to lead any organization.

Successful leaders above all need staying power, endurance, a stubborn streak to go along with the strategic smarts that ultimately get them where they want to go, often after a great many time lapses. Ask Stephen Harper. Ask Jean Chretien. Ask Paul Martin. There is nothing like hunger in the belly to motivate.

Stronach is not hungry. And anyone who was surprised by her decision to not try to reclaim her seat in the next election is naive.

The record shows that Stronach was a fairly passable politician. A leader? Never.

Ironically, she is returning to the private sector where she certainly will be a leader. She'll assume a leadership position at Magna International Inc. This, however, will result not from personal achievement, but because she's the boss's daughter.

Some would argue that this is Stronach's downfall, in that it may prevent her from ever truly testing herself in life.

There is a pattern in her past. She dropped out of business studies at York University after one year of study to join her father's company. She was married and divorced twice by her mid-30s.

She lasted about a year in the Conservative party, two years with the Liberals.

Quite possibly, things have come too easily to Stronach, who, at 40, owns a mansion in Newmarket on her dad's estate, a historic Old Montreal penthouse, a luxury condo in Ottawa beside the Chateau Laurier Hotel, a Colorado ski chalet and a 5,000-acre Florida farm.

When she left Magna for politics she was earning nearly $10 million annually. You too might not be inclined to sit in a caucus and take orders on party discipline from some House leader if such a posh life beckoned from the background.

It's unfortunate that Stronach lacks the grit required to be a committed politician because, by virtue of her youth, looks and flashy background, she has the ability to draw public attention to both herself as a female role model in politics and to worthy causes, in a way that other, far more extroverted, MPs -- from Deb Grey to Sheila Copps to John Crosbie -- could not.

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/n...c-ace6ca9a68cc

Baraka_Guru

Actually, you did... when you spoke suggestively about her being spoiled and her father's role in her career path.

So am I, dear. Can the following be bought, or does it require a little gray matter?

A Sample of Belinda Stronach's Accomplishments While at Magna (And please don't suggest this was all because of daddy. That can get one only so far.):

• Maintained her father's basic management style, rewarding entrepreneurial innovations, seeking a greater share of the autoparts market and profits, and extending profit sharing to employees—who received 10 percent of Magna's pretax profits as stipulated in the corporate constitution, which originated in the 1970s; 20 percent of post tax profits, meanwhile, went to investors.
• presided over the five principal worldwide subsidiaries.
• revenue increased under her watch.
• promoted entrepreneurship and new business contracts.
• approved contracts for the European subsidiary Magna Steyr to provide outsourced engineering and production for specific makes of Saab, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz automobiles. (Although, admittedly, she had less success in negotiating contracts with U.S. car makers.)
• a member of the board of directors of Magna from 1988 until 2004.
• became a vice-president of the company in 1995 and executive vice-president in 1999, until her appointment as president and chief executive officer.
• chaired the boards of Decoma International Inc., Tesma International Inc., and Intier Automotive Inc., all in the auto parts sector.
• a founding member of the Canadian Automotive Partnership Council and served on the Ontario Task Force on Productivity, Competitiveness and Economic Progress.
• a director of the Yves Landry Foundation, which furthers technological education and skills training in the manufacturing sector.
• and did I refer to her humanitarian work yet?

Sources:
Belinda Stronach. Answers.com. Business Biographies, Answers Corporation, 2006. http://www.answers.com/topic/belinda-stronach, accessed April 21, 2007.
Belinda Stronach. Answers.com. Wikipedia, Wikipedia, 2007. http://www.answers.com/topic/belinda-stronach, accessed April 21, 2007.

Oh, you mean the same Barbara Yaffe who became a vegetarian only after watching the movie Babe and refuses to eat plant matter that can reproduce?

__________________
Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön

Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot

percy

Well Baraka, it's great she has a fan in you. I still think she's a bubblehead.

And we will never know how successful she may have been without her father's stature, so as it stands, she is where she is because of him.

The same might be said of George Bush, but I'm not comparing the two.

Actually come to think of it, maybe bubblehead isn't the term. She isn't stupid but I believe she thinks she is smarter than she is. Not quite fully megamaniacal but enough to believe she belongs up there with the big boys.(pardon the term)

Perhaps out of her league is more apt. That certainly was the case with her venture into politics.And even then, she didn't look very intelligent. Anyone can have the greatest motivations to try and make change but the essential requirement is having the skillset and the tools to pull it off. That was her undressing.

Baraka_Guru

Oh, I'm no fan of Stronach. I don't particularly care for the woman.

She has indicated that she still likes public service and that she'll re-enter politics one day. Remember she's only forty. There are many years ahead of her in terms of a political career. Imagine that, only forty and having been a Member of Parliament in the House of Commons. I think there's room for improvement, don't you?

"That was her undressing." I think you meant to say undoing. You see, it's this kind of sexism that wreaks havoc on politics and the careers of politicians such as Stronach. Are you sure your perception of isn't heavily influenced by having absorbed the wrong media coverage of her? I've heard people describe Stronach as headstrong. This isn't a safe thing for a bubblehead, especially in the corporate world.

__________________
Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön

Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot

percy

No I meant undressing in the rhetoric sense that she bared it all and came up with nothing. Or in other words, she bet it all and lost, perhaps, and with another reference to clothing, that she didn't have enough layers to go the long haul.

But sexism? C'mon now. I am a professional, around 30 year old executive chick in the big,bad world of marketing/advertising, and trust me, there are absolutely no women I know in my business, or other professions that buy into the world of sexism. Believe it or not, my male peers and beyond only care that we compete and get the job done.

Maybe that's where Stonach failed amid the flurry of rumours of sexism. Maybe she bought into it to be rescued and ended up an embarrassment to the rest of us working professional woman. It's been my experience that women who cry sexism, discrimination,...don't have the working professional attitude to begin with and luckily get filtered out so the rest of us can get on with the job.

percy

opps,... double post

Baraka_Guru

So what, is sexism some kind of myth?

__________________
Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön

Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot

percy

Not a myth, just fuel to the fire for those who choose to get upset over it.

I've heard my share of uncalled for remarks when I was younger and used to address them. But you know, you get a little older and when it happens, and still does, the only attention paid is to see the source of such nonsense.

Like the people who whine and complain life isn't fair and are being targeted unfairly. Same with those who spew degrading remarks,..about anything. Sooner or later they get filtered out.