David Emerson’s decision to be sworn into Stephen Harpers cabinet today is not what voters or pundits were expecting today.
What are faith bloggers saying?
Don’t cross the floor - Baptist minister
You had an option, sir - Bible college system administrator
Stephen Harpers New Cabinet – Methodist pastor
New Cabinet Today - United Church minister
Yes Minister - United Church minister
The Harper Administration, Day One – US economist, bapticostal
Emerson crosses the floor - Christian dad
Conservative Perspectives – US evangelical grad student studying Rhetoric & Communication in Saskatoon
My Thoughts on the Emerson Defection – IT Analyst
I quickly skimmed about 50 faith blogs - if you posted about Mr. Emerson’s choice and would like to be added, just shout. Adding your post to the list isn’t about partisanship, how politically articulate you are or agreeing with others - it is about conviction, and giving bloggers that declare a faith an opportunity to meet.:^)
It also makes it very easy for media, pollsters, other bloggers and the powers that be to take a quick look at a cross section of opinion about Mr. Emerson’s decision - and sometimes there is nothing wrong with facilitating and participating in that.
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Update: An example of how this link collecting thing works is over at a very well known Conservative blog called Angry in the Great White North . Blogger Steve Janke is collecting posts of Conservatives party members who support Mr. Emerson’s and Mr. Harper’s decision.
Update: The Blogosphere: Democracy’s Rapid Reaction Force.
Yep.
I sent the following email to David Emerson. You are right – he is still showing Liberal on his one site – the other one has been taken offline. Gee – wonder why.
Shame on you.
How can you, in good conscience run on a liberal platform and jump ship because you were offered a position of power?
You have undermined our democratic system and broken trust. It would be different if you were in office for a while and disagreed with your party platform.
You have let down your riding and the Canadian people. A re-election in your riding might be in order. Apparently you are a brilliant businessman. Right now though, many Canadians think your ethics are questionable.
BD, I would prefer if you took my weblog of the list of faith bloggers. My thoughts are not any reflection of my faith or my denomination.
I did a piece on Emerson and the cabinet yesterday (you even left your C$0.02 on it); I’m not sure if you’re counting non-Canadian faith blogs in your loop.
My thoughts aren’t particuarly theological, either; I talked about Solberg’s E-Free roots in passing, but wasn’t thinking in a particularly scriptural tone.
Hi Jordon: You’re off, thanks.:^)
Mark: This isn’t about theology, it’s about voters. You’re on, thanks.
I’m leaning more to the “hold another election & see if you win the race as a conservative” point of view. In our electoral system, it is difficult to distinguish between a “vote for the party” and a “vote for the candidate”. Has Emerson betrayed a trust placed in him by those voters who supported him? Were they also voting for the larger platform of the Liberal party? I suspect they were, and the honourable thing would be to resign and run again with Mr Harper’s platform.
I think part of this has to do with a trust that is given to a public official by the voters, and how he honours that trust.
I see this as voter trust, my concerns aren’t partisan.
After the caucus meeting yesterday the media cornered several conservative MP’s and asked them about ‘optics.’
I don’t think we need fancy political, marketing, or media language, were the voters of Vancouver Kingsway represented fairly?
Running a campaign on ethics sets expectations high, in Harpers win, perhaps too high.
I don’t think anyone needs a political degree or a party membership to empathise with the voters of Vancouver Kingsway.