Stubborn is as stubborn does

North and south of the Canada-U.S. border, we're getting some object lessons these days on the whole issue of stubbornness and its place in politics. I'm not sure how or why it happened -- the media no doubt plays its part as enforcer -- but somehow, being doggedly stubborn has come to be seen as a political virtue; synonymous with resolve or determination.

Hillary Clinton is presenting the most glaring example, obviously. Clinton refuses to admit she's sunk as a presidential candidate -- her stubbornness may exact a cost in party unity and ultimately, perhaps, in Obama's chances for success in November. The Democrats' symbol may be a donkey, but does that mean that stubbornness goes with the territory?

Here in Canada, we saw Prime Minister Stephen Harper stubbornly sticking to the nobody's-business line about his former foreign affairs minister, even as the PMO was setting events in motion to oust Bernier from cabinet a week ago. Chantal Hebert's column in today's Star reflects a little on the damage Harper did to himself by being stubborn last week. Jim Travers, meanwhile, also wrote on the folly of stonewalling over the weekend saying that on this score, Harper is no Jean Chrétien. It may well be that Chrétien helped turn stubbornness into a Canadian political virtue during his time in office, but there were plenty of us, at the time, who didn't really see that headstrong nature of his as an asset.

Liberal leader Stéphane Dion has a stubborn streak too, we're told, that makes it difficult for people to give him advice. That's reportedly how the carbon-tax proposal landed in front of the public before the party was ready to explain it fully -- a stubborn Dion wanted it out there.

It all may mean it's time for politicians and their advisers to rethink the whole concept of stubbornness -- or at least blind stubbornness. It's not that attractive a trait in a boss, a colleague or a friend or family member -- why should it work any better in politics?

Comments

[Will O'Neill]

I think the real issue is that so many politicians are stubborn or misleading in the face of obviously simple and true things, and this Bernier controversy is a perfect example of it. I even made a YouTube video you and your readers might enjoy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEer1pfcVf8

[Wascally wabbit]

I can't agree Ms. Delacourt.
There is plenty of merit in stubbornness - in the right context.
I would argue that Jean Cretien's former boss, Pierre Trudeau, was at least as stubborn. Stood him in good stead in - among others - his dealing with the FLQ.
Without his stubbornness - maybe he would have blinked and jumped on board Dubya's band wagon and taken us into an illegal war - which most would say was his most lasting policy decision.
In Hillary Clinton's case, the stubbornness is, I concur, bad for her, possibly bad for the Democratic party and potentially Obama's general election chances. I condemn her more though, for thinking and even hinting at the unthinkable - that she might just be hanging in, in case something disasterous happens to Obama - heck is she invoking shades of the Kennedys - calling down an assassination on her rival. That for me is the nadir of her election campaign thus far - though I cannot see it falling under the umbrella of stubbornness - more the hood covering another K - KKK!

[maudie]

Susan's column, "Stubborn is a stubborn does," reminded me of an Irish friend who once announced: "I'm the stubborn one in the family; everybody else is pig-headed."