Good Cop, Bad Cop: The Conservative Party and Sun News

I'm still amazed and delighted at the situation conservatives find themselves in today. 

On one hand we have the majority Conservative Government.  It's a government that obliterated the vote subsidy and is legislating not one but two unions back to work while Jack Layton has to watch.  All this before the summer recess and they aren't shy about Senate Reform either.  Love it.  The gun registry is as good as gone and the economy is chugging right along.  Look at our guys go!  Keep it up.

On the other hand we have Sun News.  Extremely conservative media.  Every second is an in-your-face to the liberal establishment media.   Its awesome.  Today Ezra Levant, who is a free speaking hero in his own right, had Ann Coulter on his show.  They talked about mobs and riots and how any issue advocated by the left becomes one with rioting mobs.  At one point Ann wanted to claim BC, Alberta and Saskatchewan as US states.  Very flattering.  I'm sure this is just one of her sensationalisms, but the funny thing is that if nationalism wasn't an issue, I'd bet there are more US States that would rather be under Stephen Harper than under Barack Obama. Get your citizenship ahead of the rush Ann.

Its a great time to be Canadian.  I contend that these increasingly opposed forces are fantastic for political discourse in Canada.  There's a new argument going on.  Its not just the force fed left wing dialectic we've all grown up with anymore.  Its the center right Conservative Government vs. the extreme right Sun News.  Excellent.  The Government won't be able to get away with anything that socialists decide gets a free pass, while also getting a vocal cheerleader for good conservative moves.  Its good cop, bad cop.

In case you don't know, Good cop-bad cop, or bad cop-worse cop as you prefer, is an urban legend where 2 cops interrogate a suspect by pretending one is crazy so that the suspect sides with the friendly cop to avoid losing fingers or whatever.  The Conservative Party gets to play the good cop, while Sun News is the bad cop. 

Who's the suspect then?  There are so many, but one of the big ones is the CBC. 

Recently, Sun News has taken issue with Heritage Minister James Moore and the CBC.  Specifically with the Canada Day celebrations that have been auctioned exclusively to the CBC and no other broadcaster.  Sun News has been very hostile to James Moore about this.  Sun News is loathed by liberals from coast to coast. When they bash James Moore because he sticks up for the State Broadcaster the CBC, you can't help but think James Moore ends up as the hero to those that love the CBC. 

I like James Moore.  He's clean and effective, the way good Conservative Ministers should be. 
He's got a tough job and that is fine because he can handle it.  That's why he takes the big bucks.  I don't think partisans should have anything to worry about when Sun News attacks.  It makes James Moore into the good cop from the perspective of the CBC.  If CBC is smart, they will become more and more pro government.  They will never be conservative, its just not in their DNA.  Canada Post would not have invented the internet or fax machines, you can't expect the CBC to suddenly decide that they should not exist and enable that line of thinking.  At the very least they will stop being the media party and support the government more often.  A victory. 

As for Sun News they need to keep doing what they are doing.  Attack, attack, attack, then attack some more.  There are generations of liberal attitudes to dissolve and we have a small window to spread the alternative.  This is how it works.  This is how you make the CBC knuckle under to a Conservative Government.  They know what we think of them, and it's only James Moore that stands between us, Sun News, and the CBC. 


Also note:

I would caution Sun News.  Don't take yourselves too seriously.  I'm not entirely sure the public cares at all if CBC got the Canada day bid or not.  Be careful you all don't get too excited over something that excites an upstart broadcaster more than anyone else.  We all have our cracker factories and their rivalries with the other cracker factories.  Just dial it down a notch if at all possible.  All of your angry words for James Moore and the CBC the other day didn't really hold up when I went over to CBC to see how things are looking.  When I watch the CBC I see a chipper blond with a cute smile that kinda trumps the angry men at Sun News.  I'm saying this because I love you.  You have to save the crisis attitude for a real crisis.  Barack Obama is not my president and I do not need a furrowed brow all of the time.  There is always a big deal around the corner and it doesn't involve you.  I'll come to you to hear all about it though.  Keep at it.