Following the victory of NDP candidate Peggy Nash over the incumbent Liberal candidate Sarmite Bulte in yesterday’s by-election, there is no shortage of analysis on the blogosphere regarding its importance. And the Star has reported the result in Parkdale-High Park, citing quotes from both Nash and Bulte.
There has been plenty of talk, as well as more to come, about how blogging can shed light on fears over Bulte’s cozy relationship with the copyright industry. There is one thing for sure: the whole Bulte affair is a good lesson for Canadians, both politicians and citizens alike.
1. The medium is secondary to the message. Although I feel the blogs had something to do with it, one should be careful not to emphasize the medium at the cost of the message. But the message this time was an idea; a suggestion, a proposition, supported not by mere rhetoric but by facts and figures along with the record of an MP who had served in Parliament for three consecutive governments. What seems clear is that although Bulte responded to her critics by issuing threats and name-calling, she failed to respond to the substance of those criticisms.
Copyright is important to Canada. In all of Bulte’s foolish actions during this election, her worst might be calling her opponents “pro-user zealots”. The people of Canada are not stupid – they recognize that the users of copyrighted material, about whom Michael Geist, Cory Doctorow, and Online Rights Canada fight for, are Canadians. To say that her opponents were “pro-users” would be to call them “pro-Canadians”. And, unbelievably, the people of Canada recognize that their interests do not always coincide with pro-copyright policies that she promotes. Politicians in Canada have traditionally brushed off copyright concerns as beyond the ability of voters to understand. As Sam Bulte will discover, the days of such ignorance are over. Voters demand accountability. Republicans, take notice: voters look forward to hearing from you about copyright reform.
3. Lobbyists & Politicians: Canadians need a comfort zone. It was very clear from questioning in the all candidates meetings that the citizens of Parkdale/High Park were not comfortable having a politician that openly bragged about her connections with lobbyists. Bulte consistently stood behind her large copyright supporters, calling them her “friends”. As Rob Hyndman has been pointing out on his blog:
The term “these people” refers to the lobbyists who seek to use money, power, and influence to shield their interests against all others in Canadian society. Of course, it is their job to try and befriend her, and it is a “home run” if they can persuade her that they are her “friends.” After all, “one listens to one’s friends.” They certainly seem to have succeeded in befriending her. Does this not show that Bulte has become too friendly with one side of the story?
Parkdale/High Park’s conclusion seems to have been “yes, she has.”