Freepin' Tommy D

50° 27' North; 104° 37' West

The CBC should be ashamed.

Not because it's running a popularity contest, but rather because it's selling its 'Greatest Canadian' contest as something more than that.

Way more.

Especially this business about telling schools to use it as a way to encourage kids to study our history.

Sure. And maybe Peter Mansbridge can explain to my 11 year old kid why there are no women in the top 10.

She couldn't believe it when she got home from school on Tuesday. Why, she asked was there no Nelly McClung but there was Don Cherry?

I hadn't been paying attention and I was flabbergasted. This is 2004. I'm trying to teach my kid that she can do anything she wants with her life and our defender of the liberal democratic realm is telling her that there are no women in our country have done anything better than a blowhard in a too-tight suit, ever?

The only way I could put it into perspective for her was to explain that just because something is popular doesn't necessarily mean its good. How else to explain the fact that Shania Twain (#18) sells way more records than the Wailin' Jennys (# infinity) or even, for that matter, Joni Mitchell (# ninety-freaking-three!).

But speaking of Saskatchewan, at least that no-good commie-pinko, hero-of-the-people that gave us Universal Healthcare, Tommy Douglas, is in the top 10.

As a result, the very fine 'Have You Had Enough Yet' wants you to go to the CBC site and run up the vote for Heavy Tommy D.

Which is just fine by me.

Down south, Left Blogistan likes to call this "freeping" the poll (as a response to the fact that it was a Republican pseudo-op who started the 'kerning' avalanche that whacked Dan Rather up the side of the head on the way, way right FreeRepublic site ). And it works, as evidenced by John Kerry K.O.'s in every single post-presidential debate flash poll, even the ones from the rabid, and rancid, FOX News.

(Note: Kudos to Forrest of the American Bodhisattva for all the work tracking said polls)