Buckdog

I think the Green party are actually going to regret getting what they wished for. They were much better off occupying the role of "wronged outsiders".

They say they want to "eliminate poverty" but say nothing about bringing about "world peace". Why so unambitious?

I agree. Here we have May arrogantly pronouncing that "Canadians are stupid" because they don't agree with her policies! Well, if you want Canadians to elect your candidates and make you their leader, you shouldn't call them stupid on a live radio show!

Hmmmm... full quote anywhere? Sometimes it is difficult to tell the difference between a Blogging Tory and Blogging Dipper. Madame May must really worry Jack and Co.

"One of my favourite slogans is amateurs built the arc and professionals built the Titanic. I'm counting on Mr. Harper to design his own Titanic. He's got enough money to do it."
- Elizabeth May

May is stupid enough to support the Liberal candidates in Whitby-Oshawa and Richmond Hill over her own Green candidates. I don't know the candidates from either party. One must never support a candidate from another party, especially when one from your own may be running for the same position.

Blues Clair, yesterday, Green bloggers ran around the blogosphere savaging Mr. Layton while muting any criticism of Harper or Dion.

Saskboy called him a 'coward' numerous times. So here is the next day, and I post something where May CLEARLY says ... "Canadians are stupid" and you come here to compare me to a blogging tory?

Did I call Jack Layton a coward? And yes, I am comparing you to a Blogging Tory.

The full quote would be helpful.

considering 40% don't vote, and 30%+ that do, vote CON, I myself have little faith in the masses. However to say it behind two layers of aliases, when I'm a nobody is prudent, to say it on radio is not.

Leftdog, I can't see the clip. What's the title so I can check on utube.

I think it is getting a huge number of hits from a number of blog postings ... and only so many can access it at one time. Try again in a bit. I will try to get a better copy.

Essentially May is being interview by some radio interviewer about Green shift and she says that politicians are afraid to talk about taxes and that Canadians are stupid when they think taxes are involved ...

When I hear the whole quote (it was cut off quite conveniently) then I will pass judgment. I would like to believe that it was explained afterwards, like her "assessment" of the situation instead of Canadians being stupid. But I guess anyone can be stupid, including May, and if she did mean that in that way, then it was a pretty stupid thing to say.

My feeling is that the quote was likely taken out of context like quotes so usually are.

Heard it - now that's a vote getter. And a very elitist remark to make. Yes, she's the best when she's not scripted.

It's not just Canadians - I tend to think most people are stupid. The average IQ is 100. Think about that for a moment.

(damn! there go my plans for elected office...)

Rosie ... you mean May's quote could have been taken out of context ... like Mr. Layton's was when he talked about the possibility of Harper pulling out of the Debate if May attends?

Jennifer ..... yup ... your chances of being PM just went WAY down!!

I've read comments made about this particular episode on the Agenda forum and based on those comments (made a the time of the episode) she was saying parties think Canadians are stupid.

POST THE FULL CONTEXT. This is republican-style attacks.

It's going viral Bulldog. Good job. http://tinyurl.com/57m7ae

WAIT A MINUTE! She said she agreed with the assessment that politicians [in the other parties] think Canadians are stupid, not that she does.

Don't forget this one:

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

If Liberals need to have TWO leaders in the debate so Jack can debate Harper, so be it.

I actually wish we hadn't raised any objections to her entering the debate in the first place. It's the electorate, not us, who should decide on the legitimacy of the Greens getting their seat via a defection, or on May's de facto endorsement of the Liberals. I'm glad Jack took the high road in the end; I just wish he'd done so from the start.

So bring on the debate, and let's hope Jack wipes the floor with May and the others.

Ah the power of social media! The quote...if you listen properly says "politicians are scared to death to mention the word tax and they thinnk Canadians are stupid..." it then jumps (possibly and edit) and she continues with "and I cannot fundamentally agree with that assessment".

It begs the question, what was the whole quote and what was the context. Now I can't see myself ever voting green, but I certainly don't think as a Canadian that she was calling me stupid.

That's what I thought abrown, but again, I didn't hear the whole quote. Much of the fodder they get for those lame ads are clips taken out of context, the liberals and the cons do it to each other all the time. So, while I don't deny the possibility that she actually did say and mean that, I find the timing of the clip a little suspect.

Leftdog-So Layton didn't threaten to pull out of the debate? Or only threatened not to go if Harper wasn't there? I never was clear on that. I was angry over the debate exclusion, but know that Harper is the bigger douchebag in that department. Technically, he has less to lose by May being there than Layton-so why should he be so hostile and petulant?

Hold on a minute, I was finally able to connect to that audio clip (it was being flooded last night), and her exact words were:
Quote: All the other politicians are scared to death to mention the word tax and they think Canadians are stupid...

It's not clear in the truncated clip what 'assessment' May is referring to when she then says as an aside:
Quote:...and I fundamentally agree with that assessment...

Is the assessment that she agrees with:
a) Canadians are stupid
b) they [all the other politicians] think Canadians are stupid
or is it
c) the premise of the question itself:

Quote: If all of you seem to agree that environmental costs need to be internalised and a carbon tax is one way of doing that, why is there so little political will for a carbon tax?

I think it's c, but I don't know for sure, and I would like to know as the distinction matters a very great deal.
It seems to me that people are hearing what they want to hear and putting those words into May's mouth as her own.

What ever faults you find with May and the Greens, and there are obviously a good many very serious ones, I don't think believing that Canadians are stupid is one of them.

(Then again, given her political antics, maybe it is.)

So May thinks Canadians are stupid does she, well stupid is as stupid does. I'm so stupid I'm going to do something smart for a change, vote for Harper and the Conservatives since Harper promises no new taxes, that I like.
An you've got to love Layton pumping himself up to be the next prime minister, do chickens have lips?

here be your fuller quotezor.

====

Elizabeth May says, “Politicians are scared to death to mention the word tax. They think Canadians are stupid, and I fundamentally agree with that assessment.”

I don't know if any of you noticed this, but there is an edit in the audio track at 20 seconds, adding the phrase "and I fundamentally agree with that" to what was stated earlier. Listen to it a couple of times, and then ask yourself, why are the comments disabled on this video?

This is obviously a very poorly edited hoax. Let's hear the original audio, in full context, and then decide who stands for what.

Anyone who listens closely to the quote can hear that she is talking about the fact that politicians avoid talking about taxes because THEY i.e. politicians in general, think Canadians are stupid. The assessment she is agreeing with is one of politicians' cowardice and underestimation of Canadians. This item is just pure trash.

Not quite, lore weaver, you left out several words, and the fact that the phrase in question is clearly a disjointed interjection as an aside.

May says:

Quote: "All the other politicians are scared to death to mention the word tax and they think Canadians are stupid, and can not....and I fundamentally agree with that assessment...”

The question is which assessment was she agreeing with?

Note that the word "agree" appears in the original question.

lore-weaver posted
Elizabeth May says, “Politicians are scared to death to mention the word tax. They think Canadians are stupid, and I fundamentally agree with that assessment.”

get the quote right

Elizabeth May said
“Politicians are scared to death to mention the word tax. I think Canadians are stupid and cannot,I fundamentally agree with that assessment.”

1- she said Canadians are stupid
2- politicians are scared to mention taxes
3-what was she going to say after the word cannot when she stopped herself
4- reminds me of Kim Campbell when she said something about election are not a good time to talk seriously about polices and got creamed over that

Earlier in the clip...

----
May: “You can fundamentally shrink the energy and resource throughput…”
May: “I know I’m talking in code here.”
May: “Reduce the amount of energy to make stuff and the stuff to make stuff”

----
She thinks “throughput” is to hard for Canadians to understand. Stuff and stuff for stuff is so much better.

Her words show that she thinks Canadian Voters can't understand her concepts. The logical conclusion would be that she believes, "Canadians are Stupid".

- Economic Growth as a Cancer
- Nuclear Power as a Dead Technology
- No-Growth Capitalism

What does it take to prove this point? The quote may be disjointed, but it still reflects her belief system.

Lore Weaver wrote:
"She thinks “throughput” is to hard for Canadians to understand."

So, you know what she thinks now. That's a neat trick.

"The logical conclusion would be that she believes, "Canadians are Stupid."

No, the logical conclusion is that you are incapable of employing logic but quite capable of jumping to conclusions.

Leftdog- You got snookered(as did I until I replayed the ending a few times).
Listen to the clip very carefully,its been doctored.
In this situation its best to give May the benefit of the doubt,until the full clip is available or found.

MS is right he said..."Listen closely and you'll hear the full quote: "Oh the other politicians are scared to death to mention the word tax, and they think Canadians are stupid and cannot [little break, which might be an edit]"....

But all said,I agree the Greens are being total asshats, threatening you with legal action please....The idea is absurd.
For a political party the Green's sure have thin skins

She DID NOT say Canadians are stupid, she said other politicians think Canadians are stupid. Her breathless delivery and eagerness to finally be heard caused the problem, because there is no doubt in my mind that what she 'fundamentally agrees with' is that there is no will for a carbon tax. I on the other hand, have constant doubts - if not about the intelligence of Canadians - then about the selfishness of suburban Anywhere North Americans living in Canada, who think tv is reality, or that the main stream media s doing it's job.

Just listened to it again. There does seem to be an odd cut in the tape, because just before she says I fundamentally agree with that, she starts out saying "I can't." as if the fundamentally agree part was splice in there. Although she is so breathless, and her mind seems so bottled up from frustration that she could have jumped thoughts, but as a playwright, I don't think it's a punctuated dashed thought. Perhaps it is a slice.

I not even planning to vote for the Greens and even I realise that the clip has been cur specifically to make it sound like Elizabeth May is saying she agrees with politicians who think Canadians are stupid. While I don't think that there's a reason to be threatening legal action action you (if there's a problem it should just be taken off of youtube), but I also think that if you are going to call yourself a 'citizen journalist' you have a responsibility to post accurate information. Otherwise, your just one of the voices that serves to discredit citizen journalists and bloggers all around.

Wow... talk about audio editing.

Do you think Canadians are too stupid to recognize when an audio quote is taken out of context

You probably know this but that wonderful video is on Youtube right where it should be:

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

A literal transcription of what's in that clip is "Politicians are scared to death to mention the word tax. They think Canadians are stupid and cannot...[break] I fundamentally agree with that assessment."

First, the piece sounds like it was edited.

Second, and more importantly, the "assessment" that she is agreeing with is Steve Paikin's that most politician lack the will to do what's right.

oooh anyone with half a brain who listened to the audio knows that she wasn't calling Canadians stupid... she said party leaders "they" think Canadians are stupid and she fundamentally agrees with the assessment that was the premise for the question. Its quite obvious there is a bit of hysteria going on with this. people aren't listening they just love to jump on a bandwagon that bashes someone they don't like. i say give me break and get over yourselves.

"Its quite obvious there is a bit of hysteria going on with this." I agree Angela ... to have May's Director of Communications threaten to sue a small little blogger was the worst kind of political hysteria! ... funny how you missed that part???

I confess to being apolitical, and thus quite uninformed, but the "Canadians Are Stupid!" quote caught my attention. Curious, I looked for Elizabeth May on YouTube. On the clip I watched, she stated more that once that she thought Canadians were smart. Otherwise she seemed quite intelligent.

It doesn't seem credible that any politician would be so "stupid" to say something like this. What is the background for this quotation? They are more likely to make vacuous comments about " saving the world for our children" etc.,etc., then to express such apparently candid opinions on the mental facilities of average Canadians.