Yes, yes, we know we're not worthy and we should be grateful they deigned to notice at all what their largest trading partner is up to, but the LA Times posted a real howler in a brief report about Stéphane Dion's election.
"The Liberal Party unexpectedly chose former Environment Minister Stephane Dion as its new leader, overlooking his political shortcomings — a heavy French accent and unpopularity in his home province of Quebec — that could undermine the party in an election expected next year."
"A heavy French accent"? A political shortcoming in Canada? In the same sentence in which they acknowledge the importance of Québec?
Hey, International Editor - it's the Right Honourable Jean Chretien on line 2. He'd like to know why you never heard of him.
ronnie
That "heavy French accent" bit really gets me too. There was a joke about Chretien that he spoke both official languages but was fluent in neither of them. Dion at least incomprehensible in both. I won't vote Liberal in the next election but it won't be because of Dion's accent.
ReplyDeleteThe way I heard the joke about Chretien was that he was "incomprehensible in both official languages", which must be some kind of record.
ReplyDeleteDion does indeed still have a few challenges in English; personally I hope they are endearing to the Anglos and that his obvious "French-ness" helps shore him up in Quebec, where it's true he has some challenges; but if the separatist-leaning Quebec pundits want us to believe that when it comes down to the crunch, Quebecers will vote for a western Tory over a federalist Quebecois, they're full of poutine.
ronnie
That is funny.
ReplyDeleteDown here, it's Bush who has trouble speaking English...