[Canada] Canadian Politics Redux

[crazy canuck]

vaguely creepy?

[Barrister]

vaguely creepy?

Yes.  How would you characterize it?

[crazy canuck]

First, he was dishonest when he told Scheer there was only one isolated incident.

Second, he wasn't just being "all friendly'.   We don't know exactly what he was doing but it was enough for Scheer to remove him from caucus after Scheer discovered the incident was not isolated.

Third, your statement "he never crossed any line" is odd considering that even on the little information we now have, he certainly did cross a line by making many young women uncomfortable that he was essentially stalking them.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/clement-scheer-explicit-photos-1.4895295

[HVC]

I thought the dick pick thing was isolated, not the using Instagram like it was tinder?

[crazy canuck]

I thought the dick pick thing was isolated, not the using Instagram like it was tinder?

Not entirely clear.  The article quotes Scheer as saying:

"I took him at his word that this was an isolated incident. Since then, there have been numerous reports of other incidents, allegations, so in that respect I've asked Tony to resign from caucus so that he can respond to these allegations," Scheer said.

[Barrister]

First, he was dishonest when he told Scheer there was only one isolated incident.

Second, he wasn't just being "all friendly'.   We don't know exactly what he was doing but it was enough for Scheer to remove him from caucus after Scheer discovered the incident was not isolated.

Third, your statement "he never crossed any line" is odd considering that even on the little information we now have, he certainly did cross a line by making many young women uncomfortable that he was essentially stalking them.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/clement-scheer-explicit-photos-1.4895295

He definitely made some women feel uncomfortable - since they've said they felt uncomfortable.  But does sending a message and liking old pictures count as "stalking"?  I wouldn't think so.  I mean it's social media - you post those pictures specifically for other people to look at!  And making people uncomfortable is a very vague standard - what one person might feel is uncomfortable, another person wouldn't.

Look, politics is politics, and maybe coming across as vaguely creepy is a good enough reason to remove someone from caucus.  And while Tony Clement was adequate as a cabinet minister he's hardly a star for the Conservatives.  I'm not convinced though.

[Malthus]

I understood that to mean he was sexting like a fiend and then lied about doing it, other than the one incident he was blackmailed over. Though admittedly, it's pretty vague: "numerous reports of other incidents, allegations" could refer to almost anything.

No doubt more will emerge, so to speak.

[Barrister]

I thought the dick pick thing was isolated, not the using Instagram like it was tinder?

Not entirely clear.  The article quotes Scheer as saying:

"I took him at his word that this was an isolated incident. Since then, there have been numerous reports of other incidents, allegations, so in that respect I've asked Tony to resign from caucus so that he can respond to these allegations," Scheer said.

Maybe there are other allegations of sending dick pics.  But that hasn't been made public.  What has is all this social media liking pics of young women.

[Malthus]

From the news article, I took the 'making women uncomfortable on social media" thing more as confirmation that the existence of more "incidents" isn't surprising.

Numerous social media posters have suggested they weren't surprised by Clement's revelation. CBC News spoke with two young women Wednesday who said they and their friends were made uncomfortable by the fact that Clement had 'liked' so many of their social media posts over the years.

So, it isn't that "liking" Instagram posts is the transgression, more that it is treated as confirmatory evidence he's the kind of dude likely to send out dick pics to strangers. 

[viper37]

Then women have been coming out on social media saying he's a perv, but nothing very explicit has been said.

I've read some more into that.  At first, I thought he sent nude pictures of himself to women.  But now... It seems being a perv is liking young women pictures on Instagram.  Girl post selfie, Clement likes pics, a dozen pics at a time.  Girl says he's a perv. 

In one case, a young woman said he messaged her to talk about municipal politics in Toronto late at night.  She was working on the municipal council or something like that and had links to Rob Ford.

A Conservative MP who wants to chat about politics with a pretty young female involved with the Conservative Youths is not that pervy to me.  Of course, I doubt his intentions were to stay on the political level, but no women has come forward to say he sent anything sexual.

Really, if some women have a problem with men liking their social media pictures or messaging them to talk about their field of work, they should not be on social media, or make some private profile where only their close friends are allowed to talk to them. 

At some point, you got to stop with this incessant whining.  For fuck sake, if someone posts on a celebrity's page "sorry, I think your dress does not do you justice", that's not "pure hatred on social media".  Snowflakes.      It diminishes the real problem of online intimidation/harassement.  Not to mention real life sexual harrassment problems.

[Grey Fox]

I think Scheer is being a little quick on the trigger with removing him from caucus especially the conservative one. Maybe he didn't like being lied too by Clement?

Atleast he's not a coward like Blaney.

[viper37]

I mean yes, it's vaguely creepy for a 50-something year old politician to try and be all friendly with 20 year old women on social media. 

He has a young soul, that's all.

[viper37]

I think Scheer is being a little quick on the trigger with removing him from caucus especially the conservative one. Maybe he didn't like being lied too by Clement?

Probably the last part, though I don't know it qualifies as lying.

Most likely: there's one year until the election, no MP is allowed to drag the party down, no matter how trivial it is.

Atleast he's not a coward like Blaney.

what has Blaney done?

[Grey Fox]

Hid in basement after the shooting at the Parliement.

I'm being unfair, dude just had PTSD after the attack.

[viper37]

So, it isn't that "liking" Instagram posts is the transgression, more that it is treated as confirmatory evidence he's the kind of dude likely to send out dick pics to strangers. 

but so far, "making young women uncomfortable" is all liking Instagram posts/pictures.
And they all said there was nothing else: no (dick) pics, no sexting, nothing really inapropriate.

I don't know what Scheer asked Clement, but in the same situation, you ask me "is there any other stories of you sending naked pictures of yourself" and I answer no, that's not lying when someone else comes forward to say I liked her posts.