General Election: Oct 21, 2019

[Remius]

Looks like Trudeau was wearing a bullet proof vest at a campaign stop in Mississauga (no one told him how safe it really is).

Sounds like PMO staffers (allegedly) told the RCMP what to bring, what to wear and how to wear it.
Guess they wanted to ramp up some kind of narrative, wonder what that could be.


https://buffalochronicle.com/2019/10/15/rcmp-source-says-security-risk-against-trudeau-was-contrived-by-pmo-staffers/

First off that isn’t how it works.

Second, Buffalo Chronicle is a terrible source for real news.  There is the injunction story, the affair story and the Trudeau getting divorced story.  This is making some rounds on social media.  None corroborated at all. 

You would think that with all the crap Trudeau has actually done that people would not have to resort to fake stories.

 

[Jarnhamar]

CBC's take

https://www.google.ca/amp/s/www.cbc.ca/amp/1.5319953


Bullet proof vest.
RCMP "heavily armed tactical team in full sight" surrounding the PM.

Whats the play here?
Radical Conservatives are a threat to the PM?
We need to ban assault weapons because they're all over the place?
Credible but secret threat but brave Trudeau puts his life at risk to talk to the good people of Mississauga?

Must have been some threat, or some next level show business.

 

[Jarnhamar]

[quote author=Remius]
First off that isn’t how it works.[/QUOTE]

Trudeau has a habit of doing whatever he wants.

It wouldn't be the first time he's put on a show.

 

[Remius]

Do you seriously think that the RCMP protective detail and tactical squad would allow itself to be a political prop?

 

[stellarpanther]

Any guess what it means that record numbers of people are voting in the advanced polls and who does this usually benefit?

 

[Remius]

Any guess what it means that record numbers of people are voting in the advanced polls and who does this usually benefit?

Could be anything.  Any guess is as good as another.

Maybe people were fed up with Trudeau’s antics.

Maybe people were scared he might not get re elected

Maybe people preferred the convenience of voting over a long weekend

We likely won’t know until the results are in.

I voted ahead of time to avoid the Election Day rush.

 

[Jarnhamar]

Do you seriously think that the RCMP protective detail and tactical squad would allow itself to be a political prop?

Maybe. Probably not.

I had to put on a dog and pony show for some NDP and green party MP's.  I said no. Wanna guess how that turned out?  ;D

But forgetting that source in the story then, don't you think the situation is a little weird? Doesn't it look like it can be a little bit on the theatrical side to you?

Trudeau's first concern was his family and the crowd. So he told his wife not to come, put on a bullet proof vest, then met the crowd....

Sorry but acting is the PM's thing and they're getting desperate. Im just surprised no one asked him how quantum computers worked.

 

[Remius]

Maybe. Probably not.

I had to put on a dog and pony show for some NDP and green party MP's.  I said no. Wanna guess how that turned out?  ;D

But forgetting that source in the story then, don't you think the situation is a little weird? Doesn't it look like it can be a little bit on the theatrical side to you?

Trudeau's first concern was his family and the crowd. So he told his wife not to come, put on a bullet proof vest, then met the crowd....

Sorry but acting is the PM's thing and they're getting desperate. Im just surprised no one asked him how quantum computers worked.

I don’t think it is weird that the PM gets threats.  It probably happens daily. 

It isn’t impossible that maybe he received a credible threat that the RCMP assessed and took steps to have a show of force.

Given the crap I have seen on social media I’m not shocked.  And to be honest this is election is so polarized I would have no doubt that some kook would try something or threaten to.

We’ve had a gunman rush parliament hill looking for the PM.
We’ve had a guy break into the PM’s residence. 
we’ve had people throw pies at politicians.

Not everything is a conspiracy.  Sometimes the RCMP, tasked with the protection of The PM does its job based on the info it has.  And maybe they weren’t taking any chances.  Maybe they did a proper threat assessment and took those steps.  From the limited contact I have had with those guys, they don’t mess around and they take their jobs seriously.

 

[Jarnhamar]

Some pretty sound counter points.

Guess I figured if the PMO would try to intimidate and bully the attorney general into doing what the PMO wanted anything was possible.
But maybe it wasn't a conspiracy, this time

I'm just pretty pumped that it looks like I probably won't have my property confiscated.

 

[Remius]

I'm just pretty pumped that it looks like I probably won't have my property confiscated.

Rightfully so.  I’ve argued with people that that particular platform piece is a legit reason for those affected to not vote liberal. 

 

[brihard]

I don’t think it is weird that the PM gets threats.  It probably happens daily. 

It isn’t impossible that maybe he received a credible threat that the RCMP assessed and took steps to have a show of force.

Given the crap I have seen on social media I’m not shocked.  And to be honest this is election is so polarized I would have no doubt that some kook would try something or threaten to.

We’ve had a gunman rush parliament hill looking for the PM.
We’ve had a guy break into the PM’s residence. 
we’ve had people throw pies at politicians.

Not everything is a conspiracy.  Sometimes the RCMP, tasked with the protection of The PM does its job based on the info it has.  And maybe they weren’t taking any chances.  Maybe they did a proper threat assessment and took those steps.  From the limited contact I have had with those guys, they don’t mess around and they take their jobs seriously.

Yup. This basically summed it up right there. The PM and staffers decides where he’s going and what he’s doing. The RCMP don’t get a veto; they simply have the responsibility of providing the protection, whatever that entails. Politics don’t enter that particular equation. Threats to the safety of the PM and some other government/senior officials are a constant reality.

 

[Jarnhamar]

Does the PMO have any influence in the RCMP dress state, covert/overt nature of the protection detail?

 

[brihard]

Does the PMO have any influence in the RCMP dress state, covert/overt nature of the protection detail?

I’m not qualified to say with confidence a 100% hard no, but everything I’ve learned about this crew convinces me strongly that operational decisions like that are 100% a protective function. The only times I’ve seen or heard of influence wielded in a protective setting is for the protectee pushing for a lower, less visible protective posture than the protective crew might want; politicians and other protected generally want security to be quite low key. Bodyguard details are a pain in the ass for the principal. A political flunkie is definitely NOT able to whistle up a tactical team to assume a posture that the commander of the police element thinks is inappropriately overt or forceful. Certainly not in the federal realm.

I do know the PMPD guys and girls are working their asses off. I bet they can’t wait for this to be over.

 

[Eaglelord17]

I don't understand why this thing is as close as it seems.  Four years ago people couldn't stand the CPC and Harper and all ran to the Liberals.  Now it's neck and neck with the Liberals and Harper 2.0.  What's wrong with voters?  They don't seem to know what the hell they want.  I also think it's stupid for anyone to waste their vote on the Bloc or Greens or any of those other parties that don't have a change in hell to win.

Nothings wrong with the voters. I would argue the main reason the 2015 election went the way it did wasn't even because it was Harper vs. Trudeau, rather because it was pot legalization vs not legalization. The youth vote came out to support the Liberals last time around. Now that they have what they wanted as long as marijuana isn't made into a election issue again, I predict they really don't care enough to vote again.

 

[Good2Golf]

Brihard, in no way second guessing PMPD’s reactive response to PM’s decision, but it is indeed interesting that the highest threat the PM has experienced thus far on the campaign (requiring BV and visible tac team presence) was at an attendance-vetted LPC fundraising event, vice truly public event...

Regards
G2G

 

[Furniture]

Brihard, in no way second guessing PMPD’s reactive response to PM’s decision, but it is indeed interesting that the highest threat the PM has experienced thus far on the campaign (requiring BV and visible tac team presence) was at an attendance-vetted LPC fundraising event, vice truly public event...

Regards
G2G

Another interesting question; If there threat was so credible that the PM required almost "visit to a Afghanistan FOB" level protection, why wasn't the event cancelled in the interest of the safety of the people in attendance?

 

[Remius]

Another interesting question; If there threat was so credible that the PM required almost "visit to a Afghanistan FOB" level protection, why wasn't the event cancelled in the interest of the safety of the people in attendance?

Now that would have most likely been the campaign team/PMO's call.  They made a decision to proceed, the RCMP makes security recommendations and acts accordingly.

Was the threat specific?  or general?  We don't know.  Sounds like it was very specific, enough to warrant those security measures.

If you cancel you might be playing into the hands of the guy/girl/group making the threats.  If you are confident about the security arrangements you take the risk and don't let yourself be bullied.  I guess.

 

[Jarnhamar]

I’m not qualified to say with confidence a 100% hard no, but everything I’ve learned about this crew convinces me strongly that operational decisions like that are 100% a protective function.

Fair enough. My initial posts were probably a little too scathing and lowered the bar in the politics thread. Sorry about that all. Let me try and rephrase a little.


I'm sure the RCMP detail is professional and not behaving in an untoward or biased manner.


That said I don't think anyone is beyond question though when it comes to this stuff, especially with our current government, and their past behavior.

You mentioned a political flunkie. I feel like the PMO rate a little bit higher than political flunkies. They appear to have felt very confident intimidating, bullying and harassing the attorney general of Canada to do what they wanted (and as we know, found guilty of ethics violations)  I feel like the attorney general of Canada is a bigger fish to boss around than a close protection team leader or detail commander.
At the end of the day would they say no to the prime minister or prime ministers office if they really wanted something to go a certain way? Purely an un-informed opinion but I have my doubts.

In any case the situation still seems strange.
Police in full tactical gear, apparent rolled up ballistic shields, backpacks full of weapons. For an invite only, vetted LPC event.

Given Trudeau's flair for drama, assault weapon narrative and the numbers in the polls I don't think it's weird to be a little suspicious of the whole incident and ask questions.

 

[Remius]

So, the poll tracker is not updated yet today but we are seeing some interesting stuff.

I read somewhere that a strong NDP benefits the CPC.  The magic number the CPC wants to see is 17% and the NDP has crossed that.  That could mean majority territory for the CPC.

I still think it will be a minority  government.  But which on is still up in the air.

 

[mariomike]

Second, Buffalo Chronicle is a terrible source for real news. 

Never heard of it until it was posted into this discussion.

Oct 15, 2019
Facebook not budging on removing widely spread fabricated Trudeau hit pieces
https://ipolitics.ca/2019/10/15/facebook-not-budging-on-removing-widely-spread-fabricated-trudeau-hit-pieces/
On the same day that another fabricated hit piece on Justin Trudeau was circulated by thousands on Facebook, company executives confirmed the social media platform wouldn’t ban one of the top outlets responsible for fake Canadian political news.