Harpoon Siddiqui Hauls Out the Tar and Feathers for Harper and Ford

Harpoon claims to detect disturbing similarities between Toronto Mayor Rob Ford and Prime Minister Stephen Harper:

The two have barbecued and fished together. Both are Conservative rightwing populists – mocking the media and the “liberal elite;” living in a fantasy world free of reality (Harper claiming to be a custodian of the economy even as it remains anemic, Ford boasting to be “running a great government” even while keeping City Hall in constant chaos); catering to, and successfully maintaining, their respective constituencies (“the Ford nation” and “the Conservative base”).

In reality, mocking the media and the "liberal elite" is the height of sanity, while the inability to see the media's built-in bias against all things "conservative" is a sign that you're living in a fantasy world. In that world, one is apt to think that only conservatives cater to their base when the left does it just as much, if not even more. If it didn't cater to its base--union members, Utopians, "progressive" ideologues, etc.--it would bleed followers like crazy and would never win any elections. But do continue, Harpoon:

Both treat their adversaries as enemies. Both follow a “Do as I say, not as I do” philosophy (Ford berating a dozing civil servant while keeping his own light workload secret, Harper cutting government expenditures while increasing his own office’s, demanding transparency but maintaining obsessive secrecy.)  

They help each other (Ford singing the praises of Harper and the latter finding millions of dollars for his friend’s pet electoral project, the Scarborough subway). 

Both operate as though traditional political rules do not apply to them – in Ford’s case, seemingly not even the law. 

This suggests a shift in public attitude, at least with those who feel their favourite leaders can be rogues. This is Tea Party ethos.

What better way to demonize these two "demons" than by bringing in the biggest boogie man of all--the Tea Party? (BTW, the "ethos" of the Tea Party, which, strictly speaking, is not a party at all, is smaller government and more personal freedom. You can see how, for "progressives" like Harpoon, that would be really scary.)

Now, this next part is the most sick-making of all--Harpoon calls on a Red Tory has-been to deliver the coup de grace:

But Joe Clark, the former prime minister, points to a crucial difference between the two: “Ford has been indifferent to those norms, whereas Harper never really pretended to be bound by them.”...

Er, if you say so, Joe Who. The truth is, though, that Ford and Harper are nothing alike. Whereas Ford is a fiscal conservative who, when not at work, manifests all the gravitas and self-control of, say, Bluto Blutarsky, Stephen Harper spends way too much to be considered fiscally conservative, but, in his personal mien, is as boring and abstemious as it gets.

Bonus points to Harpoon, who hates the two like poison, for trying to tar them both with the same toxic brush. ;)

Update: The Red Tory has-been is promoting a new book, the reason for his sudden reappearance from well-deserved obscurity.