Rob Duiker: Archives From a Failed Political Campaign

"When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less." "The question is," said Alice, "whether you can make words mean so many different things." "The question is," said Humpty Dumpty, "which is to be master—that's all." Based on this passage in Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking-Glass (1872), something called the Humpty Dumpty Principle was established whereby a word means what you intend it to mean. Through Humpty Dumpty, Carroll suggests that we ought to be the master of our words. Today I am wondering about a word that we may have failed to retain mastery of. The Word Progressive Does Not Mean Left-of-Centre The word ‘progressive’ comes up in a lot of political conversations. As we discuss matters of progress, some folks like to characterize a certain set of views as regressive; the antithesis of progress. I will contend that t...

Job Application:  Seeking to become a Member of Parliament It’s Not What You Know or Who You Know They say, “It’s not what you know but who you know.” I hope it’s not true. It has been said that when you apply for a job, often the best candidate isn’t hired. Why might that be? Sometimes the person who gets the job is the person who performs best in an interview, but the best interviewers are not always the best potential employees. Sometimes a person will be hired because he or she knows the right people, like perhaps the director of human resources. And sometimes, when employers get it right, it’s not what you know or who you know, but rather who you are that counts. I am a contestant in the race to become the Conservative Party of Canada nominee in the Yellowhead Electoral District. My goal is to become the Member of Parliament in the riding when the next general election is held in the Fall of 2019. Make no mistake, this is a job application process. You, the voters i...