Obama and Harper – Very different men

Canadians are used to having prime ministers who can stand up to their American counterparts.

Compare Pierre Trudeau’s brains to what Richard Nixon had. “No contest.”

Brian Mulroney may not have made as many movies as Ronald Reagan but he knew how to make a speech without having to read a script.

Jean Chrétien was a better golfer than Bill Clinton, but Clinton had hidden talents.

The week we saw Harper up against Obama and the difference was obvious from the first moment on. Harper wanted to avoid the crowds and head to his private office. Obama insisted on going back out to wave to the crowds that had gathered.

When they walked together, Obama took big easy strides and appeared confident looking up and down at the marble work in the corridor. Harper appeared fidgety, and waddled along beside him like a duck out of water.

The difference is reflected in the popularity polls. The latest poll shows 82% of Canadians approve of Obama’s handling of the economy, while only 26% of Canadians agree with how Harper is handling things.

The image we still have of Harper on the economy goes back to the leaders’ debate in the last election when Harper sat motionless and silent, a smile plastered on his face, while Gilles Duceppe, Jack Layton and Stéphane Dion hammered Harper on the economy.

Image is everything for Harper. Who else has his own hairdresser, Michelle Muntean, paid out of public funds, who follows him around everywhere making sure every hair on his head is in place for that special ‘helmet-head’ look he wants. Obama wears his hair cut short, so short he doesn’t need a comb, never mind a hairdresser.

Harper is cold and predictable. Everything he does is planned ahead of time, right down to the last detail. He’s the kind of guy who seeing off his 12-year old son, would shake hands with him rather than giving him a hug.

Obama is forever giving his young daughters big hugs and taking them into his arms. He relishes adventure. As his limousine was leaving for the airport, Obama insisted on a quick side-trip to the Byward Market in Ottawa to buy cookies and a snow-globe for his daughters. He ordered a Beaver Tail (pancake deep-fried and rolled in sugar and cinnamon with maple syrup on it.)

When asked if he’d ever had Beaver Tail before, Obama replied no, but added they had something in Chicago that filled the arteries just as easily.

Harper can be forgiven for not having Obama’s charisma. Few politicians in either country have. But being petty and mean-spirited is another matter.

Afraid of being outshone by Governor-General Michaëlle Jean and Liberal Leader Ignatieff, Harper tried his best to prevent their meetings with Obama while he was here.

Unable to block the meetings Harper tried to ban cameras and press coverage, Mme Jean put her foot down and issued her own invitation to the news media to attend her meeting.

Harper did score a few points during the Obama visit. Rather than contradicting Obama during their news conference, Harper quickly re-interpreted Obama’s commitments in Canada’s favour.

When Obama pledged stronger measures against greenhouse gases and dirty oil and coal Harper pretended that he has been in favour of the Kyoto Accord all along.

Those of us who still have memory will remember Harper once called Kyoto “a socialist plot” and his repeated attacks on it during recent years.

Now it seems Harper is all in favour of Obama’s Green Shift – it takes skill to switch like that—and Harper is even ready to attend the post-Kyoto summit in Copenhagen in 2011.

Obama just looked at Harper and smiled. Not so stupid this fellow, Obama must have thought.

Two really different guys.