Word: pearsons
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Dates: during 1960-1969
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...through Canada's eight-week election campaign, Conservative Prime Minister John Diefenbaker and Liberal Leader Lester Pearson were politicians in search of an issue. The crowds turned out in numbers, but the oratory sounded as if it were from a leftover LP record, and this time the campaigners were playing the dull side. In the final stage of the campaign, just when he seemed to be running out of things to say, John Diefenbaker decided that he had found his issue...
...chance to vindicate himself and, on TV, proceeded to twist McNamara's words to his political advantage. "That means that we are just a decoy to draw fire," said Diefenbaker. To reporters, he was exultant. "Happy days are here," he chortled. "This has really put the skids under Pearson. This is the knockout blow." Gleefully he added: "It came at just the right time...
...Victoria. B.C., Lester Pearson tried to shrug it off: "It's his rug, not mine." Diefenbaker was the one who brought the Bomarcs to Canada, Pearson recalled...
...Even so, Pearson had come out in favor of nuclear warheads for the Bomarcs. And throughout the campaign, he had attacked Diefenbaker for his anti-Americanism. "I've been charged with being soft on Communism," said Pearson at one point. "Now I'm charged with being soft on Americans. I'm making progress." It was a quip then. But Diefenbaker's manipulation of McNamara's words had obviously put Pearson on the defensive...
Looking for a Precedent. Going into the final week, the impression was widespread that Pearson and the Liberals were ahead, but not decisively. Many thought that the Liberals might win about 120 seats, short of the 134 seats needed to form a majority government in Parliament. Ontario was strongly Liberal; the prairies, prosperous from grain sales to Red China, were for Diefenbaker. But Quebec flamed with French Canadian nationalism and the demagoguery of Social Credit Leader Réal Caouette, and the west coast was split every which...