'McCain let chances pass him by'

That other election, south of the border and looming large in our imaginations, is the topic of this year’s Teatro Speaker Series. Each month, pundits and provocateurs from the United States draw a good-sized crowd of Canadian cultured intelligentsia, eager to sink their claws into the weighty topics of tomorrow. October’s speaker was Michael Barone, alumnus of Yale Law School, former V.P. of polling firm Peter D. Hart Research Associates, author of four books on American politics, syndicated columnist for The Washington Post, and on-air anchor for the Fox News Channel.

A champagne reception and three-course meal preceded Barone’s speech. Guests dined on autumn pumpkin soup and short rib ravioli, paired with a dry red wine, the Bruno Rocca Dolcetto d’Alba. The dinner was hosted by Burnet, Duckworth & Palmer LLP and David Bissett. Investment firm Gluskin Sheff hosted the reception. National Post, Global Public Affairs, Bennett Jones LLP, Enbridge, Vendemmia Wines, and Fieldstone Capital are regular sponsors of the event.

Jim Palmer, a well known philanthropist and lawyer who is set to receive an induction into the Calgary Business Hall of Fame this month, was among the prominent guests in attendance. Others included academics Dr. Barry Cooper, who provided the keynote’s introduction, and Dr. Tom Flanagan, both from the University of Calgary, Bill and Sharon Siebens, Randy Pettipas, president of Global Public Affairs, Ben Brunnen of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, Margo Helper, national executive director of The Seeds Foundation, and Elizabeth Cordeau-Chatelain of Total E&P Canada.

Campaign strategy, financial turmoil, racial politics, and generation gaps were high on Barone’s list of talking points. He also touched on subjects closer to Canadian pocketbooks, namely NAFTA and the future of cross-border energy imports. Much of his talk, though, was devoted to why and how McCain bungled his chances at becoming the next President. Economic distress plays heavily, according to Barone.

“Affluent voters tend to punish the Republic party when there is wealth destruction under a Republican president,” he said, citing George H. W. Bush’s decline in California and New Hampshire when housing prices dropped considerably there in the late 1980s.

The demographics have changed since then as well, he noted. The United States is witnessing the first presidential nominee born outside the social confines of segregation. Obama’s youthful charisma and nuanced views on race endear him to voters and present a stark contrast to the current administration.

Despite these obstacles for John McCain, his success could have been clinched early, Barone argued, given the Democrat’s soft record on mortgage giants Fannie May and Freddie Mac. The protracted struggle between Obama and Clinton in the primaries was another chance for Republicans to further divide (and conquer) their opposition.

While the polls thus far indicate an Obama victory, a twenty-five year career in research, and a life-long love affair with numbers give Barone a nuanced view.

“It’s an art not a science. Tolstoy knew people better in War and Peace than a pollster could ever know”

Published in National Post, November 8 2008
Photo by Adrian Shellard, for National Post

Anna Porter: Publishing Political

If you are jailed as a political prisoner at the age of 6, escape on foot from a totalitarian state, attend Catholic boarding school in a foreign language, and scrub toilets at a mental hospital to pay for your higher education, you may be tough enough for the world of publishing, considers Anna Porter. These experiences, among others, certainly helped her to prepare for a successful stint as CEO and founder of Key Porter Books, and are also behind her recent foray into non-fiction.

The newly released Kasztner's Train, is an engaging, thoroughly-researched work of non-fiction, and Anna's 7th book. It is an examination of personal courage in a time of overwhelming moral ambiguity.. The subject matter is weighty and sobering – sentiments that are evident in her voice as she explains the final processes.

"I have tried so hard with this book," she says, "I don't think I have ever tried this hard at anything in my professional life. This book is so important. The questions raised here are timeless – what does a moral person do when faced with injustice? What are we doing about the genocide in Darfur? These are timeless issues, unfortunately. "

Anna moved to New Zealand in 1956 to escape the Hungarian revolution, after living under its increasingly tense and brutal foreshadowing. The family's first attempt to escape the country landed both six-year old Anna and her mother in prison for a few months. Anna was 12 years old when her family successfully walked out of their country.

A Catholic boarding school in New Zealand, administered by nuns, accepted her as their only refugee student. She learned the English language and some semblance of religious training through an unpleasant immersion. At 18 she left the convent school to attend the University of Canterbury. There she completed Bachelor of Arts and Masters of Arts degrees, both in English Literature. She loved poetry and hers was published in Hungary at a young age.

While a university student, Anna worked first as a maid in a mental hospital and then at a bookstore, owned by a publishing company in New Zealand. Her first job was as a proofreader. She then moved to England and worked in marketing and sales for a larger publishing house, which would prompt a trip to Canada.

She never meant to stay in Toronto, but it has been a successful stint. It was here that she assumed her first editorial role, with McClelland & Stewart at the age of 25. Here she also met her husband to be - a lawyer who, after seeing her photograph on the society pages of Toronto Life magazine, called her repeatedly (even providing references!) until she consented to meet for a coffee. She also became very close to publisher Jack McClelland; an influence and mentor to her throughout her career.

In her first ten years of Canadian life she became president and publisher of Seal Books, a company partially founded by McClelland & Stewart. Like her mentor and friend Jack, Anna developed close relationships with Canadian authors, most of whom remain her friends today. By 1979, Anna knew every facet of the industry and was at ease when launching her own business, Key Porter Books.

Her most recent book, Kasztner's Train, required Anna to read over 300 books in 3 languages, find and read primary documents, and to travel all over the world for interviews. The film rights have been bought, and she is working on 100 additional footnotes for the American release. Anna is convinced that she is more familiar with the subject of her book than anyone in the world, including his own family. That subject is Rezso Kasztner, who directly negotiated for the lives of 1684 Jewish Europeans, and saved an additional 20 000 more during the Holocaust. Like many issues surrounding the topic of genocide, the means and extent to which Kasztner acted is controversial. Anna is convinced that he is a hero. But she is ready for the acclaim and accusations that will come.

Her own dedication to personal ethics is evident in the grand array of Canadian associations with whom she is involved. Soulpepper Theatre, Schulich School of Business, World Wildlife Fund and PEN Canada continue to benefit from her input and intellect. In 1992, Anna Porter was awarded the Order of Canada for her efforts to promote Canadian literary talent abroad. She has been awarded Honorary Doctoral degrees from Ryerson University, St, Mary's University, and the Law Society of Upper Canada.

Published Women's Post, October 5 2007

Remembering Philanthropist Bluma Appel

This summer, in a trademark show of generosity, Bluma Appel donated $350,000 and assisted in raising an additional $170,000 toward the University of Toronto Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing's state-of-the-art Clinical Simula-tion Learning Laboratory.

Ms. Appel was honoured for that gift at an intimate cocktail reception in June, hosted by the dean of the faculty, Professor Siobhan Nelson. Guests were able to wander through the learning lab – which is unique in Canada – and offers nurses hands-on training in infectious diseases, among other conditions. Rubber mannequins lay prone on hospital beds, their chests raising and falling with imitation breath while beeping monitors signaled their make-believe pulses. Almost every person in attendance had kind words and praise for Ms. Appel, who sat close to her husband while friends and admirers drew near. It was the last in a number of historic contributions made by Ms. Appel to the Canadian social and political scene. The founder of CANFAR and a life-long patron of the arts, she was awarded the Order of Canada twice, the Order of Ontario, a Dora Award, and two Honourary Doctorates.

Bluma Appel died on July 15 at the age of 86.

Published Women's Post, August 24 2007