The people who regularly advise politicians free of charge how to do their jobs haven?t had much success getting themselves elected. This pattern is unlikely to change soon.
A former television reporter and commentator, Ben Chin, who did his job competently but is not a household name, has been chosen by the governing Liberals to run in a byelection in Toronto?s east end.
But no one else wanted to run for the Liberals, and the riding has been New Democrat for four decades, so he might have a better chance of being picked to succeed Oprah Winfrey.
Few journalists have been elected over the past half-century compared to, say, lawyers. Eight of the last 10 premiers have been lawyers and the recent trend has been to elect a lot of teachers.
The Liberals elected a TV news anchor from Hamilton, Jennifer Mossop, last election, but have not given her any role where she would have an edge.
The Progressive Conservatives under Mike Harris had a minister, Isabel Bassett, who had been a reporter and interviewer on a newspaper and TV station run by her husband, John Bassett, but she overcame this start to do these jobs well and was a passable minister.
Conservative Frank Drea is the best-remembered minister from journalism, because he was the epitome of the hard-living newspapermen seen in movies.
Drea, who had written an Action Line column helping consumers, drank heavily. He once spoke to condo owners believing they were wine-growers, saying he hoped this year?s vintages had been good.
But Drea also knew what voters wanted and improved labour and consumer laws. His government kept him on because he was among its few ministers who showed a human touch.
New Democrat Evelyn Gigantes had been a TV public affairs commentator in Ottawa, and like many journalists was impatient with rules. She became the first minister fired twice from a cabinet.
Conservative John Rhodes had been a radio and TV announcer and sports director in Sault Ste. Marie and was minister of industry when he died of a heart attack on a trade mission to Iran, the only minister in memory to die on government business abroad.
Long-time Liberal MPP Murray Gaunt was a farming reporter for a TV station at Wingham ? the list shows TV and radio journalists are more inclined to run, presumably because they are more comfortable with the spoken word than newspaper reporters.
Ron Knight, a TV and radio station director in Thunder Bay, was elected for the Liberals, but quickly left them, saying he wanted to vote as he saw fit.
Other journalists have run and lost, but not many have run considering their numbers.Some may feel they can get all the inside view of politics they want by reporting without the longer hours of work and uncertainties of being elected. Some may feel they can influence politics more than they
could if they were elected.
Eric Dowd is a veteran member of the Queen?s Park press gallery.
