Personally, I can't wait for the coming election. I'll be holding my nose and voting for the center-left CPC, simply in the hope that Mr. Harper can squeak out a majority and prove once and for all that he still has a molecule or two of "conservative" in him.
What is "conservative" you may ask? Why, smaller less intrusive government, I answer ... a government that slowly dismantles the enormous "progressive" regime that is Canada's government. A Tory majority will force Mr. Harper's hand ... either he'll prove to the base that he was forced to expand the vast "progressive" regime because of minority government realities or he'll continue down the same path and prove that his true "hidden agenda" was to push conservatives and socialists to the fringes all along, whereby he would take the "Paul Martin" middle. If Mr. Harper gets his majority, and if, he continues to expand "progressia", it'll be interesting to watch his supporters turn themselves into even greater pretzels trying to explain that one away ... they're looking pretty contorted already.
On the other hand, an election loss for Mr. Harper, that is a failure to get a majority against the 2nd worst LPC leader ever fielded, will spell the end of party Détente. Mr. Harper, if he chooses to stay on, would simply be triggering an internal war. Already, polls have delivered the shocking news that the conservative base trusts the Government far less today, than it did a year ago. I'm one of those, and I'm clearly not alone. Among my hardcore Tory friends there is much grumbling, and Tories should be especially concerned when some of their most thoughtful and intellectual supporters are recoiling in disgust.
An election will also trigger renewal in the LPC and NDP, where leadership races are in the wind. What Tories should fear most is the inevitable LPC leadership race. If the LPC manage to find a leader with some imagination and personal charisma, then the CPC are doomed. If Mr. Harper can't crush the LPC and win a significant majority against the icky Iggy, then imagine his fortunes against a skilled leader ... someone the "progressive" media actually rallies to and someone whom the middle can embrace.
So, let the election come ... renewal is needed.
For more reading, check out Jay's latest, where he gives us a blunt and humorous take:
A horse race, brilliant policy discussions, ex-hookers, scandal, spending promises, more spending promises, sleeze, the blue sweater, Iggy at Timmy’s, poor Jack Layton.
CPC MPs will go off message, Justin Trudeau will try to look more like Pierre than Margaret, signs will mar the landscape, Oak Bay may lose its very good mayor.
Climate change will not be mentioned. The CPC will demand that Lizzie be included in the Leaders’ debate. The BQ will take lots of Quebec seats from the CPC and the Libs.
The edge of my seat will be worn away.
9 comments:
Sadly, the only thing Conservative about the Party is the name. The announcement that the Government is going to give the Liberal Shill CBC an additional 60 million a year on top of the billion plus we waste on them already is pretty much the straw that breaks the camels back. Holding my nose and voting for "Lib-Lite" is becoming and increasingly difficult task.
For sure ... stiffing wounded soldiers and the military, while propping up the CBC ... kind of says it all, doesn't it.
Are you sure he is increasing it?
Harper cuts CBC’s grant
Mar 9, 2011
http://www.friends.ca/news-item/10102
Don't get me wrong, like you I have always thought Harper was lib lite, my main beefs being his inaction on HRC and allowing the commies Rae and Dosanjhi to slag the military, but I haven't found yhe announcement you mentioned.
Caw Caw! I want one too but its what the people want that matters and its obvious who doesn't care (thats you and the Liberals again, un-pretzel yourself first ). As you've noted this is a province of Greater Progressia. The only way to undo the decades of darkness without messing up the whole thing is to walk it back inch by inch step by step. -exactly how it this way. Sorry if I get excited at you sometimes. I really agree with your philosophy and a lot of things you say, its just that we'll never make it there being uncompromising hardliners. That is the honest to goodness truth and there is no getting around it.
A long-time Canadian conservative friend -formerly Canadian Alliance, now Conservative- assures me that Harper & Co. are being as conservative as they safely can, while still being electable, given liberal Ontario and Quebec's Parliamentary hegemony. Incremental reform, or "baby steps" as he puts it. I don't pretend to know enough about the intricacies of Canadian politics to judge that, but that's his thoughtful viewpoint.
Presumably, if the Conservatives did get a Parliamentary majority, the "baby steps" would be bigger and more of them.
Any comment on this, anyone?
At the link, they don't give the exact figure, but from what they do give, it appears the CBC annual tax grant is a bit over $1 billion. And they're having hot flashes and fits about a less than 2% cut! That is really an extremely modest "sharing of the pain" in deficit cutting and economizing. Reminds me of the NJ Teachers' Union next door to me fom here in Pa. Pork as usual, or else!
I wish the party faithful would just shut up and support the party. Yeah it sucks being backed in the corner all the time by the NDP and the Bloc and sure that's lead to some very unconservative policies. What do you seriously want? Do you want the party to stand on principles at all times and be brought down? And no this election isn't about anything other than Iggy's career ambitions.
I sure hope that a Harper majority will turn back to more conservative values and policies as well - one of the reasons being that it will quiet down people like you CJ... who NEVER seem to be able to UNDERSTAND that to get to a position to win a majority, you have to bend your principles - sometimes much more than you'd like - to appease the masses. If Harper had done things your way, this Conservative government would have been booted out many years ago and we'd be living under Dion with a Green Shaft program bankrupting us all!
Harper has played his cards carefully and skillfully to lead to this point in time where a majority breakthrough is finally in sight. And when this happens, may 'ye of little faith' eat all of your past griping words and be grateful our Prime Minister pursued this majority the way he did.
Don't worry, once there is a con majority there will be some great changes finally made in Canada! There will be a huge celebration in this household!
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