[awaiting Desslock]
What position does Desslock get in the new cabinet?
No cabinet for him, but he’ll be party whip, definitely. I can totally see him breaking arms live on CBC Newsworld.
So, anyone else wondering why Stephen Harper looked so smug tonight about committing political suicide? His Cowboy Nazis are 10 points behind in the polls, he’s still a creep, and the whole anti-gay, pro-Jeebus, private healthcare huzzah! stuff make him and his party unelectable in Ontario. Oh, and voters will likely blame this entire unwanted election on him.
Say goodnight, Stevie. I’m predicting a Liberal majority. The Tories aren’t viable with such little support in Ontario, a lot of people are pissed over this unnecessary election, and a lot of people know that if we don’t elect a Liberal majority, we’ll be back at the polls again in another year or less.
Wait, is this one of them countries where the Liberals are actually right-wingers and Democrats are Nazis or whut-evah?
Liberals are theives and liars and right-wingers. They’re like our Republicans.
The New Democrat Party used to be called the National Socialist party (seriously!) and are kind of like your Libertarians but less extreme and even less electable.
The Conservatives are called Conservatives because they are all about the environment, i.e. conservation. I guess they’re roughly analagous to the US Green Party.
The Bloc Quebecois were formed as a bastion against the separatist movement of the 1960s - 1980s. They started with anarcho-syndicalist ideals but quickly fell into a one-issue rut and are now voted for out of protest more than anything.
That’s Canadian politics!
Ummm… what?
The New Democrat Party used to be called the National Socialist party (seriously!) and are kind of like your Libertarians but less extreme and even less electable.
Libertarians? Ummm… what?
The Conservatives are called Conservatives because they are all about the environment, i.e. conservation. I guess they’re roughly analagous to the US Green Party.
Ummm… what?
The Bloc Quebecois were formed as a bastion against the separatist movement of the 1960s - 1980s. They started with anarcho-syndicalist ideals but quickly fell into a one-issue rut and are now voted for out of protest more than anything.
Well, one out of four isn’t bad.
Here’s the break-down of the Canadian political scene in terms of America parties:
Liberals are essentially Democrats. Their corruption - which happens with any of our parties that hold federal power longer than say, six months - has reached massive, uncontrollable levels. Which means we’re talking about a few million dollars. Hey, it’s Canada.
The Conservatives used to be like the old-school Republicans - fiscal and lightly-social conservatives - but they’ve since made a pact with Satan and merged with the batfuck-crazy Alliance, like a cross between Ross Perot and Pat Buchanan. Celine Dion has a better chance of being Prime Minister than Stephen Harper.
The NDP (New Democratic Party) are closest to your Green Party, and like all serious left-wing parties they’re full of great ideas but are essentially unelectable. Now that they finally have a decent party leader under Jack Layton, they might actually pick up a few seats, but what will actually happen is everybody except Alberta will vote for the Liberals out of spite.
Thanks for attempting to enlighten me. Here in the US we have the EVIL party and the SOMEWHAT LESS EVIL party. I do know one thing: Letting either one control all 3 branches of govt. results in a clusterfuck of epic proportions.
Only that’s wrong, too since the BQ was not against the separatist movement and was formed in response to the failure of an attempted constitutional accord recognizing Quebec’s special status.
In fact, Kiam’s post is so wrong that I am guessing it was a failed attempt at humor.
Troy
To a degree, that’s the best analogue, but it should be noted that Canada does have its own Green Party. The other major difference is that at the provincial level, they have formed governments in Ontario, British Columbia,and Saskatchewan (maybe others?). Also, at the federal level, they have been able to generate sufficient support to hold the balance of power in minorty governments, such as the recently fallen Liberal government.
I agree completely. Harper fucked up (again), and his party is going to pay.
The conservatives will never actually win because A) They are a bunch of parties with differing goals all banded together, so B) They don’t stand for anything other than taking power, and C) They keep electing nutjobs to run the party.
The only ‘conservative’ party that was worth anything was Reform under Preston Manning. It’s good to note that he’s disgusted with the current zombie conservative party.
I’d like to point out that the CBC had a couple of pundits complaining that this election will be one of the longest in recent Canadian memory - seven whole weeks, with one week off for Christmas. All you Yanks feel free to have a chuckle at that.
I think a lot of people would really like to toss the Liberals out for a term or two just to knock them down a peg but when the alternative is Stephen Harper as PM…no.
I’d also have to chalk up Kiam’s post to a curious attempt at humor, because it bears no resemblance to actual Canadian politics.
I’m one of them. I voted Conservative as a protest last time and the guy got elected by something of a landslide as one of the wave of Ontario Conservatives that got Harper as close as he did to a minority government. I’ve met my MP since, too, and really like him. Nice guy, is really making an effort to get out to rural communities in the riding, and will probably be re-elected.
But there’s no way in hell I’m voting Conservative again. Anyone who does needs their head examined, especially in light of the neocon manifesto that Preston Manning and Mike Harris (key backroom architects of this new national party) unveiled in Toronto a couple of weeks ago. It outlines pretty much everything people are afraid of when it comes to the Cowboy Nazis – that they’ll privatize health care, kill ALL transfer payments for social programs, cripple welfare and social assistance, allow private-school vouchers, etc. Harper and the boys won’t publicly acknowledge that this plan resembles what will happen if they ever take power, but you’d have to be an utter idiot to ignore this stuff.
So, no fucking thanks. The Conservatives need another 5-10 years to get rid of the Reform taint before they’ll settle into something sane and electable.
BTW, it’s good to see Harper providing immediate proof that he’s still a nutbar in day one of the campaign, too, by once more harping about same-sex marriage, an issue that a good 75% of Canadians feel is over and done with. Drive on, Stevie! Drive on!
You’ve gotta love this, too. In Ontario, where Harper needs a huge jump in support to have even a chance at a minority, John Tory, the leader of the provincial PCs, is very cool on helping him. While our Liberal premier Dalton McGuinty was delivering a huge and somewhat surprising endorsement for Martin yesterday (they’ve been feuding over transfer payments), Tory made these two comments:
“If I am invited to campaign with Mr. Harper, I will do so.”
“I’ve had a chance to sit and talk to Mr. Harper over time. I don’t find him to be a scary person.”
Priceless.
John Tory is a very smart, and astute person. As you’ve pointed out, Harper is still quick to show his nutbar conservative colours. There is no way that Tory, with aspirations of leading a provincial government in Ontario would want to be associated strongly with Harper. As well, Tory is more in the vein of a fiscal conservative with liberal social views puttting him at the opposite end of the Conservative spectrum from Harper.
Conservative Leader Stephen Harper reopened the hot-button issue of same-sex unions on his first day on the federal election trail Tuesday, saying he would hold a free vote on changing the definition of marriage if he becomes prime minister.
He said if the House votes against changing the law to allow same-sex marriages, the matter would be settled.
Harper, who believes same-sex couples should be recognized through civil unions, promised to preserve the gay marriages already performed across Canada.
And this is exactly why I would never vote for the Conservatives or that son of a bitch. Sometimes it only takes a single issue. At least Harper removed any uncertainty on day one of the campaign.
Quote from CBC story here.
EDIT: I also thought it was funny that Ralph Klein described Harper as probably too far to the right for many voters just before the Liberals fell.
Harper is seriously doing everything he can to eliminate what little support he has. It’s like a deliberate attack on his own chances.
Well, you’ve just described all conservatives in Canada. Say what you want about Harper, he’s still not as bad as Stockwell Day was, and that’s saying a lot.
But yeah, Ralph Klein saying Harper was too far right was hilarious.
IMO, the only way the conservatives will ever have any chance at all will be if they stick to being fiscally conservative, and throwing all the right-winger staples out the window. This is Canada, except for a few groups of hicks here and there, we’re liberal, which means you’ll never sell us on taking away gay rights, or church in schools, or abolishing abortion, or privatizing healthcare, or whatnot.
Anyone who thinks otherwise is just off their rocker.
Truer words were never said.