Tuesday, April 09, 2013

Did You Ever Have To Make Up Your Mind?



So went the lyrics of a song from my youth. Lawrence Martin writes this morning that those lyrics should be repeating themselves inside Stephen Harper's head. The reason for the ear worm is the ascension of Justin Trudeau:

The Trudeau name is his worst nightmare. Mr. Harper’s animosity toward the Liberalism of Pierre Trudeau was what ignited and drove his political ambition. Nothing would plague him more than having a Trudeau succeed him and begin turning back his conservative advances.

And Harper's best before date is catching up with him:

If he decides to stay, he must not only face the Trudeau phenomenon but also the problem – as an Ipsos Reid poll shows – that people are getting tired of him and his secretive, closed style of governance. Some tried to defend him for his latest muzzling effort, one that targeted his own MPs. They failed to see beyond the abortion issue to the broader context, the gagging here being only one of dozens of examples of this kind of conduct.

The Conservatives have a succession problem. The party is Harper centric. It's a one man band. The  Prime Minister could argue that he is the best person to take on Trudeau. But, when former Tory prime ministers like Brian Mulroney say things like, “I’ve known Justin since he was a child. He’s young, articulate, attractive – a flawlessly bilingual young man. What’s not to like with this picture?” you have to wonder if such pronouncements dent Harper's hubris.

Rest assured that, if Mr. Harper begins to believe he is vulnerable, he will get out before the next election.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

The Conservatives must know that Stephen Harper is beginning to look like an old man, standing on his front porch, yelling at Canadians to get off his lawn.

At least federal politics will be entertaining for the next couple of years.

Owen Gray said...

It's my impression, Anon, that Stephen Harper was born an old man -- and that he has been yelling at everyone to get off his lawn from the first day he opened his mouth.

Lorne said...

The image of Harper yelling at everyone to get off his lawn is priceless, Owen, and so apt!

Owen Gray said...

Kudos to Anon, Lorne. There couldn't be a more appropriate image.

Somebody like Terry Mosher -- the Montreal Gazette's Aislin -- could draw the definitive Harper cartoon.

Anonymous said...

In what way is Harper even a Conservative? Harper doesn't govern, he dictates.

What kind of a P.M. gives his country to Communist China? What kind of a P.M. would give his country's resources and resource jobs to China? Who other than Harper and his, Omnibull-S-Bill would give that Communist country the right to sue, any Canadians blocking China's invasion into Canada?

Why is BC in court right now? Well that's because? China sued in BC to take all the mining jobs. 300 BC miners applied for those 200 mine jobs, Harper gave to Red China. There are 2000 Chinese miners on their way.

Now, we have East Indians, taking the jobs of the, RBC fired Canadian Bank employees jobs.

Now you tell me? Why are Provinces stupid enough, to stay in Harper's evil Canada?

However, Canadians are well known to, sleep through absolutely everything.

Owen Gray said...

Recent polls seem to indicate that Canadians are waking up, Anon. We live in hope.

The Mound of Sound said...

It's been said that the definition of a modern Conservative/Republican is the old man sitting on his porch yelling at the Future to get the hell off his front lawn.

bcwaterboy said...

That RBC has been caught with its pants down, doing with the temporary foreign workers program exactly what harper intended it for, has awoken a sleeping giant. The issue is gaining momentum and shows no sign of going away anytime soon. At some point the anger will be directed where it belongs, on harper's front lawn at 24 Sussex. The RBC's of the world are merely doing what the government wants them to do. It's quite interesting that the parrots (meaning MP's) have been sent out to deflect our attention away from the government, as quoted by Dan Albas, Okanagan MP "The challenge expressed by many employers is that either they are unable to find qualified workers with the required skills, or frequently in the case of the agricultural and hospitality sectors it is hard to find workers who will accept the positions offered". Complete and utter hogwash.

Owen Gray said...

There comes a time when a trusting public clues in, waterboy. Nobody is buying RBC's explanation. And nobody is buying the government's talking points.

Owen Gray said...

They've been yelling at the future ever since Bill Buckley began publishing National Review, Mound.

Now the future has caught up with them.