Stephen Harper will tout his record in the next federal election. But Tim Harper writes in the Toronto Star that the record is pretty shoddy:
Whether it is the Harper autocracy, his environmental record, his demonizing of opponents, Supreme Court spats, omnibus bills, back-of-the-hand treatment of natives, dictatorial treatment of the premiers, ethical stumbles, treatment of veterans or an unyielding lack of collaboration, the list of grievances against a government verging on 10 years in power adds up.
And that's why Harper is hoping that his opponents don't climb over their own hurdles:
For Tom Mulcair, it is the obvious — the NDP has never formed a national government.
And for Justin Trudeau, the challenge is to turn around history in one electoral bound, taking a Liberal party from its all-time electoral nadir to victory.
And Harper will have to do his best to keep turnout low:
Harper lives in a narrow political lane of 10 percentage points, the 30-40 per cent vortex.
At 30 per cent support he fails — anywhere close to 40 and he can replicate his 2011 majority, as long as the New Democrats and Liberals essentially split the anti-Harper vote.
If the opposition parties can mobilize the anti-Harper vote, they'll send the Cowboy from Etobicoke back to Calgary.
14 comments:
Owen good news there is starting to be voices out of Calgary [Scottish for "clear running water"]that seriously oppose the Harper diorama.
http://www.rampantscotland.com/placenames/placename_calgary.htm
And wait for it: YES:
"Calgarians Against the Harper Dictatorship points out: "The Conservatives say that this convention is an opportunity for those attending to have a say in the future of Canada as they prepare for the next election in 2015. Convention Resolutions reveal that the same all-sided assaults on Canadians' rights, livelihoods and future will continue to make up the agenda for this government." from:
http://www.cpcml.ca/Tmld2013/D43115.htm
Oh well left of center...
Maybe it will stick?
Proof again, Mogs, that not everyone in Calgary thinks in lock step.
Time to start singing 'Alberta Bound'.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7wbJNf6Wk8
Somewhere I read? Harper agreed to meet with Wynne and hopes to pick-up Ontario votes?
There is the Danielle, Prentice fiasco in Alberta. This too angered many citizens of Alberta and other provinces people as well.
Harper is the worst entity Canadians have ever had to deal with, since Hitler and WW2.
Still, he's doing his best not to go back to Calgary, Anon.
Perhaps he's secretly listening to Gordon Lightfoot, Ron.
Owen, when Calgary voted Naheed Nenshi as their mayor, the first election where he was a complete unknown and the second where he was voted back in by 80% I started to think that if municipal election are a reflection of federal elections, then Harper is toast. I realize of course that there are many factors that will determine whether Harper wins or loses and also I realize that my surprise at Nenshi being elected was in part my own stereotyping of the Calgary voter. because in fact like the rest of us they want honest and transparent governments.
Your post made me think of Dont go back to Rockville
Who knows, Steve. Perhaps Harper should read Thomas Wolf's last novel -- "You Can't Go Home Again."
It's going to be interesting to see if Harper can go home again, Pam. The Greeks used to maintain that you can't stick your foot in the same river twice.
Or Owen how about Pete Townsend's June 1971 hit "We won't be fooled again"? Hopefully the majority of Canadians won't be fooled again!
Hey Zeus I was just getting out High School then and the song made allot of sense and I thought the world was going to get better and brighter. I had tons and tons of hope and light but everything got darker thanks to the so-called 1%. Harper sees himself as part of that exclusive 1% club. Dam...
He sings old Lennon-McCartney songs about peace and love, Mogs. But that's all a smokescreen.
His favourite song is the Guess Who's "Looking Out For Number One."
Speaking of irony. In one of the latest and greatest examples of the law of unintended consequences, Harper's Hubris can be seen as the lynchpin preventing the construction of the Keystone pipeline. I am sure Bill Clinton would have built it for Chretien.
You're probably right, Steve. Chretien and Clinton have people skills.
It's surely one of the deepest ironies of the Harper government. The man who leads it has no people skills.
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