Civil war is about to descend on the Conservative Party of Canada. Michael Harris writes:
The biggest loser of all in Election 2015 is the Conservative Party of Canada. That party is now a tangle of angleworms in a jar. That’s what happens when an organization allows itself to become a cult and the cult leader fails utterly. It’s always the flood after a Sun King falls.
The fingers are pointing everywhere in the Conservative camp now, assigning blame. The party is already returning to its bitter old divisions — with Reformers in the West blaming Ontario for betraying them, and the remains of the old Progressive Conservatives in the East convinced that the job of reconstruction has to be taken out of the hands of Albertans.
This battle won't be between North and South. It will pit East against West:
Everyone knows that Jason Kenney has a death-grip on the party apparatus — just as they realize Kenney doesn’t have what it takes to win a national election. Adding to his problems, Kenney’s celebrated grip on the ethnic vote may have been permanently weakened by Harper’s hate-mongering wedge assault on Muslims over issues like the niqab — a remarkably ugly gambit that may have impressed bigots but spooked all immigrants.
Ontario Conservatives are hungry for a leader from Ontario after the values of the party’s Western wing offered up failed wedge politics as its only answer to the problem of winning a fourth term. There are several candidates waiting in the progressive wing, from the principled Michael Chong — who resigned from cabinet rather than allow Harper to rule by personal fiat — to former PC leader Peter MacKay, who nicely managed to miss the Tory trainwreck by getting off at the last station. And then there’s the wild card in the mix, Doug Ford. A wounded bear is more predictable.
Harris suspects that, even though Harper is no longer the official leader of the party, his fingerprints will be all over the process which chooses his successor.
The Conservative Party was an intentional misnomer. It's always been the Harper Party.
18 comments:
Harper staying as an MP, will be behind the scenes pulling strings for who he wants as the next leader. Does he strike anyone as someone who cares about the people in his riding?The control freak can't let go.
The only hope for the Conservative Party is if the progressive wing of the party takes control from Harper, Pam. And that will be a battle royal.
I'm told that Maxime Bernier is testing the waters for a possible run. I just stopped myself from making two entirely inappropriate remarks.
Pamela is right. Harper keeping his seat is like Putin stepping down; we all believe don't we. Watch for a smiling puppet to wear the crown.
Are there any progressive Red Tories still in the CP? Will they stay? Is it time for Harper's monster mash to break up?
The idea that Peter MacKay has enough credibility left to return and run for leader seems frankly foolish.
I'm still trying to figure out Harper's thinking here. You'd think someone in his position would prefer just to make a clean break of it and say you left on a (relatively) high note. Why would he even want to influence the selection of the next leader? Unless he's planning some Putinesque time of exercising power over the party from the wings followed by a return to power, and that seems even less likely.
If there are enough progressives left willing to try and take on this challenge, maybe it could happen. I wonder how many of us old red Tories have simply given up on the party for good, though (or at least given up pending someone else's effort to change the leadership).
I don't think there is really a progressive wing to the party Owen. Harper was able to have tight fisted control over them, because most were dogmatic, obedient sheep. I don't think that has changed. Progressives left the party. This is still the reform/alliance and will not attract any intelligent, progressive people. I don't know what percentage are evangelical fundamental christians, but I think it's pretty high and may even be the dominant belief of the party. Canadians have gotten rid of them, but the conservative party hasn't.As long as they remain a right wing, Christian fundamentalist party, their not going anywhere soon.
Two weeks to shred a lot of incriminating evidence.
Two weeks to settle a lot of backroom deals.
Two weeks to get even for perceived slights.
Two weeks to prepare the Kool-Aid.
He's not going away quickly, Ron.
Those are the central questions, Sixth Estate: How many Red Tories are left? And how many of those folks are are willing to take Harper on?
All very important questions, Toby. Time will provide the answers.
Bernier running would be a joke, Mound. Bernier winning would spell disaster.
I agree, Pam. I caught an interview yesterday with Hugh Segal. He said he knew some Progressive Conservatives who voted Green this time around.
It could not happen to a better party HaH! It does not surprise me after all two opportunists [The Harper/Mackay gong show]sewed and stitched a party together that was a Frankenstein did they not? The thread way to weak to hold together without Supreme Leader Kim Jong Harperstien who failed his creation miserably therefore it's seams are torn apart. Toby and Sixth comparing Putin to Harper is like comparing Hitler to JFK shame on you. Putin rebuilt a country and economy Harper destroyed one. Russian satellites saw the BS in Syria and captured it digitally. Americans Brits Harper [us Canadians under his watch] French and others [NATO] were feeding arming supplying and paying looters and be-headers mercenaries called ISIS. Then under Harper's command we bombed Syria to run air cover for ISIS. Putin is doing the right thing. Harper a coward hiding in the closet eh?
Why do you think he does not want Syrian refugees in Canada without serious interrogations? [Harper calls security otherwise known as debriefings]
Because they will tell us the truth about Harper helping ISIS. That is why he can not leave yet he is creating a spin monster with serious damage control in over-drive right now. God help him if the main stream media pays attention to Russia's intelligence gathering on the West's war on Syria that exposes him and Western leaders as the ISIS bosses...
I don't think Harper is helping ISIS, Mogs. But I don't think he's helping refugees either.
Okay here is an interview with a ... well let me put it this way Danille Ganser [sic?] exposed NATO for being a terrorist organization in historical terms from the end of WWII. Exposed in Italy in 1990. He had no axe to grind he was writing his 'Master's thesis' on a very difficult and controversial taboo subject. As I am a student of history I paid attention, Ganser came out with irrefutable evidence that the NATO block is a mercenary and very terrorist organization. Harper was part and parcel of the latter day acts of NATO terrorism. All leaders of the Western world are and have allot of blood on their hands Trudeau is next in-line. Harper violated treaties, international sanctions and created or helped create chaos in the middle eastern realm there is no denying that. Don't fool me with Harper does not support ISIS he does he loves violence.
Now anyone that thinks that NATO went from bully on the block to savior angel better have a long talk with with an alien and his name ain't Jesus....
Interview why is the west supporting terrorism?
https://www.rt.com/news/319244-assad-putin-talks-moscow/
Danielle's study of the bloody history of NATO:
http://sandiego.indymedia.org/media/2006/10/119640.pdf
I don't often get this riled up but when my country and government is responsible for destroying an others home and then denies the citizens thereof a refuge from our outlandish bombing practices...
""Over 250,000 Syrians are already dead. Over 2 million are refugees. Why are the leaders of the United States [and Harper's Canada] so determined to keep this ugly war going?" US political analyst Caleb Maupin asks."
http://sputniknews.com/politics/20151020/1028825904/russia-bombs-terrorists-us-arms-alqaeda.html
I will be eternally grateful that Trudeau has proclaimed the end of Canada's violence in the Mid East. Thanks Just-In...
He's all for offering humanitarian help, Mogs -- which is what our policy should have been in the first place.
I agree, Raven, that NATO has morphed into something it was not supposed to be. The Afghan War is the result of that change. We can hope, as Trudeau pulls out of the bombing mission in Syria, that he will work to restore NATO to its original purpose.
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