So it's Andrew Scheer. The Conservatives dodged a bullet when they narrowly rejected Maxime Bernier's full blown libertarianism. They now claim that they have chosen Stephen Harper with a smile. Throughout the campaign, they kept saying that the problem wasn't their policies, it was their failure to sell them.
Scheer's acceptance speech was full of standard Conservative boilerplate. So the party is still not where the majority of Canadians are. But Scheer has another problem. Susan Delacourt writes:
If Scheer thought keeping order in the Commons was no walk in the park during his term as Speaker from 2011 to 2015, he’s soon going to learn it’s a lot harder to break up brawls in your own caucus — disputes that have proved to be hugely divisive in Canadian politics in the past.
When Scheer finally took the stage on Saturday night (in front of more than a few Conservatives with mouths agape over this latest reversal of polling fortunes), he offered the usual call for party unity. “We will win when we are united,” he said, praising Stephen Harper, the leader he’s replacing.
Harper kept the party together by ruling with an iron fist -- and by dishing out the perks of power:
Can Scheer hammer those pieces together after this weekend — with only the perks of Official Opposition to hand out, along with the promise of cabinet spots in the distant future? We’re going to see an interesting display of political management dynamics over the next year or two.
They've always been a fractious bunch. That's why they rejected Michael Chong. I suspect they will come to regret not choosing the candidate who best understands this country. They may eventually come to the conclusion that their choice this weekend was Scheer Stupidity.
Image: Edmonton Sun
10 comments:
Smile doesn't matter that much when there is zero charisma behind it. Scheer will not resonate with the younger generation despite his youth and the code "social conservative" for anything anti-gay is well within the history books in Canada and we've moved on. At the end of the day, the made the right choice which will ensure they stay well away from the reins of power for at least another couple of election cycles. Nice work conservatives!
Defeat should bring wisdom, waterboy. But that hasn't happened for this party. Nice to hear from you again.
I find myself singularly unsympathetic to the challenges that await Scheer, Owen. All I can think of was his lack of integrity as Speaker when he made so many questionable rulings that favoured Team Harper.
The message seems to be, Lorne, that there will be no new direction from the Conservative Party of Canada.
.. after such a ponderous & protracted bout of political constipation
the diseased Harper Remnants Rump pooped out his 'apple cheeked'
Alliance/Reform/CPC handmaiden Andrew Scheer
What a refief is must be after what.. 18 months of musical chairs
and but one toilet seat among the 13 or 15
or was it 12 disciples.. desperately seeking Stornoway ?
Presumably Herr Scheer can transplant the wife and kids to Ottawa
his hometown & where he jumped into the embrace of evangelicals,
politics and all things partisan, anti LGBT friendly & fawning faux christian
And he will save a bundle letting taxpayers feed the 7 Scheers & supply his scotch
Its suddenly 'heavenly ways' about to be sung by the faux conservative choir
and sad to say, mutterings of God Hates Fags and the like
may replace the sellout nannering of Rona and RodeoBoy's dilbit lobby gang
Expect plenty o pipeline preaching and screetching,
plus God Loves Fracking as well.. to Feed The Asian Economies
and God loves supertankers too ..! Hallelujah eh ?
.. and lo.. into the desert for a decade wandered & wondered.. the Harperites
and they came upon a nasty serpent with a tattoo, a beer & nice hair
lazing by the burning bush, and it bit them on the ass, hip & thigh..
& so they wandered even more.. delerious, delusional, disgusting & really sad..
& lo, they were the damned .. snakebit.. so to speak
Owen, they're the Conservative Party. The word "new" makes them break out in hives.
Cap
Your last paragraph suggests -- rightly -- that the neo-Harperites have made a mistake of Biblical proportions, salamander.
They like to think they're new, Cap, but we've seen this movie before.
The Libertarian wing won't long tolerate the sanctitude of the social conservative rump and the social conservatives will weary of the need to suppress the compulsion to save the Libertarian soul.
There will be a schism.
The Harper Party was always a marriage of convenience, Dana. It will be interesting to see if the spouses can tolerate each other.
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