tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7884128379999766348.post4032298052090410799..comments2024-03-28T22:02:16.520-04:00Comments on Politics and its Discontents: On The Importance Of Political RenewalLornehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741324981120408977noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7884128379999766348.post-8725581335701566232015-11-16T12:41:57.619-05:002015-11-16T12:41:57.619-05:00It would be an irony that I think would be entirel...It would be an irony that I think would be entirely lost on the Conservatives, AniO, since they are not given to what we like to call nuanced thinking.Lornehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15741324981120408977noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7884128379999766348.post-50362476596078818932015-11-16T11:30:13.227-05:002015-11-16T11:30:13.227-05:00All this makes me fear that any hope for a future ...All this makes me fear that any hope for a future honourable Conservative party is dim indeed. It's a bit of irony to think the "conservatives" might bring us to one-party rule - by the Liberals!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7884128379999766348.post-19664186560858140702015-11-14T14:27:00.711-05:002015-11-14T14:27:00.711-05:00Your analysis here provides much food for thought,...Your analysis here provides much food for thought, Mound. I suspect that the party doesn't at this point know which 'formula' will enhance their prospects for a return to power, and hence the absence of any date for a leadership convention. Doubtlessly they are waiting to see how the Trudeau 'brand' does in the medium term before they decide whether or not to embrace the 'sincerity thing.' If Trudeau starts to falter, they will likely see that as licence to end their introspection and return to their default position of being ranting morons, but perhaps slightly nicer ranting morons than in their most recent incarnation.Lornehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15741324981120408977noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7884128379999766348.post-44280990308211881532015-11-14T11:45:33.645-05:002015-11-14T11:45:33.645-05:00Lorne, political renewal was behind Mulroney's...Lorne, political renewal was behind Mulroney's recent speech but the Reform crowd didn't wrestle control of this party of mutated conservatism to relinquish it to the 'wets' without a fight. The Reformers feel they've already compromised enough when they backed away from their radical social conservative agenda - capital punishment, outlawing abortion, etc. That's why all they're offering now is to be less nasty and it's why they believe they were brought down by perception not policy. The old PC crowd want to reclaim control of the party but they're not sure they have the strength to overcome the Reform cadre. A goodly segment of that PC crowd backed Trudeau in this election and the Reformers are bitter over that.<br /><br />It will be fascinating to see who runs for the leadership. By then Harper should be thoroughly damaged goods even within his own party ranks. Will the successful candidate need to be politically virginal or at least willing to openly repudiate, perhaps even denounce, Harper? I think the delay in holding a leadership convention will work heavily against the old guard, Harper's front bench stooges.<br /><br />Then there's oil and the East/West conundrum. Harper was always bolstered by this fantasy of Canada as an "energy superpower." That meant Alberta was, as Ignatieff infamously proclaimed, the "beating heart of the Canadian economy for the 21st century." That delusion carried a lot of political clout with the Tory faithful and it carried it straight to the Wild Rose province at no inconsiderable cost to central Canada. There may be an economic reckoning or realignment to roil the waters in this leadership contest and, again, time isn't on the Tories' side.The Mound of Soundhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09023839743772372922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7884128379999766348.post-32543132529493339592015-11-14T09:19:36.984-05:002015-11-14T09:19:36.984-05:00Your metaphorical descriptions of the detritus of ...Your metaphorical descriptions of the detritus of the Conservative Party sets a new standard here, Salamander. There is nothing more I can add. Well done!Lornehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15741324981120408977noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7884128379999766348.post-17236151311812377732015-11-14T07:33:26.987-05:002015-11-14T07:33:26.987-05:00.. the rump leftovers of Harper Kenney Flanagan Ha..... the rump leftovers of Harper Kenney Flanagan Hamilton Tea Party North.. now being fronted by deary Me Rona Ambrose & one supposes - back room money - Big Energy schemers - and cabin boy political science dreamers. Oh ! Did I leave out Old Snot donors & enablers with their 15 dollah tithing as 'Friend send money' ? <br /><br />I can barely wait for Ray Novak & Jenni Byrne to very very quietly rise to the surface with their prehysteric & periscopic snouts extended. Both can 'write' a book on their 'service to Canada' to bookend the inevitable flatulent Harper autobiography cementing his statesman feet as a pedestal of demockracy, fiscal genius & military cleverness through fire and water for Israel..<br /><br />Canadians and any mainstream media needs to recognize any emergence of the ragtag jackal-pack members for what it is.. scavenging political animals & parasites snuffling snorthing & sniffing for a new host to ride upon.. or hide on..the salamanderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06853337802990122289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7884128379999766348.post-51798066281598515062015-11-13T20:59:14.036-05:002015-11-13T20:59:14.036-05:00Your points are well-taken, Pamela. The Conservati...Your points are well-taken, Pamela. The Conservatives have listened to themselves for so long, to the exclusion of mainstream Canada, that they will have a very difficult time coming to any productive insights for a long, long time.Lornehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15741324981120408977noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7884128379999766348.post-14930769838753678602015-11-13T19:25:22.121-05:002015-11-13T19:25:22.121-05:00Without real fundamental change Lorne the CONs wil...Without real fundamental change Lorne the CONs will go nowhere. As long as they remain reform/alliance, which is who they really are, Canadians will dismiss them. I think though they feel they don't have to change, because they plan to get elected again by their base as they did in 2011.They have never relied on the Canadian majority to get elected. In order for them to change, they would have to go back to the beginning and communicate with ALL Canadians. In other words they would have to become the Progressive Conservative party. The policies and ideas of their base are not the policies and ideas of the rest of Canada. They and their base are this isolated tribe who above all want to win in the next election. Canadians never want them in again, but if they could think of someway to win even if underhanded or deceptive they would do it in a minute. What they don't seem to realize about themselves is that as a group they have no integrity. They don't seem to realize that Canadians took a third party with 34 seats and gave it a majority to govern with. Everything about that says that Canadians want a progressive government and an open. transparent democracy. This is completely lost on the CONs. They still think they can manipulate their way to power.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07842215982128591742noreply@blogger.com