Time for PM Harper to take the offensive

[a_majoor]

From the Blonde Conservative:

heblondeconservative.blogspot.com/2007/02/time-for-pm-stephen-harper-to-play.html&title=Time%20for%20PM%20Stephen%20Harper%20to%20play%20offense

Time for PM Stephen Harper to play offense

I think we have established that Stephane Dion is not a leader... heck, even the media has finally caught on. As much as humiliating Dion knocks him down in the polls, it is appearing to drag our PM down into the sludge with him. Time to cut bait, cut the dead weight and pull ahead.

I personally feel that Harper is at his best when he's in the groove and in motion. We now need to see more Harper, and let the Grits flip flop around in their own mess. I don't think they need our help in looking any stupider than they already do. I'd like to see the Prime Minister move full speed ahead with the kind of country he sees for us, more policy, more action. Let the Grit comments be an after-thought, and keep them to a minimum.

Ol' Ralphie does a pretty good job looking like a cranky badger coming out of his hole. Holland's best move is his continuous foot to mouth trick when the name Alberta is mentioned. These are just two examples to further prove my point. Even CBC's Don Newman told a Liberal today on Politics to come back when he made up his mind on bill C-257. I just about killed myself laughing. You should have seen the look on the other guy's face.

I don't fault the Prime Minister for his speeches in the HOC. Not the smartest move, but then again, we were in Opposition too long, and old habits die hard. It's time for Harper to shine, and really show Canadians why we felt he was good enough the first time around to be PM, and why if there is a second time, there simply won't be anyone who can come close.

In hockey terms, I'd like to see the PM put the gloves back on, get his game on and play some rock solid offense. After all, you don't score any goals playing defense.

 

[mjohnston39]

full speed ahead with the kind of country he sees for us, more policy, more action. Let the Grit comments be an after-thought, and keep them to a minimum.

Used this strategy in the last election, announcing policies daily, and it kept the grits on their heels and in a defensive reactionary position, would be good to see again... But being in a openly hostile minority parliament this approach might be difficult without risking an election, although Harper looks to be in a good position for that eventuality...

 

[ModlrMike]

Used this strategy in the last election, announcing policies daily, and it kept the grits on their heels and in a defensive reactionary position, would be good to see again... But being in a openly hostile minority parliament this approach might be difficult without risking an election, although Harper looks to be in a good position for that eventuality...

True enough, but I think that the PM is going to use a different tack to force the election. I wager that there will be some opposition issue in the budget. When the budget is defeated, the Torries will be able to say that the opposition can't support their own issues. Basically paint them as "say one thing, do another". Perhaps they will throw $100BN at Kyoto and watch the opposition squirm. The Torries have really begun to focus on the environment lately, and this would make for an obvious strategy.

 

[Flip]

The sad truth is that we are used to liberals saying one thing and doing others.

Canadians by and large have given far too much credit for what is said on a soap box,
and far too little credit ( or blame) for what is done.

Liberals can spout all of the utopian dreams they want and people who don't
think just love it.

When it comes time to picking up the tab, the liberals are in the bathroom.

Harpers government is committed to doing the right thing.
Credit for this tack takes a long time to earn.

Just my little rant...... ;D

 

[ArmyRick]

I agree. There are too many people (Mostly Ontario) who will not give the tories the time of day simply because of an idea of always supporting the liberals.

Blind Loyalty is stupid. People should take the time and educate themselves. If they did, the facts would speak for themselves and the liberals would rank lower than the green party.

 

[Roy Harding]

I agree. There are too many people (Mostly Ontario) who will not give the tories the time of day simply because of an idea of always supporting the liberals.

Blind Loyalty is stupid. People should take the time and educate themselves. If they did, the facts would speak for themselves and the liberals would rank lower than the green party.

I would take exception to the "Mostly Ontario" comment.  I am, politically, an "Albertan".  I now live in BC (geography and climate captivated me.)

Folks in BC also have an anti-tory biase - why this is, I don't know - I've only been here for two months - when I figure that I've figured it out, I'll post my ideas here.

Many years ago, I lived in Saskatchewan - the birthplace of the CCF/NDP movement - not exactly "Tory Friendly".

I was born, and have much family in, Quebec - the historical "fortress" for the Lieberals - again not exactly "Tory Friendly".

So yes, Ontario is an important locus of anti-Tory thought, but that particular train of thought is not only found in "Mostly Ontario".

Maybe I'm quibbling - then again, maybe I'm not.

Roy

 

[JasonSkald]

I would take exception to the "Mostly Ontario" comment.  I am, politically, an "Albertan".  I now live in BC (geography and climate captivated me.)

Folks in BC also have an anti-tory biase - why this is, I don't know - I've only been here for two months - when I figure that I've figured it out, I'll post my ideas here.
Roy

You realize that the BC Liberal Party is essentially conservative? I live in a riding where the conservative MP (John Cummins) has been re-elected 3 times. The Conservative party took 17 seats in the federal election, behind only Ontario and Alberta.

 

[Roy Harding]

You realize that the BC Liberal Party is essentially conservative? I live in a riding where the conservative MP (John Cummins) has been re-elected 3 times. The Conservative party took 17 seats in the federal election, behind only Ontario and Alberta.

Actually, no - I don't realize that.  As I said in my previous post, I've only been here two months - when I think I've got it figured out, I'll let you know.

And how does this revelation make the "Mostly Ontario" comment MORE relevant?

 

[JasonSkald]

And how does this revelation make the "Mostly Ontario" comment MORE relevant?

I wasn't addressing your Ontario comment.

 

[Roy Harding]

Fair 'nuff.

 

[mjohnston39]

Re: BC being liberal

Depends where you are, the lower mainland and parts of the Island are very liberal and will could be a tough nut for the Tories to crack. The provincial NDP has a sizable opposition (33 seats) even after grinding the province into the ground under it's heel for 10 years...

 

[I_am_John_Galt]

You realize that the BC Liberal Party is essentially conservative? I live in a riding where the conservative MP (John Cummins) has been re-elected 3 times. The Conservative party took 17 seats in the federal election, behind only Ontario and Alberta.

Further to that & FYI, the Liberal Party in BC used to be a left-leaning party until the implosion of the SoCreds.  SoCred players (& voters) kinda took-over the BC Liberal Party and forced out a lot of the old guard and old socialist policies (particularly under Campbell): they formally broke-off all ties to the federal Liberals around 15 years ago.  This polarized politics in BC to the point where the provincial NDP now covers most of the ground of the federal Liberals & NDP (e.g. Ujjal Dosanjh) and the BC Liberal Party's policies are much more in tune with the old Reform/Alliance wing of the federal Conservatives.

 

[RangerRay]

Federally, BC voters are anti-Central Canadian Establishment.  Hence the popularity of parties such as Social Credit, the NDP and Reform.

Provincially, voters are in two camps: free-enterprisers and socialists.  Back in the 40's, the Liberals and Conservatives formed coalition governments to keep the CCF out of power.  Then, from 1951 to 1991, they found a home in Social Credit, while the Liberals, then a true "Liberal" party in the Canadian sense, languished as a fringe party.  When the Socreds imploded, the liberal free-enterprisers went to Gordon Wilson's Liberal Party, and conservative free-enterprisers in the Interior went to Reform BC, which split the free-enterprise vote, allowing the NDP into power.  In 1996, Gordon Campbell made the BC Liberals a more business friendly party by bringing in the Howe Street crowd, but he failed to gain enough support of conservatives in the Interior.  His loss in 1996 forced Campbell to reach out to the Reformers, who were also getting sick of the NDP.  Today, the BC Liberals are a free-enterprise coalition in the same tradition as Social Credit under Bill Bennett.

Does that help?  ;D