And another sad election coming, probably May 2

[Devo]

Mistakes will be made both by Harper and by Layton in the next few months. Both are dealing with a situation new to them. However, they both have 4 full years until October 2015 to get it right and both are smart enough that they will get it right.

Both men are unassailable and in control of their political party. Anyone, in their political party, that doubts that needs only to look at Michael Ignatieff and Gille Duceppe to know that charismatic blowhards are the death - not the rebirth - of a political party. The ones on the fringes of both parties should expect to be ruthlessly purged if they attempt to attack from the rear ala Paul Martin in the Chretien government or Ujjal Dosanjh in the Glen Clark government. Both men are keen observers of politics and know that it's better to purge than to keep. Both Harper and Layton have enough MPs that they can afford to purge if they need to.

Searchable results are at http://enr.elections.ca/Home1.aspx

When people complain about national vote levels and the support a party received, especially the people on the left, just remember that Elizabeth May won because elections are 308 individual elections - not one national election. What Elizabeth May benefited from is a precursor to a preferential ballot form of electing an MP. She benefited by the desire of a left leaning community to make a clear statement and it should be noted that the die hard supporters of other parties didn't come to her.

I strongly believe that we should use a preferential ballot to elect MPs and that we should use direct election of the Prime Minister to elect the external face of Canada. That way, we don't have elections all the time and can have elections every 4 or 5 years. I think that our politics would become more civilized if the government can't fall because the opposition has every reason to continuously seek to topple it on baseless assertions.

Least anyone think that Canadians will support the "whiny entitled", despite massive media messaging that said she was ill treated, take a look at Helena Guergis
35085 Simcoe--Grey Simcoe--Grey preliminary préliminaires
Austin Katy NDP-New Democratic Party NPD-Nouveau Parti démocratique 11194
Cochrane Gord CAP PAC 329
Guergis Helena No Affiliation Aucune appartenance 8620
Leitch Kellie Conservative Conservateur 31784
Metheral Jace Green Party Parti Vert 3482
Smardenka Alex Liberal Libéral 8213
Vander Zaag Peter CHP Canada PHC Canada 776

It is political parties that train and support the army of people that are needed to win an election campaign. Even at the individual electoral district level, it takes a few hundred people that must know how to use the technology, what and when to do things and how to avoid having Elections Canada come down on you because you pushed too hard. Individual candidates are worth, at most, 5% of the vote. All the rest of the vote is due to the party organization.

I usually agree with your well thought out posts, however I have to disagree regarding Layton. I believe that the NDP gains were a fluke and will be short lived. I believe that the NDP seat count will return to their previous level after the next election in 4 years.

The people in Quebec quite simply have no idea who they have elected in these fringe candidates. How you could cast a vote for a candidate vacationing in Las Vegas with absolutely no platform is bewildering to me. The Francophone's have a long track record of acting very erratically when it comes to selecting a political party. Thankfully they don't have the numbers to do any real damage to the country.

Jack Layton is now in a predicament where he has to placate the temperamental separatists while keeping his core base of English speaking voters happy. Guess which group will become quickly disillusioned and reject him?

Jack has been around for many years but has never has any real power. His role has been one of "criticize everything that the Conservatives and Liberals do". He could make ridiculous promises because he would always be the last guy in line with no accountability.

Jack incessantly badgered Stephen Harper for (in his words) Mr Harper's paranoid micro management of his MP's. Now the tables have turned and Jack has several extremely green mp's with absolutely no parliamentary experience. It will be interesting to see how much rein Jack will give these new MP's. The expression "herding cats" comes to mind.

I stand by my previous posts where I predict 2 consecutive Conservative majority's. The people of Canada are center right and are not ready for an NDP government. Their core would never allow them to move to the center.

The Liberals cannot get it together in 4 years. Who do they have in the wings as a replacement for Ignatieff? Bob(I love deficits) Rae? I would be very surprised if a NDP-Liberal merger occurred. Both parties are too ideologically different to get along.

People also need to realize that most dyed in the wool Liberals believe that they are the natural governing party of Canada. They view the Conservative majority as unnatural, and that the people must have made some sort of mistake to allow this to happen.

Stephen Harper has matured as a politician and is not likely to make the same mistakes he made early on in his political career. He also for the most part has weeded out the MP's that have previously hurt the party with their controversial comments.

Today is a good day for Canada.

 

[wilde]

I stand by my previous posts where I predict 2 consecutive Conservative majority's. The people of Canada are center right and are not ready for an NDP government. Their core would never allow them to move to the center.

The Liberals cannot get it together in 4 years. Who do they have in the wings as a replacement for Ignatieff? Bob(I love deficits) Rae? I would be very surprised if a NDP-Liberal merger occurred. Both parties are too ideologically different to get along.

People also need to realize that most dyed in the wool Liberals believe that they are the natural governing party of Canada. They view the Conservative majority as unnatural, and that the people must have made some sort of mistake to allow this to happen.

Stephen Harper has matured as a politician and is not likely to make the same mistakes he made early on in his political career. He also for the most part has weeded out the MP's that have previously hurt the party with their controversial comments.

Today is a good day for Canada.

The election is over buddy, easy on the propaganda now...

 

[Devo]

The election is over buddy, easy on the propaganda now...

Your party didn't win so now the discussion should end? A PC majority and the Habs kicked to the curb. A great day to be a Canadian indeed! :thumb:

 

[Cock Throppled]

I'm okay with the Conservative majority if they govern wisely. At least things will get done.

What I'm worried about is if they start their fundamentalist crackdowns on prostitution, marijuana, abortion rights, treatment centres for addicts, shelters, etc. They also control everything 100% from the PMO. No dissent allowed. MP's are mindless puppets.

Don't forget they were the ones who helped foist the HST on an unsuspecting BC public.

 

[HankQuinlan]

I'm okay with the Conservative majority if they govern wisely. At least things will get done.

What I'm worried about is if they start their fundamentalist crackdowns on prostitution, marijuana, abortion rights, treatment centres for addicts, shelters, etc. They also control everything 100% from the PMO. No dissent allowed. MP's are mindless puppets.

Those things will happen, except Harper has said he will not allow abortion rights debates to be opened (although he already has in small ways in terms of foreign aid programs). He will pass legislation that possession of 6 pot plants gets you a prison term. He still has to find ways to maintain his fundy base. Individual rights are not on the agenda -- unless it is right of the wealthy to keep their money.

And some of his MP's need to kept on a leash -- be thankful for that.

 

[ThisEndUp]

I'm okay with the Conservative majority if they govern wisely. At least things will get done.

What I'm worried about is if they start their fundamentalist crackdowns on prostitution, marijuana, abortion rights, treatment centres for addicts, shelters, etc. They also control everything 100% from the PMO. No dissent allowed. MP's are mindless puppets.

Don't forget they were the ones who helped foist the HST on an unsuspecting BC public.

please link to official CPC sitres that support your theories/claims.

Apart from safe injection sites, I can't find them

and you think the Liberals never controlled backbenchers?

 

[Devo]

Those things will happen, except Harper has said he will not allow abortion rights debates to be opened (although he already has in small ways in terms of foreign aid programs). He will pass legislation that possession of 6 pot plants gets you a prison term. He still has to find ways to maintain his fundy base. Individual rights are not on the agenda -- unless it is right of the wealthy to keep their money.

And some of his MP's need to kept on a leash -- be thankful for that.

The strategy of the left never changes:

Step 1) Create a bogeyman.

Step 2) Create fear and confusion by perpetuating the idea that your right wing opponent will strip you of your basic rights. They want to build more jails for the guy who smokes a joint in his basement.

Step 3) The poor teenage girl who accidentally gets pregnant will have to get a back alley coat hanger abortion if the right wing opponent gets elected.

Step 4) Your Grandparents will suddenly become homeless and will have to eat cat food if the right wing opponent gets elected.

Step 5) Men visiting prostitutes will be thrown in jail under a right wing party. This despite the fact there have been Conservative majority's in the past and nothing changed.

Step 6) Label your opponent a racist when you cannot defend the above points.

 

[vancity_cowboy]

They also control everything 100% from the PMO. No dissent allowed. MP's are mindless puppets.

Don't forget they were the ones who helped foist the HST on an unsuspecting BC public.

ohh... i thought you were talking about chretien there about no dissent allowed - he was a real frickin' tyrant!

...and no, it wasn't the conservatives that foist the hst on bc - it was goddam VANOC!! we'll be paying for their party long after i'm dead...

 

[Unpossible]

The strategy of the left never changes:

Step 1) Create a bogeyman.

Step 2) Create fear and confusion by perpetuating the idea that your right wing opponent will strip you of your basic rights. They want to build more jails for the guy who smokes a joint in his basement.

Step 3) The poor teenage girl who accidentally gets pregnant will have to get a back alley coat hanger abortion if the right wing opponent gets elected.

Step 4) Your Grandparents will suddenly become homeless and will have to eat cat food if the right wing opponent gets elected.

Step 5) Men visiting prostitutes will be thrown in jail under a right wing party. This despite the fact there have been Conservative majority's in the past and nothing changed.

Step 6) Label your opponent a racist when you cannot defend the above points.

 

[wilde]

Your party didn't win so now the discussion should end? A PC majority and the Habs kicked to the curb. A great day to be a Canadian indeed! :thumb:

Not if you spell Canadien with an e! And for the record, I voted CPC against my better judgement. In the end, I thought why not give them 4 years to see how badly they can fuck it up...

 

[Bartdude]

Your party didn't win so now the discussion should end? A PC majority and the Habs kicked to the curb. A great day to be a Canadian indeed! :thumb:

You're an idiot.

 

[Devo]

You're an idiot.

I know your probably still a little mad over the election so I won't take that personally.
Oh, before I go just remember that Stephen Harper will be the Prime Minister everyday that you wake up for the next 4 years. :nod:

 

[Cock Throppled]

please link to official CPC sitres that support your theories/claims.

Apart from safe injection sites, I can't find them

and you think the Liberals never controlled backbenchers?

You haven't been paying attention the last few years?

And yes, Libs and NDP also whip their MP's. It's the system that needs change, not just rotating the party in power every so often.

 

[ThisEndUp]

You haven't been paying attention the last few years?

And yes, Libs and NDP also whip their MP's. It's the system that needs change, not just rotating the party in power every so often.

Again, links to official CPC sites that support your claims, Note: Liberal, NDP, and Democratic party propaganda/fear mongering/lies do not have any value

And Yes, the system needs to be overhauled

 

[ThisEndUp]

It seems that Elizabeth May feels an exception to the rules of Parliament should be made specifically for her. She wants the budget, staff, office space and time in Question Period that would be afforded to a political party that has more than 12 elected MPs.

Perhaps she will think out her demand a little more carefully. Giving her that status would require giving the Bloc that status. Which is why I'm certain that the demand won't be granted.

But she is special, and if she doesn't get it she will place the gender card, rules do not apply to her

First she wants exception to appear on TV debates, without an elected member, just like the marxists, and other finge parties, she knows the rules

Again she wants another exception, bah she knows the rules

 

[Bartdude]

I know your probably still a little mad over the election so I won't take that personally.
Oh, before I go just remember that Stephen Harper will be the Prime Minister everyday that you wake up for the next 4 years. :nod:

No, you're an idiot. Take it personally.

Troll.

 

[aznboi9]

Harper earned his majority fair and square. He will also be the PM of Canada for the next 4 years and will probably win the next election with a majority as well. The people of Canada have spoken.

Spare me the talking points. When a party's share of the popular vote remains almost identical to the previous election, they didn't earn anything.

 

[vancity_cowboy]

Spare me the talking points. When a party's share of the popular vote remains almost identical to the previous election, they didn't earn anything.

actually, to earn a point or two when you are in the forties already, is an incredibly difficult thing to do because you are convincing people who would normally vote against you

 

[aznboi9]

actually, to earn a point or two when you are in the forties already, is an incredibly difficult thing to do because you are convincing people who would normally vote against you

That's true; but Harper didn't actually reach the forties. He fell just short at 39.6%, if I recall correctly.

I should qualify that Harper did earn his majority; but not by attracting people to vote Conservative. He was very effective in helping divide the opposition vote.

Which, again, is part of the problem with our system. You can either work to inspire people to vote for you, or demoralize them into not voting for your opponent; whether you are a uniter or a divider, you get equally rewarded for either approach.

 

[Devo]

No, you're an idiot. Take it personally.

Troll.

Now that our great country of Canada has a Conservative majority (for the next 4 years-possibly 8) I would ask that you conduct yourself more appropriately. Show some respect for our Prime Minister.