Count Down To Harpers Departure
Chantal Hébert's column in today's Toronto Star has an excellent analysis concerning the anticipated end of Harper's little right wing experiment in our nation.
The Bloc Québécois clearly wants an election sooner rather than later, a wish that makes an election campaign in the first half of next year a near certainty.
By tracing an early line in the sand on the amount he wants to see transferred to Quebec next year as part of a deal on the fiscal imbalance, Gilles Duceppe has just about locked himself into a plan to vote against the 2007 budget.
Canadians everywhere, want this right wing nonsense to end. Harper has broken promises on the fiscal imbalance, bungled the Afghanistan mission, salivated over George Bush's international policy, let his former Reform buddies like Jason Kenney and Rob Anders run amok politically and generally ticked off reasonable Canadians day after day after day.
Meanwhile, the right wing blogosphere has spewed hatred and insanity to the point that they have actually hurt their own cause. Canadians don't embrace over the top theatrics and the right wing has had a monopoly on that over the last 8 or 9 months.
Harper is toast. He will be an inconsequential footnote in Canadian political history alongside other former lightweight Conservative Prime Ministers like Kim Campbell and Joe Clark.
Toronto Star
Bloc may want an election soon, but do the Libs?:
Andrew Mayeda, The Ottawa Citizen
Published: Friday, October 06, 2006
...The poll was conducted between Sept. 26 and 28 by Ipsos Reid for CanWest News Service and Global National.
It shows 57 per cent of Canadians support the use of troops in combat operations in Afghanistan.
That represents a six-percentage-point rise from early September, and a 10-point rise from late July, when support appears to have bottomed out for the year.
The surge followed a concerted effort by the Tories to build support for the Afghanistan mission....
For example, 80 per cent of respondents believe troops are performing a "vital humanitarian mission" in Afghanistan, while 58 per cent feel the war is winning "well-deserved respect among Americans and the Bush administration.
Posted by wilson | 9:05 am, October 06, 2006
Hmm, counting chickens before they're hatched is not a generally accepted accounting practice.
I think you're right we'll see a spring election. Proclaiming a winner or loser at this point is sheer political fantasy. Just about anything can happen between now and then. It's not a slam dunk for anybody.
Posted by Anonymous | 10:02 am, October 06, 2006
Whooee! Lefty, you done sed a mouthful. Ol' Spot an' me are barkin' right alongside o' you. I only hope yer right an' King Steve gets his keester booted from offa that there throne chair purty soon. The onliest troublem I see is the dang Grits can't get their shit together an' shake the bad PR the adscampers built up. It'd be badnewsbears if ol' Harpoon ever got hisself a majority gummint.
Yores trooly,
JimBobby
Posted by JimBobby | 10:52 am, October 06, 2006
wilson61 said "It shows 57 per cent of Canadians support the use of troops in combat operations in Afghanistan."
Yes they support the use of 'troops' in combat because Girl Guides are simply not as effective. You prove exactly how desperate tories are to try and make it appear that the majority of Canadians back Harpers 'war' in Afghanistan. They do NOT.
Bring on an election RIGHT NOW, make foreign affairs a major issue, and Harper becomes an unfortunate footnote in our history.
Posted by leftdog | 11:17 am, October 06, 2006
Why are you so bitter?
Posted by Anonymous | 2:55 pm, October 06, 2006
I come from Saskatchewan where our last Conservatve government had 16 Conservative Members of the Legislative Assembly CONVICTED in Court of Fraud and Breach of Trust. I have seen first hand how Conservative governments operate and I don't like it.
I also don't like the vicious, nasty way that right wingers have been trying to monopolize the blogsphere since the election. I see right wing conservative types demanding that 'Iran be nuked' and other madness.
I watched New Democrats get BLASTED by tories (like on YOUR site) for saying that we need to look at the possiblity of some type of talks with the Taliban. BUT WHEN THE SAME THING IS CALLED FOR BY REPUBLICAN SENATORS OR BY THE BRITISH MILITARY - You tories go all silent.
Two faced - dishonest - promise breakers - mean spirited - ... shall I go on?
You asked why I am 'so bitter'. Now you know.
Posted by leftdog | 3:45 pm, October 06, 2006
You know what Wilson 61? You have been registered on eblogger since February, 06 from Edmonton, Alberta. You don't have a blog of your own. I am getting a tad tired of carrying all of your opinions on my site.
Why don't you be like the rest of us and set up your own blog so that you can post things like that last lengthy piece of nonsense. THEN everyone can just ignore you.
I am not that anxious for my site to CARRY all of your stuff. Set up a blog. Easy. Steps 1 - 2 - 3.
Posted by leftdog | 3:54 pm, October 06, 2006
NOTE: The cast and crew of Buckdog (that would be me) is signing off for now to drive to Regina for THE ROLLING STONES CONCERT TONIGHT!!
Your comments will be tied up in comment moderation for a while!
Play nice!
Posted by leftdog | 4:00 pm, October 06, 2006
Leftdog, I hope the Stones show was a good one.
As far as your post goes, all I'll say for the moment is this: if we go back 6 to 8 months (or thereabouts) before the last election, I have to wonder how many people would have predicted Harper winning a minority, or the CPC winning seats in Quebec, etc.
You may well be right. Damned if you'll see me predicting what the seat totals will be after Election '07, though I obviously think the Tories are in better shape than you do.
Here's hoping you spent your money on a Stones shirt instead of betting, today, on the outcome of the next election :)
Posted by Jason Hickman | 5:39 pm, October 06, 2006