Ezra Levant Doesn't Sound Optimistic About Harper's Re-election
Right wing pundit, Ezra Levant, is not sounding his normal confident self on the matter of Stephen Harper's chances for re-election. In his January 1st column in the Calgary Sun, it is pretty clear from Ezra's opening and closing paragraphs that he is not overly optimistic about Tory fortunes.First paragraph:
The new year will bring a federal election, likely in May or June. It will not be a slam dunk for the ruling Conservatives, but they have a surprisingly strong record to run on, considering their brief tenure and modest minority.
Final paragraph:
This is the year the Liberals think they will retake Parliament. They might just be right, if Dion's record of policy failure and policy double-crosses remains hidden.
Between the first and final paragraphs, Mr. Levant goes to great lengths to slam Stephane Dion.
The Tories are worried. At least Ezra is. He should be worried. After the dismal record of the Conservative government in their first few months, it is obvious that they have lost a lot of friends.
The Income Trust matter has hurt them. While anyone who is angry at the Tory flip flop likely will not run out and vote against Harper, a number might just stay home on election day.
The heavy handed manner that Harper has used with the Canadian Wheat Board has hurt him politically. There is no denying that on the prairies, many who voted Conservative in 2006 will not do so in 2007.
Hey, and where are all our promised tax cuts? One stinking cent off the GST is supposed to make millions run out to vote for the Tories? I think not.
And the big one, the one that will see Tory seats in Quebec go somewhere else, is Afghanistan. Tie that with the cozy relationship that Prime Minister 'Steve' Harper has with George W. Bush and it's all over for the Conservatives.
Calgary Sun
Hmmm...lessee Ezra's worried about Dion's past...I'm more worried about Harper in the present myself.
So far, beyond utterly bogus talking point accusations, Ezra (and Paul Jackson) has come up with nothing substantive to criticize Dion with.
(Mind you, when the CPC government continues to whine about the Liberal government before it, they convince Canadians more and more that they are still the official opposition - and not doing a very good job of it)
Posted by
MgS |
4:53 pm, January 02, 2007
I am certainly naive here, but I hope the next several months are spent by both the dippers and the libs focusing entirely on policy failure in the short period of time the Cons have been in office. The key word over the next 5 months must be: "incompetence".
1. An Accountability Act that experts decry because it will actually lead to less accountability
2. Cutting the GST, which most economists agree is a stupid move, instead of cutting income taxes (i'm just saying how if they wanted to stick to their tax cut promises, they could have done a better job of it....they can't even be right-wingers properly).
3. A child-care "plan" that creates no childcare spaces, and gives money to parents in the most inefficient way possible (separate cheque = more administration, plus it is taxable....why not just increase the Child Tax Benefit by an equal amount and save all the extra administration?)
4. Zero action on the environment.
5. Piss poor leadership in Afghanistan. If we should be there, tell us why we are there, what the specific mission, what constitutes success, and when we can come home. Support our troops isn't leadership.
6. A myriad of tiny tax credits that will do nothing to encourage desired behaviour (ex. tax credits for bus passes or hockey will not create more transit users or hockey players, its just a gift to those already doing it)
I could go on.
Please dippers and libs, you only need to use one word over the next 4 months. INCOMPETENCE.
Posted by
Mike Stefaniuk |
12:48 pm, January 03, 2007
He could be afraid or he could be trying to motivate conservative voters. Again this would be an example of Ezra following a US Republican model. Despite the control that the GOP wielded over all branches of government during Bush's first six years in office, they constantly portrayed themselves as outsiders being stymied by faceless liberal elites.
Posted by
Dan |
10:49 pm, January 03, 2007
I hadn't thought of it being a motivation thing but you may be correct. I notice that when I throw predictions of 'impending defeat of the Harper government' at Conservative types, they get that 'deer in the headlights' look - sorta scared, sorta in denial...
Posted by
leftdog |
10:58 pm, January 03, 2007