The Shotgun Blog
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Tuesday, December 29, 2009
"I'm getting better at this.”
No, you are not.
In year-end interviews, broadcast Sunday on CTV's Question Period , both leaders of opposition parties danced around the topic of a possible election in 2010. “What I've learned from Canadians in 2009 is they didn't want an election,” Mr. Ignatieff said.
“What they want is an alternative to the Harper government.”
Mr. Ignatieff acknowledged it was a mistake to push for an election earlier this year, disrespecting and ignoring what Canadians were saying. “Canadians were in the middle of the toughest recession in 25 years,” he said. “They want an alternative to the Harper government. What they didn't want is someone talking about an election. And somehow we got stuck with the idea that we wanted an election at any price.
So, the Canadian people don't want an election, but they do want a different government. Now if I was the literally minded sort, I'd think that Iggy was calling for another attempt at a Parliamentary Putsch. No one said anything about a coalition. Just an "alternative." We all like alternatives, don't we? Freedom of choice and all that. Unless you're a prairie farmer trying to sell wheat. But I digress. I don't think Lord Iggy is plotting to overthrow the government, without benefit of an election sometime in 2010 or 2011. The Grand Coalition of last December - you'll recall the Traitor, the Fool and the Socialist - has ended any possibility of a non-electoral transfer power, British Parliamentary tradition not withstanding. What Iggy is trying to say is that he needs to show Canadians that the Liberal Front-Benches are a government in waiting, rather than a power hungry rabble, as they've behaved so far this parliament.
This bring us to the heart of the matter with Iggy. He doesn't know why he wants to become Prime Minister. Unlike Stephen Harper, who seems to have been born with an eye on the prize, Iggy just kind of showed up. Even if he is just visiting, he doesn't know why he is here. Well past the comfortable shores of middle age, heading for the Golden Sunset, Iggy seems to have been talked into becoming leader of the Liberal Party. A few fast talking, and marginalized, figures within the Grit hierarchy got into the Professor's head dreams of political glory. What a finisher! Small Town Boy comes home and becomes mayor after fast life in the Big City.
The yokels - the Canadian electorate - were suppose to be bowled over by his genius and eminence. Canadians don't much like intellectuals. The pioneer mindset has never entirely left us. Unless you can build, run or discover something, or play hockey, you're pretty much useless. Canadians, those living outside of Girt strongholds in downtown Toronto, were not impressed by some guy who taught at Harvard and had a show on the BBC. Toronto isn't like the rest of Canada. Toronto wants to be New York, and before that it wanted to be London. The ROC doesn't really care what the Blue Coast Elites and British Establishment types think of anything. His resume having failed to impress, Iggy was left with exactly nothing. No real policy, except some melodramatic whining over Employment Insurance benefits that few understood, and those who did understand thought was the first step toward turning EI into a straight welfare benefit. One policy and it was a fairly contrived and stupid one. Failing some unlikely and huge Harper misstep, Iggy will be tossed out with stacks of yellowing Red Books, the day after the next election.
Posted by Richard Anderson on December 29, 2009 | Permalink
Comments
The Liebral Party really is a regional party now, isolated in and around the Toronto area. They offer nothing for anyone living outside that region. Iggy is therefore its perfect leader because he is incapable of thinking beyond it. He should remain in charge for the foreseeable future in order to give Mr. Harper, the best prime minister in the post-1945 period and rapidly gaining as the best ever for standing against Kyoto, a lengthy mandate.
Posted by: Zebulon Pike | 2009-12-29 7:53:19 AM
The whole thought of getting EI for working a few days made me think of quiting working for myself and get a Gov't job for a few days, then retire.
----
What is Iggy here for really, since he has no passion, No want to, and is a screw up in the political feild, could it be he was told by his friend, Bob Rae,
"come back to Canada, to retire, you will get free health care, and let me get you a job in Gov't for 10 minutes so you can get a high priced pension and live off the Canadian tax payer the rest of your life. We are all doing it, and we don't even have to be in the Gov't and do real work." And If we do get back in to office, we could appoint you as a senator.
Posted by: Scott_G | 2009-12-29 10:03:49 AM
As for strategy, What a dumb move by Iggy and the liberals.
EI could have been a hot potatoe, a real show stopper, and they blew it over the Summer, ended up trying to ask the Tories to do something stupid which most Canadians thought was stupid.
---
Then Iggy the new guy threatens the PM "your time is up."
Harper basically says that Iggy and his people are asking for dumb things, cant be worked with so were going this alone, we are fixing EI without him.
And harper puts a BILLION dollars on the table to extend EI.
Now in a recession, No one in their right mind would go to an election when there is a BILION dollars on the table for the Unemployed, and Jack new it. And Iggy then walked away with both eyes rolling in different directions.
Harper helped Canadians and was really politically smart.
Iggy on the other hand was trying to use the backs of Canadians and the EI subject to get Harper in Trouble, and wasn't actually caring for Canadians at all.
It was a game changer. Iggy came being a mouthy ego driven want to be, and had to crawl away looking like a total dolt.
Posted by: Scott_G | 2009-12-29 10:12:56 AM
"Canadians don't much like intellectuals". - Publius
Canada liked Trudeau, unfortunately, and he was considered an intellectual. Iggy is no Trudeau but rather an academic fish out of water. His ego likely makes him difficult for his spin doctors and handlers. Harper has more Trudeau-like political skills than Iggy. Harper is more an intellectual than Iggy.
Posted by: John Chittick | 2009-12-29 10:49:33 AM
Trudeau won not because he was intellectual, but because he sold himself as being the only person who could deal with Quebec. The federalist gunslinger. The intellectual / playboy aspect appealed only to the Toronto-Montreal-Ottawa elite.
Posted by: Publius | 2009-12-29 10:59:21 AM
i don't agree with Harper's pragmatic statism, but he's a genius and the best we've got.
i hold out hope that with a majority he'll start shrinking government.
Posted by: shel | 2009-12-29 11:08:32 AM
You people are sick and twisted. A Harper majority?? Are you fucking insane? This is probably the most Con-sucking article I have ever read here. The only people who were really upset by a coalition were the Conservative voters, and a few idiots who were fooled by the LIES and propaganda the Lying Conservatives were spewing about it. The coaltion would have been MORE democratic, because the government would have represented the wishes of MORE of the voters preferences. Conservatives don't like intellectuals because people with brain power see past their emotionally driven bullshit policies.
Posted by: DrGreenthumb | 2009-12-29 11:36:44 AM
The Liberals last hope is to try and push Justin Trudeau as the new party leader.Although he may carry the Trudeau name his intellectual capacity is more like his Mother.The Liberals are like a drowning man going down for the third time.Instead of sitting back looking at how it is impossible to form government at this time. They also know the polls do not show the total disgust Canadians have on their pushing this detainee thing while our young soldiers die.They have moved so far to the left with Red Bob Rae and Ujjal Dasanjh two ex NDP premiers that they really offer no alternative and have placed their party in jeopardy and could be replaced by the NDP.Layton has proved a much stronger opposition leader than Iffy.They should wake up soon as I can bet you their fund raising is in bad shape.
Posted by: gar | 2009-12-29 11:39:39 AM
Canadians are disgusted with Harper and Mackay being complicit in torture, not with the Liberals and NDP for pointing it out. That HAS shown in the polls, as the Cons have seen themselves slip back out of majority territory. Justin is brilliant and charismatic like his father, and I for one hope that he does one day become Prime Minister.
The Liberals and NDP exposing the Conservatives complicity in torture does not endanger or malign our troops. It only endangers the political future of Conservative MP's. Making the average Afghani hate our troops for following Conservative policy, and handing over their family members to be beaten and tortured does.
Posted by: DrGreenthumb | 2009-12-29 11:56:30 AM
ZP sez: "He should remain in charge for the foreseeable future in order to give Mr. Harper, the best prime minister in the post-1945 period and rapidly gaining as the best ever for standing against Kyoto, a lengthy mandate."
Zeb Zeb zeb...
True conservatives laugh in your pathetic face when you come up with this BS! Harper was AWOL in Copenhagen, and Canada is now a bigger joke to the world because of it.
True conservatives know the party is in deep trouble. Harper can't inspire most of Canada to vote for Harper, and there's nobody else in the wings. 36% is not a mandate that will accomplish anything except more minorities.
Dead end.
Zebulon and the other CON toadies that predict a Harper majority every election (and are consistently embarrassed when they are proven wrong) are the same jokers that elected Stelmach.
Nuff said.
Posted by: ronin | 2009-12-29 12:33:02 PM
"Canadians don't much like intellectuals". - Publius
Speak for your self Publius. I would much rather have an intellectual guiding government than a man of religion. Or some dumbass that has no idea how to deal with their station. Which is most politicians. In fact, tell me again why we even need politicians? Oh ya, to keep the rich, rich, and the poor, poor. Harper is a plague on Canada. And while I agree, Iggy is a disaster, that is no reason to think Harper is great. If we really wanted to have an aware population, kids would learn about politics, the money system, and how humans develop their behaviors, in a daily class from say grade 6 on. But then we would be rioting in the streets if such a scenario existed. I think science should be calling the shots. Not some idiot who doesn't know his ass from a hole in the ground, and is full of bias and unfounded beliefs.
Posted by: Steve Bottrell | 2009-12-29 1:26:55 PM
well said Steve.
Posted by: DrGreenthumb | 2009-12-29 1:47:32 PM
What is a "true conservative"? I wish you people would escape your fantasy world and get into the present. I know that this is a hard process for Ontarians. Mr. Harper saved the country from the incompetence of the opposition and the Left. Each would have gladly signed Kyoto and dedicated unlimited sums of tax dollars to foreign countries. They were oblivious to the consequences at home - closed hospitals, schools, reduced social services, and millions of lost jobs. Harper prevented this from happening. He is the true conservative.
Posted by: Zebulon Pike | 2009-12-29 4:10:22 PM
I admit to being one who would like an alternative to the present government, however the existing alternatives are even worse. So why should I or anyone vote to make Canada a worse place? It is bad enough that our traditional freedoms are being eroded while we are being taxed, one way or another, into the poor house.
Posted by: Alain | 2009-12-29 5:42:21 PM
I vote for the Bloc.
Posted by: Marc | 2009-12-29 6:06:24 PM
Bloc Quebecois. It is so easy for a party that never aspires to be in power. It is always ask, ask, ask, but the party never has to worry about doing anything in return. The Bloc Quebecois MPs are in federal politics only to pad their pensions. And once that is acquired, switch to the Parti Quebecois; and vice versa.
Posted by: Nothing New Under the Sun | 2009-12-29 6:54:50 PM
Actually Zeb, the Liberals signed the Kyoto accord and did NOTHING. Which was fine by me. Lets wait and see what your savior does. I feel my wallet getting lighter already.
Posted by: Steve Bottrell | 2009-12-29 7:08:33 PM
I could run this country better than any of these clowns running it now. Its just a freaking circus put on for the intellectually bankrupt, which is most people. I am now starting to see the light on the libertarian stand on education, but still something seems not right. Is it the money aspect or the religious aspect of it I don't like. Most likely both. I will give it some more thought when I have time.
Posted by: Steve Bottrell | 2009-12-29 7:18:36 PM
Hey Greenthumb, check out the Venus Project (google it, should be the first hit). Tell me what you think.
Posted by: Steve Bottrell | 2009-12-29 7:21:45 PM
Are you NNUTS?
Bloc Québécois MPs are the best people in Ottawa. They represent the only true alternative to big government. Being a Bloc MP must be the hardest seat to fill in Ottawa where all the others only serve one common goal: finding new ways to enslave people.
They work truly hard on the ground to promote Québec's independance and will get no "pensions" once Québec becomes its own country.
Say what you like but many Canadians, unable to vote Bloc, still think they're the ones making more sense on most issues.
Posted by: Marc | 2009-12-29 7:57:35 PM
Go Harper for a BIG majority!!!
Posted by: Merle Terlesky | 2009-12-30 12:42:38 AM
They work truly hard on the ground to promote Québec's independance and will get no "pensions" once Québec becomes its own country.
~Marc
Piffle.
The Bloc isn't in any position to promote Quebec's independence from Ottawa.
Promoting independence would be the job of the Quebec provincial government if 73% of Quebecers hadn't voted against the Parti Quebecois.
But, 73% of Quebecers did reject the Parti Quebecois in the last provincial election, so I guess Quebec's independence isn't just around the next corner.
Pity.
It's pretty obvious that there isn't going to be any Quebec independence, it's equally obvious that Bloc MPs ARE going to collect their FAT pensions, and finally, it's obvious that you, Marc, still don't know Shiite from Shinola when it comes to how anything works let alone what real Canadians think.
Poor Pepsi.
Posted by: Speller | 2009-12-30 4:52:24 AM
Dear Speller,
Please forgive me for letting your brilliant comments without answer for that long.
I’m not sure if you do it deliberately, if my disdain of that ugly language you call English makes me hard to follow or simply because you have the IQ of a ham sandwich but; “on the ground” meant outside Ottawa, on the ground…in their circumscriptions.
Every time I met with Bloc MPs across Québec, they were promoting Independence as very convinced and passionate people.
During the last elections in 08, which have the lowest voter’s turnout in Canadian history, the Bloc got 38.1% of the votes in Québec against 21.7% for the Cons, 23.7% for the Libs and 12.2% for the NPD. That means that the few Quebecers still loosing their times voting in federal elections did voted, once again and in an important majority, for the Bloc…
That also means that if we would pretend that 100% of Quebecers (like you would like us to believe) went out to vote in that, or any useless federal election…they would, in majority, prefer a party that goal is to assure a fair representation and transfer of powers after a positive referendum on the question of independence from the ROC.
Now if the conclusions you reach at the light of those numbers is that Québec has no chance to become its own Nation and that Bloc MPs are all there only for a pension from your taxes, that’s your interpretation.
…but don’t get impolite at me just because you and your wife who enjoys reading “your stuff” from her tower in Calgary can’t connect the dots properly.
Posted by: Marc | 2010-01-03 12:21:29 AM
...diving deeper into the rabbit hole of victimhood, i see.
i wonder where you'll come out? to a hammer-state, quasi-fascist Quebec with an artificially propped up "culture"?
Posted by: shel | 2010-01-03 11:03:12 AM
"i wonder where you'll come out? to a hammer-state, quasi-fascist Quebec with an artificially propped up "culture"?"
How cute this sounds...comming from an English Canadian...
Posted by: Marc | 2010-01-03 11:31:04 AM
Quebec should not be allowed to secede. They've done nothing to warrant it. Alberta should not either.
Instead, kick Ontario out. They're the problem. Racist, white supremacist, book-banning, anti-Semitic, rich bastards deserve to have all their wealth seized and returned to their victims, and expelled from the country. Return the place to its natural, pre-colonial status whereby the Natives will rule as intended.
Posted by: Zebulon Pike | 2010-01-03 11:54:36 AM
two victims in a row:
"Marc and Zeb, dreaming of the Judgment Day,
"when the flood came and carried all their enemies away".
Posted by: shel | 2010-01-03 12:30:59 PM
...and Marc, you're not the first French Canadian male to call me cute.
Posted by: shel | 2010-01-03 12:45:01 PM
I can't believe that The Standard has not one article up about Harper's subversion of democracy with the prorogation of parliament? Like what the hell? This is a political site promoting freedom? This Prime Minister has twice in about a year used prorogation as it was never intended to be used. To thwart the will of the majority of elected members of parliament, Harper just suspends it and denies our elected representatives the ability to represent our interests in parliament. The only coup d'etat in Canada is Harper's theft of our democracy.
Posted by: DrGreenthumb | 2010-01-03 1:01:00 PM
...not to mention your ugly wives and daughters coming down to Montreal in loaded bus each year when tired of being improperly fucked back home...
Posted by: Marc | 2010-01-03 1:14:05 PM
DrGreenthumb...
FYI, Chretien prorogued Parliament four times during his time in office.
OK for him but not Harper? Just askin'.
Posted by: Ed Ellison | 2010-01-03 2:04:37 PM
shel: "i wonder where you'll come out? to a hammer-state, quasi-fascist Quebec with an artificially propped up "culture"?"
There will be no more artifically propped up "culture" for our dreaming friend if either Quebec or Alberta leave Confederation.
Posted by: Ed Ellison | 2010-01-03 2:09:16 PM
"the Bloc got 38.1% of the votes in Québec against 21.7% for the Cons, 23.7% for the Libs and 12.2% for the NPD. That means that the few Quebecers still loosing their times voting in federal elections did voted, once again and in an important majority, for the Bloc"
Math 101: A "majority" is 50% plus 1. You know, that number you've never been able to hit in a referendum.
Posted by: Ian in NS | 2010-01-03 2:24:55 PM
"There will be no more artifically propped up "culture" for our dreaming friend if either Quebec or Alberta leave Confederation"
~you're right, Ed. Alberta spoon-feeds Quebec.
~Ian, don't mention "referendum" to Marc. you'll destroy his focus and leave him with no sense of purpose.
Posted by: shel | 2010-01-03 2:36:44 PM
Marc: "...not to mention your ugly wives and daughters coming down to Montreal in loaded bus each year when tired of being improperly fucked back home..."
Haha.
The operative word is ugly.
Must be why there are so many homosexual men in Montreal!
Posted by: Ed Ellison | 2010-01-03 3:51:04 PM
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