Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Stephen Harper and the Great East-West Con War



These are the last images most Canadians have seen of Stephen Harper, after his humiliating defeat, at the hands of Justin, the Son of Trudeau.

His face even more waxy than usual, his eyes staring eerily into space reflecting his inner devastation, shaking hands with his shocked cult followers without even looking at them. 

No doubt boiling with barely repressed rage, at the thought that Canadians had dared  strip him of his precious powers after only TEN years in office !!#@!!!

Because no doubt by then all the voices in his head were screaming at each other. Or as it turns out at Jenni Byrne.




As far back as Thursday, campaign manager Jenni Byrne was packing up her office in the Ottawa party war room. In a sign of how tense things have become inside Harper's circle, Byrne was not in Calgary on election night, and is out of a job this morning.

"There's a tremendous amount of antipathy towards her on the part of the leader," said one source. "You don't run a campaign by surrounding yourself by sycophants, interns and family members," grumbled another.


For apparently scaring too many people, daring to fight with the Con heavy Guy Giorno. 

One insider said Byrne refused to hand over a list of candidate contact details to Giorno in the final days. Eventually, their hostility spilled over into bad blood between Byrne and Novak, who is the person Harper trusts the most.

For having the nerve to bully his beloved Robin, Ray Novak...



And no doubt for interpreting the instructions from Harper's Lizard of Oz, Lynton Crosby, too literally...



And leading the campaign first into the swamp of depravity. And then into The Abyss.

But of course all that infighting, all that screaming and hissing, or bellowing...



Is almost certainly a sign of a larger struggle going on in the Con cult, as its different factions prepare to replace their Great Leader.

Or as Michael Harris writes, prepare to go to war for the dark soul of the Conservative Party. 

The biggest loser of all in Election 2015 is the Conservative Party of Canada. That party is now a tangle of angleworms in a jar. That’s what happens when an organization allows itself to become a cult and the cult leader fails utterly. It’s always the flood after a Sun King falls.

The fingers are pointing everywhere in the Conservative camp now, assigning blame. The party is already returning to its bitter old divisions — with Reformers in the West blaming Ontario for betraying them, and the remains of the old Progressive Conservatives in the East convinced that the job of reconstruction has to be taken out of the hands of Albertans.


Which leads to the question, why did Stephen Harper rush out of the building after his graceless concession speech, without mentioning that he intended to resign?



Some say that was because the defeated PM did not want to give the media a clip of him actually resigning. That’s possible; Harper has always been full of malice when it comes to the press. But other stories are circulating. One suggests that Harper plans to retain the leadership in order to have a say in who his successor will be. The country may be rid of him as PM; it’s not clear to me that his party is.

Is he STILL trying to force his will upon the party after leading it to catastrophic defeat? 

Is he going back to his Reform days, or trying to turn the Cons into the Bloc Alberta?

Harper’s heart is in the oilpatch and in Alberta. But his brain is still very much in Ottawa. And that brain has one obsession: the exercise of power. Harper wants his successor to symbolize the triumph of the Reformers over their more progressive eastern cousins. More important, he wants the power of the CPC to run through Calgary. As the late Arthur Porter put it, with Harper it was always party first and country second. Steve may have led the party out of power, but he still believes it is his creature.

And could he really be setting up a brutal confrontation between Jason Kenney who wants his job so much he can taste it, and Harper's new favourite Pierre Poilievre?



And is that why John Ivison says the Ontario good ol' boy Larry Miller, who is called the "Keeper of the Flame" by the Con caucus, is calling for the leadership convention to be delayed until next fall?

To try to cool things down, or whatever....



You know  good ol' Larry, the voice of moderation.

And of course whatever the answer, all of the above couldn't be better for progressives.

For if the leadership campaign lasts a whole year, the Cons will be too busy fighting themselves to fight the Liberals.

And a bitter year-long campaign, at a time when the Cons are out of power, could split them into their original components.

Or if we fan the flames, or pour a little gasoline on them, yield the ultimate result...



For let's be clear, this story or this struggle isn't over.

And we will not be truly safe, until the Reform Harper Party is finally buried...

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33 comments:

bcwaterboy said...

One thing is glaringly obvious about puke harper is how readily he throws supporters under the bus, publicly skewering Nigel Wright this summer, not to mention Duffy, now Byrne a loyalist if there ever was one. The whole sad house of cards is and always has been about harper to the detriment of all others. It will no doubt now become a splintered party with what little brain trust is left will see just how toxic puke face really is and how he ultimately sealed their fate. Kenney is certainly a non-started in rebuilding the facade so it will take a credible conservative to rebuild this damaged brand, and it will take at least a decade now to do so. The good thing is that they no longer hold the reins of power dragging us all into this sad spectacle. Couldn't happen to a more deserving bunch of pricks.

lagatta à montréal said...

Hi Simon. I checked, see that Harper won his seat (the riding name has changed). Do you know if he'll resign his seat as well?

Unknown said...

I am very suspicious Simon that Harper is staying as an MP. I don't think he gives a damn about his riding. I think he still wants a hand in the party decisions.

The Mound of Sound said...

The three names my old-school Ottawa Tory buddy has mentioned are Peter MacKay, Jean Charest, and most recently, Maxime Bernier. Kenney? He would seem the obvious choice. What I'm told is that the PC branch remains cowed by the Reformers but they're testing the waters to see if a counter-coup could succeed. Who will be their Cromwell?

JustCallMeRick said...

Agreed-this struggle isn't over. They're already hard at work trying to install a Harper clone in 4 more years. Expect them to attack, slag, and oppose & misrepresent everything Trudeau does to extract all the political Capitol they can. I hope he brings in some form of proportional representation to prevent anything like the nightmare we just survived from ever happening again.

Anonymous said...

Hi Simon

Right on! I have the exact same thought, the war is not over until the reformists are RIP. Most of his cabinet ministers that were reelected have blood on their hands in one form or another and if they can consolidate they will just wait for the next crisis to spread their righteous poison of division, fear and bigotry. We need the progressive Cons back as the opposition so we can get back to debating normal Canadian things such as the economy , corruption, free enterprise vs social responsibility, whose share of the pie is larger etc. Although there may be slow periods I hope you stick around as the work is clearly not finished.
RT

e.a.f. said...

Warren Kinsella's blog refers to an article regarding the inside of Harper's campaign. Its an interesting read.

The Conservative Party will continue. They don't have a choice. They are realistic enough to know they need to hang together. Two right of centre parties won't survive to become government and it would be a generation before they found another leader to amalgamate the two parties.

The members of the old P.C. party may still be able to make the grab for the reigns of the party. There are any number of Cons who lost their seats because of the way the campaign was run, by a party of one. They won't make the same mistake for at least another 10 yrs. The Alberta faction may go out on its own, simply to stay "true" to their agenda and if that happens we may see the resurgence of a more Progressive Conservative party. Watching Joe Clark's interview Monday night was interesting. There are more like him left from the days of old, some of them maybe young enough to bring the party back. A lot may have to do with how well the Liberals do over the next couple of years. it may determine what strategy the Conservatives take in re building the party. Don't expect people like MacKay to rescue the party. Some of the more high profile ones such as him and Joe Oliver already, most likely have their new jobs lined up. Going back to politics isn't one of them. They have their pensions, they have new jobs and a life. At least we won't be bored.

David said...

Maybe Jenni and Kory can both beg for a job at Ezra Levant's Rebel Media "news" site. 8-)

David said...

Larry Miller is the epitome of the Porky Action Plan:

http://www.simcoe.com/news-story/5968076-conservative-incumbent-larry-miller-re-elected-for-bruce-grey-owen-sound/

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-election-2015-cabinet-ministers-1.3278969

David said...

But these Con artists still won 99 seats! How is that possible? Low information voters who are mostly white, and have above-average to high income.

I was hoping for a blow out, less than 10 seats, with Harper losing his seat.

Noah said...

Likewise, I was really hoping for a diminished to third place Conservative party, with a Liberal-NDP power-opposition dynamic. With the Libs and NDP dominating the HoC, they both may have been able to present two fairly rational plans for Canada while the Cons stewed in their own filth.

Ah well. Today we have a PM meeting the press, and freely taking questions and giving answers. Change, my dear, and not a moment too soon!

Noah said...

I expect Kenney to take over as interim leader. He's already been playing the Minister of Everything role during the election, being one of the few allowed to speak publicly. I wouldn't think he would win a leadership vote, but for interim the party can likely rally behind him for now.

Noah said...

I can't believe he presides over one of the most beautiful parts of Ontario and my favourite place to go on vacation. The Grey-Bruce region is just gorgeous and I love it there, such a shame the people there love Miller.

Mogs Moglio said...

C'mon people the Harper/Mackay gong show sewed together a Harperstien [Frankenstein] blow up doll and called it a "Party" the seams were poorly stitched with cheap threads and doomed to failure. Now why is Harper sticking around? Damage control he has allot to hide. Also as my lady said he is way too much of a control freak with no experience other than professional student turned politician who in their right mind would hire him?

David said...

Monday night, at the last minute, Harper decided not to sing his autobiographical song:

Harper Is Gone, Will Our Harsh Divisions Go Too?
The man behind blue eyes polarized Canada like no other leader in decades.
http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2015/10/20/Harper-Behind-Blue-Eyes/

The Who - Behind Blue Eyes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg_TRaiWj4o

Anonymous said...

Hi Pamela Mac Neil: I too am wondering the same thing ... HE said HE was leaving come hell or high water, and NOW he is staying??? ... His riding must be SOOOO proud of him (LOLOL) ... He always has to have an ear against the (closet) wall ... (yanno, paranoia will destroy ya) ... HE thinks HE is so special that EVERYONE wants to talk about him) ... I think that the BiBi has a job for Stephen at the Bird Sanctuary ... LOL ... they need a new "kakka" cleaner upper (LOL) ... speaking of the BiBi, HE is NOW saying that the Holocaust is-was the fault of the Palestinians (another wtf???) ... HERE he goes with the "everyone" elses fault but "HIS" ... I think the both of them (SH-BN) need to share a rubber room in the "nut case" ward in 1 of the new "SUPERPRISONS" that the Harper had built, the both of them do nothing but BULL*HIT ... they both deserve each other ... Twin Brothers from Different Mothers and/or the SAME MOTHER ... LOLOL ... TY

Anonymous said...

Hi David ... that Ezra idjit is UN-real ... another one of the HARPER sheep ... they probably need a "janitor" at their now TheRebel.Media news hangout ... Harper and BiBi could do "job sharing" ... the rest of the time they are both in their cells ... LOLOLOL ... Hope the brooms aren't 2 heavy for Steve and BB ... I am looking 4ward for the results of the "GOVERNMENT BOOKS" ... and NOT the fake ones either LOL ... on Global News, right now, they are showing "WHO" wants to be the heavy ... stating that JASON KENNEY is on that list ... NOW, that's TOO FUNNY!!!!! ... TY

Anonymous said...

Noah: love your comment above ... especially the "MINISTER of EVERYTHING" :.. TFF and OH SO VERY VERY TRUE ... TY

Anonymous said...

There is a new prison being built in my home town Oliver BC. There is room for 338 inmates I am guessing bunks. Perfect to put the whole party members all together. I am sure there are women quarters as well.

Irene

David said...

Job options for Citizen Harper
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2015/10/21/job-options-for-citizen-harper.html

David said...

Harper controlled the message to the bitter end. In his short post-election speech, he never mentioned he was going to resign as Con leader.

lagatta à montréal said...

Yes, that is a very lovely region - alas I haven't been there in years. At least he's gone now.
http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-politics/tory-mp-larry-miller-on-women-wearing-niqab-at-citizenship-ceremonies-stay-the-hell-where-you-came-from

Simon said...

hi bcwaterboy...yes even Byrne he would throw under the bus, the one who used to wear the t-shirt "I've got the hots for Harper." But then she is a monstrous loudmouthed bully and she deserves her sad fate. And yes, I'm hoping that the Cons will tear themselves to pieces in their struggle to choose a new leader. After ten years of being a party of one, they are going to find it very hard to change their behaviour. And as long as they remain the Bloc Alberta they won't be going anywhere...

Simon said...

hi lagatta...he plans to hold on to his seat at least for a while. I'm not sure why, but some have suggested it might spare him from testifying at the Duffy trial. Although I believe those who say he just wants to make sure that he gets to choose who his successor will be....

Simon said...

hi Pamela....I believe the reason he is keeping his seat is because he wants to have a hand in choosing his successor, and making sure he or she is more Reform than PC. However, if the leadership race lasts for a full year, it will look strange having him sitting there as a backbencher. The man is a grubby operator and has absolutely no class...

Simon said...

hi Irene...that's good to know. We are going to need a lot of prison space to accommodate all those Cons, once they open the books and find out what they've done....

Simon said...

hi Mound...if they polled the Cons tomorrow Kenney probably would be chosen, but even he must surely know that he can't be elected so he may not even run. MacKay also seems interested, but since he sold the party out once I doubt he'll go far. And as for Charest, he is tainted by a number of scandals, even though he does have the advantage of still being slightly popular in Quebec. My guess is that they will go for a woman, like Leitch or Raitt. However Harper does seem to want to boost Poilievre, so goodness knows anything could happen...

Simon said...

hi JustCallMeRick....I think it would be a big mistake to just sit back and let the Cons regroup. They will seek to slag the Liberals with the help of their business friends and our bought MSM. So I suggest that progressives give them as hard a time as possible. The best defence in this case would be a good offence....

Simon said...

hi RT...although I wouldn't mind seeing a PC takeover of the Harper party, I don't see how that can happen when the Cons have so many seats in Alberta. So I suggest that we use social media to discredit as many Con candidates as we can. They will already be fighting each other, so anything we do can only destabilize them further. And of course if we could help cause a massive split, it will be a long time before the Cons threaten us again. And if we can change the voting system the Cons will be done like dinner...

Simon said...

hi e.a.f....this will be only the second leadership race the Cons have ever had, so it will be interesting how they handle it. My hope is that defeat and the ideological schisms that have always existed will make for a very bumpy year. And if the Alberta Cons decide to go their own way, the party could be reduced to a large rump. They had ten years to try to enlarge their base and they failed absolutely....

Simon said...

hi Noah...what remains to be determined is whether the interim leader can also be a leadership candidate. If that's not possible then we should know whether Kenney will surrender his leadership ambitions and get to run the party for a year before he is bounced. However, since so many of the old Reformers didn't run in this election Kenney's base has been weakened, so it's hard to know what will happen...

Simon said...

hi David...it really is pathetic, you might think that after ten years he might step down with class. But he really does believe that it's his party, so he wants to keep his hand in. And of course he doesn't want any tape of him using the word "resign." As I said he's a grubby little man, and has no decency at all....

e.a.f. said...

We may not like Jenni Byrne, but really she wasn't hired to be liked. she was hired to do the best job she could to get the Cons elected and her political bosses didn't care how she did her job. Didn't like how she did her job, but she did do it well for a long time. Then Steve brought in his friend the Lizard of Oz. One can not be too hard on Byrne, it wasn't as if she had much to work with. Steve and his Cons were the client.

As for not turning over information to others, don't blame her. If I were tossed out like that, I certainly wouldn't be gracious. that's not what gets you those types of job. For some jobs in life, people aren't hired because they are nice. then people get all disappointed when they aren't. Now it maybe said that others in her position are/were a lot nicer. That may be true, but they didn't have Steve as a client. I say let it go and wish her a happy life.