Friday, July 28, 2017

Why the Cons Failed to make the Khadr Story Work for Them



You might think that the grubby Con Andrew Scheer was smart enough to realize that his ugly Khadr Show was going nowhere.

And given it and himself the hook.

But no, even though two polls have shown that it hasn't put the slightest dent in Justin Trudeau's popularity. 

And even though the Cons are in danger of being branded as traitors for trash talking our country in the United States.

Scheer is vowing to continue his monstrous campaign.


By making the Khadr settlement seem like something dirty or shameful. 

And announcing that he intends to make it, believe it or not, the number one issue in Canada when parliament returns.

Justin Trudeau had a choice. He could have fought this in court. No court decision is ever a given, no matter how many Liberals pretend otherwise. And when the House of Commons returns in the fall, our Conservative caucus’s first task will be to hold Justin Trudeau accountable for his choice.

So my question to you is simple. Do you agree with Trudeau’s secret payout to Omar Khadr? Does Trudeau speak for you?


Only to get an earful from ordinary Canadians...





And if Scheer ignores them because they're too progressive, and he's a right-wing religious fanatic...



Maybe he could ask Stephen Harper's former flak Andrew MacDougall to explain why the Cons failed to turn the Khadr settlement into a political win.  

By pounding Khadr with everything they have, the Tories are once again back to preaching to their converted, rather than trying to present a more measured face to those who might be with them on Khadr if it weren’t for the massive—and rather nasty—sledgehammer being swung about.

Whether Conservatives like it or not, they are perceived as the nasty party. They must always be mindful that the people they need to persuade to once again form government aren’t likely to be persuaded by anger or incivility. Especially against a smiling, earnest opponent like Trudeau. Harpooning the Prime Minister on Khadr isn’t going to change the outcome.


Because MacDougall is right, the Cons are still the nasty party or the Harper party...



The party of lowlife bigots and bullies.

And about as attractive to most Canadians as Donald Trump's deplorables. 

And if Scheer STILL doesn't get it, maybe he should read the latest Ipsos poll, which suggests like the two polls before it, that the Khadr controversy has not only has failed to put a dent in Justin Trudeau's popularity.

It suggests that Trudeau's popularity is growing. 



Though Canadians remain divided over the Liberal government’s decision to settle its suit with Omar Khadr, it hasn’t negatively affected Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s overall ratings – in fact, his approval ratings are up four percentage points since April, according to an Ipsos poll.

Which is exactly what happened when Stephen Harper went after him like a rabid hyena, only to boost Trudeau's fortunes, and end up looking like a monster...



And will almost certainly happen again, if the monstrous Scheer continues to act like Harper Two.

And the Cons remain what Michael Coren calls, the party of permanent outrage. 

Kellie Leitch may have won minimal support for her bid to become federal leader but the very fact that her repugnant notions were taken seriously says a great deal. So does the 15 per cent support given to arch social conservatives at the leadership conference, and the elevation of Andrew Scheer — who, in spite of audacious denials, is very much a product of the religious Right.

The nasty party, the party of bigots, led by a secret religious extremist who acts more like an American than a Canadian...



Canadian conservatism was once a natural heir to the country’s history, a spoke of the wheel that was a Canadian politics based on commonality, shared virtues and progress. All that has changed. 

The new right-wing alliance in Alberta, the angry party in Ottawa, the various media voices denying the self-evident truths of climate change, the whispered but audible mentions of Trump and how his success can be emulated — it’s all very conservative these days, but not very Canadian.


And yes, enough is enough.

It's time for progressives to unite and prepare to fight the real enemy instead of themselves.

The next election will be a contest between Canadian values and the values of Trump.

And if our country is to survive, failure is not an option...

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think a lot of his failure has to do with the media using the same creepy picture of him over and over again.
Shit, wait, no...that's every picture of him.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for highlighting my tweet. As you know the Cons are always trying to whip their base with faux outrage about anything and everything. We all know it is only to beg for more money.
@yvonne4tn

Anonymous said...

That's hilarious - I must remember to use that.
b_nichol

Anonymous said...

Howdy Doody will only drag the Republi-form-a-Cons down if he continues to emulate his puppet master Harper.
They're drowning in a pool of their own bile and the only chance they have at returning themselves to the Conservatives of old is by reducing them to a few seats in the next election.
JD

farwestie said...

Won't be long before we start realizing how important it is to give Trudeau another 4 years, at least, in power. He's had to spend a lot of time rehabilitating Canada after the bozo decade, let alone tackling what's left of his initial agenda and working to make the world a better place.
Coping with the 21st century is a huge challenge, but Trudeau has the youth, stamina and brains trust to inspire other progressive world leaders to join him. Here at home, he'll need still more time for the Truth and Reconciliation process to work its goodness and instill genuine healing. Without Trudeau at the helm, so much will become impossible. Of course he's not perfect, but he's far and away the best hope for our future.

Anonymous said...

When you first said that Scheer could end up being worse than Harper I didn't quite believe it. Now I see what you mean. He is Harper with a smile and that's what makes him dangerous. I still believe Trudeau will win but Scheer should not be underestimated.

Anonymous said...

Man, that red kool aid sure is something eh?

Anonymous said...

You guys would be bigly "sorry" to have a Scheer-Trump (or even Scheer-Pence) partnership. I honestly can't believe there's anyone -- let alone in a supposedly friendly place like Canada -- who thinks a Trump of the North is a better option than Trudeau. Petty whining about the Rolling Stone article (which he had no hand in writing, he just answered the reporter's questions) and impatient complaints that he didn't just wave a magic wand and turn the country into Disneyland are the kind of things that got Americans saddled with the Tangerine Nightmare.

Trust me, this is a bad idea. Nobody is perfect, and maybe Justin isn't 100% "Mr. Right," but he's Mr. Right Now, and for all intents and purposes he's the deputy leader of the free world -- only because Merkel has seniority, and Macron is the new kid in town.

I'm not even from Canada, and I hope he stays PM until a ripe old age. Maybe even surpassing his old man's tenure. Pierre would be proud. The cons are a cancer, and the third parties are spoilers. Give the guy a chance.

Anonymous said...

Typical reaction to the settlement ranged from "its fair" to "I will remember this payout to a criminal at the next election" but the overall view is "its over and done so lets move on". However for those fighting a holy war, perceived treasonous actions have been committed so moving on is not possible.For Scheer and his followers its a fight to the end and just because the battle is in parliament rather than the streets doesn't make it any less destructive.
Given that only 40% of Canadians view religion as an important part of daily life its unlikely a political party lead by someone fixated on a special subset of divine inspiration will ever achieve majority status. The problem is that the war between their version of divine law and man's law is extremely divisive which leaves the door open for a Con artist to fill the void. The disgruntled Theists are easy marks for a Con, so all that's required to get a majority (40%) is support of a few other qullible groups. As Trump has demonstrated its easy for a good Con man to pick up a few other groups and turn it into a majority when you have the religious right locked in. Scheer is not that man he is just an unwitting enabler.
RT
RT

Simon said...

hi Yvonne...you're welcome. And yes, the Cons are always stirring up their rabid base so they can milk them for money. But all that money didn't help them last time, and it won't help them the next time either...

Simon said...

hi JD...I have to admit I'm surprised that the Cons are still travelling down the same old path. It should be obvious that separating themselves from the Harper years is the only way they are going to do better. But after ten years in power I guess the poison is in their genes, and they just can't help themselves. If Scheer thinks his Howdy Doody smile is all the change they need, he is in for a rude awakening...

Simon said...

hi farwestie...I agree with you completely, and considering what's happening in the U.S. and Britain, I'm surprised by those who can't see the forest for the trees. When I hear some progressives say nothing has changed, or "Trudeau is worse than Harper Waaaaah" I question their judgement and/or their sanity. Trudeau may not be perfect, but he is a decent and good person, and in just two years he has made this country a much better place to live in...

Simon said...

hi anon 7:02...that red koolaid is so much better than the green one you drink. You know the green one of envy, that is made for Con losers...

Simon said...

hi anon 10:03...Like you I find it incredible that anyone in Canada could think that a Trump of the North is better than Trudeau. And progressives who think that Trudeau is failing because he doesn't have a magic wand to make all our problems disappear are also living in cloud cuckoo land. The fact is he is Mr Right Now, and so much better than the nasty right wing ogre who ruled over us for so long, and disgraced us in the eyes of the world. Everything is relative. If there is a better progressive candidate who can keep the Cons at bay better than Justin, let him or her step forward. But until then Trudeau is the one, and we should be grateful he is our prime minister...

Simon said...

hi anon...nobody should underestimate Scheer, and I certainly don't. His Ted Bundy smile may fool some Canadians, but it will never fool me...

Simon said...

hi anon 8:45pm... yes, I agree, the media should try to find a less creepy picture of Scheer, even if it's the one where he's wearing an inch of makeup to cover up his remarkable resemblance to Chucky the killer puppet...

Simon said...

hi RT... let's hope that most Canadians can move on from the Khadr settlement. I fought for the rights of that child soldier for nine years, so I have absolutely no respect for those who still have no respect for the rule of law, or our Canadian values. And even less respect, if that's possible, for those who call themselves Christians but act like hellish beasts...

e. a. f. said...

Perhaps scheer thinks because this type of thing works for Trump it will work for him. Note to Scheer, this not the U.S.A. SCHEER is playing to his base and if he likes being the leader of the opposition, then he will remain in the job for the foreseeable future.