Stephen Harper and the Halloween Election

Uh oh. It looks as if we're going to have a scary Halloween election after all. Not because Michael Ignatieff, or Jack Layton, or Gilles Duceppe wants one. But because Stephen Harper does.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservatives have surged to a big lead over the opposition Liberals in the eyes of Canadian voters, reveals a new poll.... a trend that could dampen speculation of a fall election.

Try to ignore that last line. Because it assumes that Stephen Harper wouldn't want an election if he could win a majority. And maybe it's a rogue poll. But if it isn't it proves that Michael Ignatieff's peek-a-boo strategy was a disastrous failure.

If the trend continues, Ignatieff could soon be facing roughly the same poll numbers as his beleaguered predecessor, Stephane Dion.

Bricker said Ignatieff needs to come up with some policy issues soon that will allow the Liberals to differentiate themselves from the Conservatives. "You don't want to peak too soon, but you have to peak at some point," he said. "We've seen how the peek-a-boo strategy works. If you're not there, you're not there."

So maybe it is that one in twenty fuckup. But if it isn't...... would ANYBODY really be surprised? When there's no there there, and no coherent narrative.

It's a crude game, politics, and an opposition party to win needs one word or one phrase that sticks in the public's mind about the government – time for a change, corrupt, incompetent, uncaring, the tool of big business. Whatever. It's not at all clear what that word or phrase is that the Liberals have hung around the Conservatives' neck.

And Stephen Harper has had the summer to himself handing out billions of dollars and staging one mega photo-op after the other.

Oh sure the government can't fall unless the opposition parties defeat the government. But does anyone SERIOUSLY think that Harper won't give them a reason to do that?

When he has the majority he has slobbered over for so long in SIGHT. Before the economic situation deteriorates further, or the Swine Flu hits.

Great Angry Leader would still have to come up with a way to defeat his own government without making it look like he wanted an election. So he could blame the Separatist Coalition. Which explains this urgent memo.

Harper Tory talking-points flew out of the PMO on Thursday, warning Conservatives that a fall election is not part of the Prime Minister's strategy

But knowing Harper my guess is, if the numbers are there, he'll go for it.... like a wolf for a salami sandwich.

Oh well. Thanks to Jeffrey Simpson's handy list I'm working on some new videos about Harper's corrupt, incompetent, uncaring, tool of big business government. And why it's time for a change.

Simple stories that fit into a simple narrative: Would you really trust this hyper partisan ideological maniac with ANYTHING?

But I leave you with this one I made earlier this summer.

To remind us what a Harper majority might FEEL like....



Because sometimes I think we need to be reminded how bad it would be. The summer and the denial are over.

Prepare to fight these Cons harder than ever.

Because the final battle for Canada could be about to begin..