Well I wasn't invited to the Con funeral for Tim Hudak. And Stephen Harper hasn't said a word in public about his crushing defeat.
But since he sent in half his cabinet to campaign for him, and he hates the Liberals so much, I can only imagine how he must be feeling.
But don't tell that to our hapless Con media, because some of them, like his faithful fluffer John Ivison, would have us believe Boss Harper is not really mourning.
He's CELEBRATING !!!
Not just because Harper according to Ivison is no Hudak. He likes to kill government more discreetly. And not just because he'll have the money to bribe the voters, and try to make them forget how much they despise him.
The Prime Minister will have to counter the voter fatigue that comes with being in power for a decade but he is also likely to have a large surplus to hand out in tax cuts, having balanced the budget.
But also because of the Great Ontario Ying Yang...
Conventional political wisdom suggests that voters sit immutably at a defined point on the political spectrum and rarely switch parties. Yet the history of Ontario’s politics is one of yin to the federal yang — an inter-connected duality that operates in balance to ensure no one party gains too much power. More often than not, the party in power in Queen’s Park has been of a different complexion to the governing party in Ottawa — and that’s how Ontarians seem to like it.
Mr. Harper has already experienced this form of political Taoism during Dalton McGuinty’s time in office. He is no doubt quite relieved that Ms. Wynne will be in office waiting for him in 2015. There’s every likelihood she will not be quite as popular as she is today, once voters discover they’ve just been sold a bill of goods.
Which only makes me think that Ivison must be as desperate or deluded as Lord Harper himself. Or he's applying for a job at the PMO.
Because firstly, the election result was a total rejection of the Con approach to government, a triumph of hope over austerity.
And they never could put lipstick on that one...
Secondly, if Harper eliminates the deficit, the progressive parties will also have the leeway to make their own promises. Or question why Harper isn't doing anything to boost the CPP like Wynne plans to do. Which as I pointed out the other night can do him enormous damage.
And thirdly it's absurd to compare what happened in the past, when the country has never known such a ghastly government. No leader has ever been as despised as Stephen Harper.
And as Tim Harper points out, even if you believe in the great Ontario Ying Yang, or believe that Harper needs another enemy. Which I don't because he already has too many.
There is a more modern trend. It's working AGAINST him.
And this, perhaps the most important message for Harper — in three of the country’s four largest provinces, incumbent governments have won in the past two years while, in the other, the Quebec Liberals spent a mere 18 months in the hinterland before recapturing power.
In every case — B.C. Liberal Premier Christy Clark, former Alberta PC premier Alison Redford, Quebec Liberal Premier Philippe Couillard and now Wynne — it took new leadership, a fresh face, to bury misdeeds of the past and win a new mandate. Harper will look far from fresh in 2015.
And there is NOTHING Stephen Harper can do to change that...
Because you can't put lipstick on that monster either.
He is already the most hated Prime Minister in Canadian history. Many Canadians are sick to death of him.
And the longer he sticks around the more they will loathe him, and want to defeat him.
Yup, the Con media can cling to the past, but the future belongs to us eh?
Con time is OVER.
And they're all going down together...
Please click here to recommend this post at Progressive Bloggers.
Which only makes me think that Ivison must be as desperate or deluded as Lord Harper himself. Or he's applying for a job at the PMO.
Because firstly, the election result was a total rejection of the Con approach to government, a triumph of hope over austerity.
And they never could put lipstick on that one...
Secondly, if Harper eliminates the deficit, the progressive parties will also have the leeway to make their own promises. Or question why Harper isn't doing anything to boost the CPP like Wynne plans to do. Which as I pointed out the other night can do him enormous damage.
And thirdly it's absurd to compare what happened in the past, when the country has never known such a ghastly government. No leader has ever been as despised as Stephen Harper.
And as Tim Harper points out, even if you believe in the great Ontario Ying Yang, or believe that Harper needs another enemy. Which I don't because he already has too many.
There is a more modern trend. It's working AGAINST him.
And this, perhaps the most important message for Harper — in three of the country’s four largest provinces, incumbent governments have won in the past two years while, in the other, the Quebec Liberals spent a mere 18 months in the hinterland before recapturing power.
In every case — B.C. Liberal Premier Christy Clark, former Alberta PC premier Alison Redford, Quebec Liberal Premier Philippe Couillard and now Wynne — it took new leadership, a fresh face, to bury misdeeds of the past and win a new mandate. Harper will look far from fresh in 2015.
And there is NOTHING Stephen Harper can do to change that...
Because you can't put lipstick on that monster either.
He is already the most hated Prime Minister in Canadian history. Many Canadians are sick to death of him.
And the longer he sticks around the more they will loathe him, and want to defeat him.
Yup, the Con media can cling to the past, but the future belongs to us eh?
Con time is OVER.
And they're all going down together...
Please click here to recommend this post at Progressive Bloggers.
"...it's absurd to compare what happened in the past, when the country has never known such a ghastly government..."
ReplyDeleteYou must be too young to remember the disdain and visceral hatred towards Lyin' Brian Mulroney and his merry pack of thieves.
hi anon....No, I vaguely remember the hostility aimed at The Bloater and his crew, which was aggravated by the fallout from the Meech Lake accord. But at least back then we were living in some kind of a democracy. I think that much of the hostility aimed at Lord Harp and his gang comes from the frustration of seeing him violate every rule in the book. But if he suffers the same fate as Mulroney I'll be quite happy... ;)
DeleteAbout 70% of the people of Ontario disliked Tim Hudak and he lost. About the same amount Hate Steve Harper, good luck in 2015.
ReplyDeletehi Steve...I find it interesting that Hudak lost in so many ridings where the Harper Cons won federally. And hope that it's a harbinger of good things to come...
DeleteI love your optimism, Simon, but I would be cautious as well. That Tim Harper quote you put up there for one has an inaccuracy of sorts-- we can't count the BC Liberal Party nor the Quebec Liberal party as indications of a Liberal sweep. In both cases, they're Liberals in name only. Neither appear to have too much affiliation with the Federal Liberals and that is particularly true in the case of BC, where their Liberal Party maintains closer ties with the Harpercons. I am sure it will be same with Dr. Phil. In fact, there was a rumour a few years back that Dr. Phil was going to run for the Harpercons. Both of these parties are to the far right.
ReplyDeleteNext, as much as I hate Ivison and find his brown nosing to Harper tedious and annoying, he has a point about the Ying & Yang of voting in Ontario. Historically when they vote one party in Queen's Park, usually the federal counterpart is of another stripe. This could be particularly true here. Kathleen Wynne did not promise to lower taxes, in fact,if I am not mistaken, she has said she will hike them. Once this happens, Ontarians might be tempted to vote for Harper who was promising to lower taxes with that so-called "surplus".
hi CK....I admit I am a bit of a hopeless optimist, a guy who is always looking for the pony in the heap of manure. But what I take from that Tim Harper quote is that it takes a fresh face to give a tired party a new lease on life. As for the alternation theory, I realize that it has worked in the past. And I know that Quebecers are also known for balancing their options. But I still think that the visceral hatred for Harper and his regime is now so great, as is the desire for change, that the ying yang effect will be minimal this time. It will however, as you point out, depend on what Wynne does. She is only promising to raise taxes on those who make more than $150,000, so Harper's tax promises will be blunted. Also don't forget that once the deficit is tamed Harper will lose the sword of Damocles he now hold over so many. But then as I said I am an optimist... ;)
DeleteI agree CK. The BC Liberals work for Harper. If you recall? Ex BC Liberal Premier Gordon Campbell is Herr Harper's favorite henchman. Harper rewarded him the post as, High Commissioner to the U.K. Campbell does a lot of dirty work for Harper. Christy Clark is another Campbell wearing a skirt. Campbell also twice lied and cheated to win his elections, just as his good buddy Harper did. There are questions regarding Clark, lying and cheating to win her election as well.
ReplyDeleteHarper is a fascist dictator, from way back. All dictators are paranoid control freaks. Those who support Harper are, useless, spineless, gutless wonders. They have no self respect, honor, decency, ethics nor morals, what-so-ever.
hi anon...as I've said before, I was shocked years ago when I lived for a few months in BC, to discover that the Liberals were really the Conservatives. But no Con government, has ever been as bad as the Harper gang, so I'm hopeful that there time has come....
DeleteBC Liberal Is not the same as Fed Libs. They are basically reformers like harper. They have run the same corrupt neoliberal policies that have destroyed BC, but enriched the wealthy. Harper awarded DUO gordo with a cushy job in London for signing away BC's soveriengty as his last corruption action. Harper loaned many of his people to crusty to help her lie and con her way to a reform win in BC.
ReplyDeletehi Jozef...I realize that the BC Liberals are a a scurvy crew, but as I told CK, Tim Harper's point is that irrespective of their ideology, Clark, Redford, and Couillard won by putting a fresh face on their party. So I'm hoping that people are so tired of Harper that they will vote for just about anybody but him. And after ten years in power he is bucking a trend when he goes for another mandate...
DeleteThe reason , and it's the only reason, that Christy Clark won in BC is because she alluded to stopping the pipeline if certain 'condiitions' weren't met..while the NDP foolishly dithered on the subject..that is the one and only reason why she won, well, that and the fact that so many people are so disgusted with BC politics that they stayed home in droves..
ReplyDeleteThe only 'fact' in all this is that more Con supporters vote, more so-called progressives stay home...ergo, we wind up with the governments we deserve.
hi mizdarlin....although I'm no expert of BC politics I remember that the NDP seemed to have the election in the bag until they blew it during the campaign. But you're right, it will depend on voter turnout, and I spend much of my time thinking about how we can get progressives, and especially young Canadians, to get off their asses and vote. I'm working on some videos that I hope I will be able to share with all of you soon....
Delete