The Dangerous Summer Journey of Canadian Progressives

Summer is finally here, and I couldn't be happier. Not just because I live for this season when everything comes alive.

But also because I know that when this one dies, in the land where summers are so short, so will Stephen Harper's deathly Con regime.

But what I also know, and all progressives need to understand, is that the last part of our long journey to freedom will be fraught with danger.

Because we are now entering the perilous waters of vote splitting. And we could still snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Just a glance at the latest EKOS poll shows where we could be heading. 



The NDP continues to hold on to an insignificant lead, but they have been brought back to Earth by the return of Gilles Duceppe in Quebec and a mild revival of Liberal and Conservative numbers.

The brief ascent of the NDP in Ontario has halted and the Conservatives now have a slight lead, with the NDP and Liberals tightly bunched at 30 and 27 points respectively. This is a potentially major development in favour of the Conservatives, who — if these numbers persist — could now win many more seats with slender pluralities due to vote-splitting on the center-left.

Heading into a zone, or a Bermuda Triangle, where vote-splitting could cause us to defeat ourselves.

Now I'm not worried about the sudden revival of the Bloc Québécois. 

I'm pretty sure it's just an emotional reaction to the election of a new PQ leader, the death of Jacques Parizeau, and the return of Gilles Duceppe.

And that it will almost certainly fade when most of its supporters realize, as they did last time, that voting for the Bloc is not the best way to defeat Stephen Harper. And that trying to revive the independence project at this time, is like planting flowers in a desert.

But what seems obvious to me is that one of these two leaders will have to gain a decisive advantage over the other, if a catastrophic split is to be avoided. 



Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau is about to discover how difficult it can be to regain political momentum once you’ve lost it. 

NDP Leader Tom Mulcair will learn it is often easier to claw your way to the top of the political heap than it is to stay there. 

If by Labour Day, the two have settled into a familiar pattern of splitting the anti-Harper, so-called “progressive” vote, that equilibrium will likely lead to the re-election of the Conservatives.

And what is also true is that progressives will eventually have to support one or the other decisively, if the Cons are to be prevented from sneaking up the middle, in riding after riding.

And that also means that if the equilibrium is to be broken, some supporters of one party will have to vote for the other.

Which won't be easy, because our divisions and our blind partisanship, have always been our greatest enemy...



For what else could explain that although seventy percent of Canadians don't support Harper and his foul regime, our country lies in a pool of blood savaged by the bestiality of a Con majority?

If that's not idiocy, it's madness.

And the good news? I'm pretty sure that when the time comes most progressives will do the right thing, put their country before their party, and support the leader and the party polls show is best able to defeat the Cons.

And since both the NDP and the Liberals now support some form of proportional representation, it's only a matter of time before we will finally be able to overcome our disadvantage, make the Cons almost unelectable, even banish them from power for a generation.

And our long journey to freedom will be complete...



So while we are in perilous waters, and we will have to paddle like hell, the reward for all that effort couldn't be greater.

Let's celebrate that after this long nightmare our Canada is finally in sight again. Let's remember that the best people in this country are with us.

And rather than killing each other.

Let's save our anger for the monster Harperman.

And sing this song together...



Harperman, Harperman, it's time for you to go.

Oh boy, do I love that song. 

I think I'm going to be humming it all the way to the election eh?

Have a great summer everybody !!!

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