Harper and the Tories, all the way, this year they pull it off!!
I don’t really care about campaign ads. Ads are targeted at voters who haven’t followed politics close enough to make an informed decision. I don’t let the Conservatives define the Liberals for me, the Liberals have had thirteen years in government to define themselves. I look at actions, bills that were passed, private members bills that were voted down, dialogue during question period, and to some extent, the party platforms. That is why I am voting Conservative, not because I was impressed or turned off by some marketing campaign.
On a side note, the reason the parties use negative advertisements is because in recent history they have been the most effective at influencing swing voters.
[quote]Ruggerlife wrote:
On a seperate note, anyone have any thoughts on where Harper would look for support in a minority Government? If he looks to the Bloc, then he’s aligning with seperatists, and if he aligns with the NDP…well that’s just wierd!
[/quote]
It will depend on the issue, but don’t rule out the conservatives looking to the liberals for support on some issues. A liberal/conservative agreement will pass regardless of what the Bloc or NDP want.
Remember early on after the last election the liberals had agreements with the conservatives in place, and tabled a very conservative minded budget.
Things fell apart as Gomery progressed and the anti-liberal rhetoric increased. This is where the liberals screwed up (IMO). To prevent conservative momentum the liberals renegged on their conservative budget promises, aligned themselves with the NDP (replacing tax cuts with social programs).
This was a budget that no conservative could support any longer - and forced conservatives to align with the Bloc (which was exactly what the liberals wanted - that way they could attack the conservatives as seperatist “sympathizers” to keep their support down).
Had the liberals found a way to work with conservatives, they’d still be in power (ie. Harper would have had the roll of Layton and would have seen some positive conservative policies put forth).
Liberals and conservatives are going to have to find a way to get along, or we’ll be in a constant state of elections. Minority governments are still fairly new to Canadians, but we better get used to making them work.
[quote]JPBear wrote:
I don’t really care about campaign ads. Ads are targeted at voters who haven’t followed politics close enough to make an informed decision. I don’t let the Conservatives define the Liberals for me, the Liberals have had thirteen years in government to define themselves. I look at actions, bills that were passed, private members bills that were voted down, dialogue during question period, and to some extent, the party platforms. That is why I am voting Conservative, not because I was impressed or turned off by some marketing campaign.[/quote]
Very well said.
[quote]m_mackenz wrote:
Stephen Harper and the Conservative party scares me. And I do not like the Liberals. So who does that leave? The NDP? I think not. I’m voting Green.
Check out the Green party website at: www.greenparty.ca[/quote]
My thoughts exactly. Stephen Harper is a horrible party leader. I’m very disappointed. My vote goes to Green Party 'cause it’s the better choice.
BTW Anyone else find it weird that they’re not allowed on the debates even though they have a candidate in every riding?
Well, I have to say I would be quite pleased if the Greens get the protest vote.
[quote]towner24 wrote:
Liberals and conservatives are going to have to find a way to get along, or we’ll be in a constant state of elections. Minority governments are still fairly new to Canadians, but we better get used to making them work.[/quote]
Good points.
We can’t be going to the polls every year. If we do, Canadians will eventually stage a hostile government overthrow. Good thing we haven’t been completely disarmed. Of course, then the Americans would have to come and restore order since we have no military. 
[quote]Bdfone wrote:
BTW Anyone else find it weird that they’re not allowed on the debates even though they have a candidate in every riding?[/quote]
As much as the Greens annoy me, you are right, it isn’t fair. If the Bloc is allowed in the Greens should be too.
No matter what happens on election night, I will go to bed happy if Stronach looses her riding.
[quote]JPBear wrote:
Bdfone wrote:
BTW Anyone else find it weird that they’re not allowed on the debates even though they have a candidate in every riding?
As much as the Greens annoy me, you are right, it isn’t fair. If the Bloc is allowed in the Greens should be too.[/quote]
My thoughts exactly. They’re getting my vote just because I know the conservatives will win by a landslide in my riding.
PS Why do they annoy you?
Man, people are stealing my thoughts today, I was seriously going to write that when I clicked on this thread. It seems my hatred for the liberals grow exponentially with every day.
Oh and btw, the liberals are running an Islamist candidate with sympathies for the terrorist groups Hizbollah and Hamas in the Mississauga riding, just thought you should know. He’s also in favour of implementing Shari’a law for Muslims in Ontario.
Have a nice day!
Any comments now that the platforms have been released for the liberals and NDP? I am waiting to see how the economics of the conservative plan pan out personally.
Everyone makes a bunch of promises but what I care about is were the MONEY TO PAY FOR THOSE PROMISES will come from.
Personally I like the Liberal plan better then the NDP. It gets a lot done but still leaves us w/ enough surplus to cover our ass if something goes wrong and not screw over future goverements/generations. I wish they wouild give a few more dollars to greening up our economy and such but I can’t really complain.
From my understanding the NDP is planning to use every dime of the surplus buffer that the liberals have created to pay for their promises. This just doesnt seem smart as deficits are a slippery slope once you go down that road.
Like I said, any input would be cool as I am still deciding.
[quote]JPBear wrote:
No matter what happens on election night, I will go to bed happy if Stronach looses her riding.[/quote]
Agreed
[quote]CaptainLogic wrote:
PS Why do they annoy you?
[/quote]
Because the crux of their platform is this: we will reduce taxes on pedal bikes and tax everything that pollutes.
It sounds like something a ten-year-old came up with. Either that or a university student.
[quote]Bdfone wrote:
BTW Anyone else find it weird that they’re not allowed on the debates even though they have a candidate in every riding?
[/quote]
Extremely weird. The Green party received 4.3% of the popular vote in the 2004 election. Which means close to 600,000 Canadians voted Green.
And with a registered candidate in each of Canada’s 308 ridings… the Green party should be included in all major debates.
Conservatives may just pull this one out:
http://www.captainsquartersblog.com/mt/archives/006147.php
January 13, 2006
Conservatives Headed For Majority
Canadians appear poised to upend all expectations of the electorate ( http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060113.wxelexnseats13/BNStory/National/?page=rss&id=RTGAM.20060113.wxelexnseats13 ), which just weeks ago appeared to suffer from ennui and a sense of the inexorable nature of Liberal government. Instead, the Tories have pushed the election to the brink of a Parliamentary majority and the Liberals might have trouble qualifying as the Opposition, according to projections from the Globe & Mail:
[i]The Conservative Party will come within a few seats of winning a majority government, if current levels of voter support hold up, according to projections by the Strategic Counsel. ...
The projections, which are calculated by running this week's Strategic Counsel poll of more than 3,500 Canadians through a mathematical formula, are that the Tories will win 152 seats on Jan. 23, followed by 74 for the Liberals, 60 for the Bloc and 21 for the NDP. There are 308 seats in the House, so a party needs 155 to form a majority. ...
The latest poll conducted Tuesday and Wednesday indicates the Conservatives have the support of 39 per cent of the electorate, compared with 27 per cent for the Liberals, 16 per cent for the NDP and 12 per cent for the Bloc. Conservative support in Quebec appears to have stabilized in recent days at 23 per cent, compared with 48 per cent for the Bloc Qu?b?cois, 18 for the Liberals and 8 for the NDP.[/i]
The twelve-point gap appears to have solidified in most polling now, showing that Canadians may have firmed up their electoral choices with less than ten days to go before the elections. The last Ipsos poll showed the same gap, and also showed the Tories moving ahead of the Grits in their power base of Ontario, a body blow to the hopes of Paul Martin to retain any notion of holding power. SES Research has the gap at around nine or ten points consistently ( http://www.sesresearch.com/election/SES%20CPAC%20January%2011%202006E.pdf ), and an eight-point gap favoring the Tories in Ontario.
With a majority so tantalizingly close, expect a little pullback of the vote between now and January 23rd. Some Canadians may not want to see anyone in the majority, preferring a negotiated minority government that still puts Stephen Harper in charge, but answerable to Gilles Duceppe or Jack Layton. One presumes that this collapse will spell the end of Paul Martin’s political career, and so possibly a purged Liberal Party might wind up joining the Conservatives to form a national-unity government – but that would likely infuriate the BQ and exacerbate separatist sentiment.
Without a doubt, however, Canadians have awoken from their supposed scandal fatigue to deliver a message to would-be leaders of their government. If they cannot hold themselves accountable for their governance, the voters intend on doing so themselves.
Thanks for the article Boston.
I wish these papers would stop saying the “m” word.
I also had to laugh at the comment that the Liberals and the Conservatives might join forces.
The conservatives want to raise the age of consent to 16.
FUCK
THAT.
Everyone knows girls are perfectly ripe at 15.
[quote]towner24 wrote:
Ruggerlife wrote:
On a seperate note, anyone have any thoughts on where Harper would look for support in a minority Government? If he looks to the Bloc, then he’s aligning with seperatists, and if he aligns with the NDP…well that’s just wierd!
It will depend on the issue, but don’t rule out the conservatives looking to the liberals for support on some issues. A liberal/conservative agreement will pass regardless of what the Bloc or NDP want.
…
Liberals and conservatives are going to have to find a way to get along, or we’ll be in a constant state of elections. Minority governments are still fairly new to Canadians, but we better get used to making them work.[/quote]
I agree, it would be nice to see the Liberals and Conservatives work together (regardless of who has power), unfortunately since the Canadian political landscape is not familiar with working in a minority setting, once one side sees the opportunity for advantage, the back stabbing begins (by both parties).
[quote]JPBear wrote:
Well, I have to say I would be quite pleased if the Greens get the protest vote.
[/quote]
The only problem I have with voting for the Greens as a protest is based on the last election, they now recieve Government funding which is determined by the number of votes they receive.
Please note I referred to “protest votes”, if a person agrees with the platform, great vote for them. My preferred protest vote is wasting the ballot.
Hey, I saw a negative ad from the liberals finally.
They suggested that since Harper won’t reveal the sources of his funding, that perhaps it came from the US!
Heh. Nice. Was it you Boston?