Comments on: Cons and NDP Freakin Out over Dion/May Pact

By: | I had lunch today with Dryden, Penn, Shannon and Martin

| I had lunch today with Dryden, Penn, Shannon and Martin — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 02:42:22 +0000

[...] at Mile 0 ← Cons and NDP Freakin Out over Dion/May Pact Ken Dryden On How to Get an NDP Voter to Vote Liberal [...]

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I had lunch today with Dryden, Penn, Shannon and Martin « — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 04:41:48 +0000

[...] Contact « Cons and NDP Freakin Out over Dion/May Pact [...]

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Niles — Sat, 14 Apr 2007 01:15:11 +0000

I’m just not sure what the big deal is. Is it because the Liberal party is acknowledging May as a leader of a party that is not considered loopy fringe? (Of that loopy fringe, the classy Rhino Party disbanded when they realized they were on the verge of having someone elected, those wise nosed creatures)

I thought (and I might just be senile) it was a politesse tradition to not run strong candidates (at least at one point in this country) in the riding chosen by a party leader so that leader could actually get into Parliament in our first past the post system. If the Liberals are choosing to simply not stand a candidate at all, saving themselves some money in the process, is that bad?

At the provincial level recently, where the opposition parties didn’t manage to elect their leaders, they were granted presence in the legislature as a matter of polite course by the sitting Premier, and allowed a daily question. I don’t see that happening at the federal level, so I’m interested to see what May can bring to the House of Commons table.

People are asking what the Liberals get out of it, how they can form a government next election with such tactics. I’m wondering if they intend to form a government (although I could wish), so much as force Harper to remain a minority while they rebuild more. Remaining a minority seems to be the last thing Harper wants with all his huffing and puffing about the election that isn’t coming (really. not coming). Part of that rebuilding is appealing to the youth vote, which is so focused on the Greens at the moment. While the Cons are making the big attack ads, the Liberals are aiming at Youtube.

I don’t know if this will start vote splitting on the left, or vote alliance on the left in different ridings. As one of those who found it a bright spot in the darkness of the Alliance’s hold over Calgary, the coalition that elected Joe Clark (yes, he did win) knew exactly what they were voting AGAINST.

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Woman At Mille 0 — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 15:25:14 +0000

I’m off to get my TB test read and to have lunch with Ken Dryden. No worries…. TB test is a work requirement. I will report on Dryden tonight. I will moderate any additional comments when I return.

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Woman At Mille 0 — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 15:20:28 +0000

I sincerely doubt a green voter would ever vote conservative. That’s hilarious Wilson

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wilson61 — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 14:41:38 +0000

Joe and Mary Sixpack read the headlines and see a merger between the Greens and Libs.
The Green vote is now a Liberal vote, not a ‘park and protest’ vote.

I can’t see the purpose of voting Green anymore. May as well vote Lib or Con or NDP or stay home.

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Green Assassin Brigade — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 13:21:39 +0000

Greg this has nothing to do with absorbtion the Greens and Libs do not agree on everything and if you nit pic we don’t entirely agree on the Green issues. In a case like this I would hold my nose and vote accordingly, a full merger would leave me parking my vote with the Rhinos, or libertarians, or the Green Assassin Brigade Party

It’s pragmatic and dangerous yes but May knows she is not forming the next gov, if you asked who would be the best she would say “ME!” if you ask Dion or Harper, she will say “Dion”

She will have to play this very carefully in explaining that she would be best for the job but Dion would do a very credible job compared to Harpo.

I do share some unease. 308 gave us cedibility to get this far but a seat would get us farther.

I don’t entirely like it but I can live with it. I hope May plays it right. If we are going to go this route we should do the same thing in Baird’s riding and maybe a couple others. Decapitate the Harper Cabinet.

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Greg — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 11:02:27 +0000

Can someone please explain how the Green Party’s essential absorbtion into the Liberals is a good thing for Green Party voters? If they wanted to vote Liberal they had their chance. They chose not to vote Liberal because of the sorry Liberal record (rather than its rhetoric) on the environment. May’s message that Dion would be best prime minister tells Green Voters that they were fools for even thinking of voting Green because there is no hope. That is a pretty poor message for a party leader to send out to the grassroots. You can spin this any way you want, but it will have no impact on NDP voters. They know the Liberals are “let’s pretend progressives” who are always leftists in opposition and rightists once safely in power. This is nothing more than the successful takeover of the Green Party by one of the ringleaders of the Think Twice Coalition.

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drew — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 10:19:12 +0000

Unfortunately, the environment will not be the defining issue in the next election.

Besides the ambiguous matter of “leadership,” the only issue the Conservatives have a solid lock on is CRIME. Mark my words, the government will fight the next election on crime. Liberals, NDP, Green, anyone who dreads a shift to the right must start SCREAMING the truth about crime NOW! Selling fear is much easier than selling truth; we need a large, loud head start. Leadership on the left is afraid of this issue; the chorus must come from the grassroots.

Crime is not out of control. Punishment is not a deterrent. US crime solutions will create US crime rates.

Please, please, please don’t go on the defensive over crime!

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petroom — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 10:09:24 +0000

Leftdog, you are wrong. Joe Clark the Calgary riding thanks to the multi-partisan, progressive vote. It was one of the reasons he became the first former prime minister to sit at the head of the Calgary Gay Pride Parade, as a thank you to the progressive people of Calgary (and the big ol’ gays).

Get your facts right.