Quote:
Originally Posted by MatsNaslund
Dion has a few things going for him. He was a cabinent minister with both Martin and Chretein. He is a Trudeau Liberal. So he can help bridge the gap between the 2 camps. He is not the party establishment's man. The report that came out after the sponsership scandal never mentioned him even remotely. He is as clean a candidate as anyone out there. Dion is the architect of the Clarity Act. This b.s. that he is dual citizen with France and trying to drum up things about him saying that he is anti-Canada is crap. The man is about Canadian as they come. In his youth he might have supported the PQ and his mother was born in France so he can keep his dual citizenship just like the rest of us. All this crap is coming from Ezra Levant who published those anti-Islam cartoons and offended Muslims everywhere and gave them a reason to hate Canada.
More importantly, Dion keeps the tradition of having one Anglo and then one French leader in succession. He can carry Ontario (where the election will be won) because they take it very seriously in Ontario that Quebec's interests be represented. With a Quebecker at the Liberal helm they would prefer him over the Alberta-first Harper. In Quebec, he may not be the most popular Liberal but who is Dion running against? Harper. They would prefer their own native son over a Alberta-first, anti-Kyoto,anti-environment, anti-gay rights, Pro-Afghanistan war (in which Quebeckers are about to be deployed) Harper who also has yet to act on the Fiscal imbalance issue like he promised. Dion's values mirror more closely those of typical Quebeckers then those of Harper. If Dion takes a chunk of Quebec (BLOC will always carry the most of it) and takes most of Ontario along with some support in the maritimes he will get a majority without needing any other support from any other province. Lately BC has been showing support for Liberals and he could add some seats there. The Strength of the Liberals is in urbans centers (most of which are full of progressives and minorities like Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, etc.), Ontario, and Quebec and to a lesser extent the maritime provinces. What happens in other places they don't care it is all just gravy. As for the conservatives: they were given a protest vote last time especially in Quebec over the sponsership scandal. A lot of those voters will not conservative again and keep this in mind even then the Conservatives only meeked out a minority. To get a majority Harper would have to get out of Afghanistan, address the fiscal imbalance for Quebec and Ontario, approve of gay marriage, apply kyoto, increase immigration, increase spending on and maintain public healthcare, restore the gun registry, restore the Wheatboard etc. I don't see him doing that because that would shatter everything his redneck base votes for.
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I am sorry but publishing cartoons is a matter of the Freedom of the Press - that comment is about as usefull as - the only reason there was such an uproar is people are afraid that the same factions that did 9/11 will do it if they run cartoons.
There was more uproar over cartoons than their was about the Holocst deniers - what sense does that make.
Also, dual citizenship does matter when you are the Prime Minister. Why would he not just let the passport expire and then get it when he isnt prime minister. Please name me one leader in Nato that has dual citizenship - please - thanks.
The passport plays to the cons base to rally for vote support - that is why it has been brought up.
MYK