2011 Canadian Election Thread

[SeeBass]

Is it just me, or does it seem like whenever the national news starts to show what the party leaders did and said during the day the majority of the time they always start with the Liberals?

[SebC]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

I feel sad for Canada if you think a corrupt and divisive stooge is someone worth bringing back.

Yeah, I agree. We've had enough of Harper.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by SebC

Yeah, I agree. We've had enough of Harper.

Not according to every single poll available.

Reality sucks sometimes.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by transplant99

Not according to every single poll available.

Reality sucks sometimes.

Well the majority don't want him, and thats been shown in a couple of elections now, and will likely be in another month as well. Thats reality.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Slava

Well the majority don't want him, and thats been shown in a couple of elections now, and will likely be in another month as well. Thats reality.

More want him than anyone else...thats reality.

[Parallex]

C'mon guys... the only poll that matters now is on May 2nd and we'll all know then whose right and whose wrong. Let's all keep our better graces until then.

[Frequitude]

Originally Posted by Parallex

Well... consider this. If you were an MP and you genuinely believe that the government of the day has contempt of Parliament (the instrument of our democracy), could you in good faith vote to allow that government to continue? In my mind the answer to that question has to be "no" and if the answer is "yes" then IMO you're not worthy of the office you hold.

Of course. But if the general public doesn't end up giving a hoot, just maybe it wasn't a contemptible offense. This is the first time a government's been held in contempt of parliament. Does that mean you believe its therefore the worst thing a government's ever done to its parliament? (poorly worded, but you get the point). Contempt's a big hammer. Is this really an equally big issue in the grand scheme of things? It seems that dangerous precident is being set here (like it was with proroguing).

Originally Posted by Slava

Its a moot point anyway though. The CPC would have to do something catastrophic to lose your vote, so basically no matter why the Liberals, NDP and BQ bring down that government you will pretty much always think its a waste of time, right?

This has nothing to do with my vote. Let's stay on topic. Do the Liberals actually think it'll change the public's vote?

Originally Posted by SebC

The point could be to prevent a Conservative majority in a year. Or to show some backbone in the face of Conservative transgressions. There are lot of scenarios outside of a Liberal plurality that would make an election now a good strategic move for the Liberals.

I will also add that campaigns matter. Just because the Conservatives are polling in minority government range at the start of the campaign does not mean they'll finish there.

This is the first good tangible reason I've heard for this election...longer term thinking. At least that I could understand. Think its actually the case though?

[Frequitude]

Originally Posted by Parallex

C'mon guys... the only poll that matters now is on May 2nd and we'll all know then whose right and whose wrong. Let's all keep our better graces until then.

Better just lock 'er up then.

[Parallex]

Originally Posted by Frequitude

Better just lock 'er up then.

Har, fair enough. Amend that to read "Let's all try to keep our better graces". Or at least have the discourse be a might bit higher then "Your side sucks".

[Cowboy89]

Originally Posted by Slava

Well the majority don't want him, and thats been shown in a couple of elections now, and will likely be in another month as well. Thats reality.

On that basis that last prime minister who's party generated over half the popular vote was Brian Mulroney! Chretien generated 38.46% popular vote and majority election win in 1997 vs. Harper's 37.65% minority in 2008. Stupid arguement.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Bertuzzied

It wasn't that bad. Plus the man can lead. I wish he would have gave Bush the Shawinigan handshake.

If you look at Chretien he was probably one of the most corrupt PM's that his country has ever seen, especially on a personal side.

I'm glad he's gone

The guy was the smoothest liar I've ever seen.

And the man wasn't a great leader, he was a great seperator and was willing to create splits in this country to his own gain.

[CaptainCrunch]

I did laugh today when Ignatieff made his speech this morning or last night and waxed poetically about how much the Liberal Party loves elections.

[Frequitude]

Originally Posted by Parallex

Har, fair enough. Amend that to read "Let's all try to keep our better graces". Or at least have the discourse be a might bit higher then "Your side sucks".

Pinko Commie!

[Parallex]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I did laugh today

My inner 12 year old probably laughed harder when I heard that Harper was lamenting the unnessicary erection in a speech.

I cut him some slack because he was speaking french but it's still funny.

[Parallex]

Originally Posted by Frequitude

Pinko Commie!

Take That! Fascist Autocrat.

[jolinar of malkshor]

Originally Posted by Slava

Well the majority don't want him, and thats been shown in a couple of elections now, and will likely be in another month as well. Thats reality.

The majority of people didn't want Chretien either and he had some of the biggest majority governments and operated as a virtual dictator. You will never get the majority of people in this country agreeing to one leader.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Parallex

My inner 12 year old probably laughed harder when I heard that Harper was lamenting the unnessicary erection in a speech.

I cut him some slack because he was speaking french but it's still funny.

Ah french the language of boners.

[jolinar of malkshor]

This entire contempt of Parliament is a load of donkey S**t. It really means nothing at all. All it was, was the opposition ganging up on the government. They could have put forward a motion asking the government to produce a rock from Mars, and when they didn't, they would have voted in contempt.

Why has it never happend before? Because Canada usually has a majority government, thus, the opposition could never pass a contempt of Parliament vote.

This is no different than when the Reform party demanded all the financial info for the gun registery, Chretien would not provide it. There was nothing the opposition could do but yell in the House of Commons. They could not get a contempt of Parliament vote passed because they would have needed the Chretien government to support it.

This is nothing but smoke and mirrors by the opposition.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by Parallex

My inner 12 year old probably laughed harder when I heard that Harper was lamenting the unnessicary erection in a speech.

OMG. Harper's asian!

[SebC]

Originally Posted by Frequitude

This is the first good tangible reason I've heard for this election...longer term thinking. At least that I could understand. Think its actually the case though?

Whilst I appreciate the civil discussion and that your question is genuine, I can't really answer it. I don't know what the inner strategic leadership of the party is thinking.

What I will say though is that this may be the best time for an election for the Liberals within the next two years (the time frame in which an election must be called). Yes, the more they distance themselves from the sponsorship scandal and the Dion coalition, the better. But at the same time, allowing the comtempt of parliament stuff to fade into obscurity would be doing a huge favor to the Conservatives. Let's also not forget that 2008 was also when Flaherty said that Canada would avoid a recession and thus no stimulus was necessary. As the economy improves, Canadians are more likely to forgive that.

Let me flip your question for you. If the Liberals were to wait longer, do you see their prospects improving, staying the same, or getting worse? That's really what decides whether or not the election makes sense for them, not whether or not they can beat the Conservatives outright.