GT: Federal Election

[Canuck-Hater]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

I wonder if the right could become fractured once again.

Reminds me of the Flames during the Sutter era, blow it up already!

[rubecube]

A Jason Kenney vs. Doug Ford leadership race would be Republican-level hilarious.

[Blaster86]

Originally Posted by rubecube

A Jason Kenney vs. Doug Ford leadership race would be Republican-level hilarious.

If that happens, I think we see a split.

There are too many Tories who have self-respect and a head on their shoulders to vote for either of them.

[MarchHare]

Voters just strongly rejected Harper. They will just as surely reject Jason Kenney (aka Harper 2.0) in the next election, so if the CPC leadership has any brains, they'll strongly encourage Kenney not to run and instead make him interim party leader. He's an experienced MP and would make an effective opposition leader for the next 12-18 months, but he'll never win a national election.

Outside of Brad Wall (who hasn't indicated he has a desire to run and doesn't speak French), I'm not sure if there are any prominent conservatives currently serving at the national or provincial levels who could turn the fortunes of the CPC around in the short-medium term. Maybe we'll see an out-of-nowhere candidate from the private sector?

[adc]

Originally Posted by MarchHare

Voters just strongly rejected Harper. They will just as surely reject Jason Kenney (aka Harper 2.0) in the next election, so if the CPC leadership has any brains, they'll strongly encourage Kenney not to run and instead make him interim party leader. He's an experienced MP and would make an effective opposition leader for the next 12-18 months, but he'll never win a national election.

Outside of Brad Wall (who hasn't indicated he has a desire to run and doesn't speak French), I'm not sure if there are any prominent conservatives currently serving at the national or provincial levels who could turn the fortunes of the CPC around in the short-medium term. Maybe we'll see an out-of-nowhere candidate from the private sector?

I think that is the best situation for the PC's to do now. There is no clear cut great choice so put someone in place who can be a holdover leader for the party in the legislature and spend the next ~4 years either grooming someone or waiting for someone outside of the party to emerge.

I am from the Reform/strong right side of the party so I obviously have no issue with Kenney but I can see that he is likely not a candidate that will do a lot to bring back the voters that shifted to the Liberals. Likewise I can't see myself or others like me to support a PC party led by Charest that takes a big step toward the center. Maybe for one election since there likely wouldn't be another choice but long term that seems like a set up to a move towards a split party.

I am not inside politics enough to know if there are some possible candidates in the private sector or Provincial politics that would be better choices but of the names that I have heard (Kenney, Charest, Oliver, Wall, Riatt) none of them seem likely to do much more than form the opposition and none of them outside of Wall (and thats a big maybe) seem to have any sort of personality to them to try and re-energize the party at all.

[Drak]

OT but what's up with the Trump avatar? I assume that's a joke. If not, you gotta be kidding me.

[Kavvy]

Originally Posted by adc

I think that is the best situation for the PC's to do now. There is no clear cut great choice so put someone in place who can be a holdover leader for the party in the legislature and spend the next ~4 years either grooming someone or waiting for someone outside of the party to emerge.

I am from the Reform/strong right side of the party so I obviously have no issue with Kenney but I can see that he is likely not a candidate that will do a lot to bring back the voters that shifted to the Liberals. Likewise I can't see myself or others like me to support a PC party led by Charest that takes a big step toward the center. Maybe for one election since there likely wouldn't be another choice but long term that seems like a set up to a move towards a split party.

I am not inside politics enough to know if there are some possible candidates in the private sector or Provincial politics that would be better choices but of the names that I have heard (Kenney, Charest, Oliver, Wall, Riatt) none of them seem likely to do much more than form the opposition and none of them outside of Wall (and thats a big maybe) seem to have any sort of personality to them to try and re-energize the party at all.

Either your side of our party, aka the far right, needs to embrace a leftist tory, or were stuck with Liberal rule for the next decade or longer.

PC/Cons can't hope for the left to simply split the vote, we need to be a party that is center right, not right, or we will simply have a party that forms an opposition to majority governments...

We need the right side of our party to compromise... which is what politics should actually be about, not taking hardlines.

Take a hard line/split the party, you're just going to get less of what you want by empowering a leftist government. All the reform party did was ensure Liberal majorities.

[calgarygeologist]

I wonder if Prentice is done with politics for good? He probably wouldn't get a lot of support from Albertans though. He likely would have been a good successor to Harper.

[starseed]

Prentice lost to the NDP in Alberta. No chance he takes over the CPC.

It will be Lisa Raitt.

[Blaster86]

If they are smart it is one of Raitt or Rempel.

They aren't and it won't be.

[jayswin]

^^^^^^

Nailed it.

[Mathgod]

Originally Posted by Kavvy

which is what politics should actually be about, not taking hardlines.

Take a hard line/split the party, you're just going to get less of what you want by empowering a leftist government. All the reform party did was ensure Liberal majorities.

Going to have to disagree on that point. Politics should absolutely be about taking hardlines. If you don't approve of what's happening in the world, take a stand and have a voice. Nothing will ever change if people always choose to be wishy-washy and passively go with the flow.

Proportional representation would go a long way toward eliminating dictatorial governance and would do more to give many more viewpoints a voice - and, more importantly, some sway - in Parliament.

FTR I'm not a conservative supporter; my political views are not represented by any of the parties that currently hold seats in Parliament.

[corporatejay]

Originally Posted by Blaster86

If they are smart it is one of Raitt or Rempel.

They aren't and it won't be.

[Blaster86]

What I can't understand is how the CPC didn't hit this long before it happened. No matter how you slice it, Canada has a much more center-left approach to governance than the USA so they walk a fine line and yet they heeded no warnings.

They watched their counter-part in the Republican party drift to the right, let the hard-line fundamentalists take over to secure the percentage of votes they represent and alienate more than half the electorate in the the country. And as they watch this, they don't realize that they are probably dealing with a much shorter leash back home. They let the same thing happen, and now it's probably too far gone to stop it. They have secured 22 - 30% of the vote every election and alienated 70-78%, praying for a split on the left to secure even a minority, and pretty much negating any chance at a majority.

People have flogged the NDP over their misjudgement that the Ornage wave was an actual shift and not just a way to punish the Liberals. I don't think the CPC has been given enough flak for very much the same thing. Mistaking votes that were cast to punish the Liberals as a genuine shift to the right.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by Blaster86

If they are smart it is one of Raitt or Rempel.

They aren't and it won't be.

I don't know enough about Raitt but it isn't Rempel's time yet. I like her, for the most part, and she is strong and aggressive and will go toe to toe with anyone but I just can't see the party rallying around her as the leader.

[Blaster86]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

I don't know enough about Raitt but it isn't Rempel's time yet. I like her, for the most part, and she is strong and aggressive and will go toe to toe with anyone but I just can't see the party rallying around her as the leader.

This is pretty much my point. If the liberals take this outlook with Trudeau, which they could have, I doubt they govern a majority for the next four years.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

I don't know enough about Raitt but it isn't Rempel's time yet. I like her, for the most part, and she is strong and aggressive and will go toe to toe with anyone but I just can't see the party rallying around her as the leader.

Ya, my favorite part was in her first election when she just didn't show up to all-candidate forums and was replaced by a potted plant. She also got a nice leg up by being a close friend of Laureen Harper, and given a nice easy riding.

Frankly, I was really happy when the riding's were re-drawn and I didn't have her "representing" me anymore.

[zamler]

FFS we've elected a complete idiot

“issues like gamergate or video games misogyny in popular culture, it is something that we need to stand clearly against.”Says Justin Trudeau, the newly elected Prime Minister of Canada

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by zamler

FFS we've elected a complete idiot

Why?

Gamergate has pretty much been a study in misogyny, homophobia and generally the worst aspects of humanity

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by zamler

FFS we've elected a complete idiot

He can't comment on issues?