Federal Politics 2015 Thread

[edslunch]

And somewhere in there Harper came out with his "it's a great buying opportunity" remark. Genius!

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

He abandoned the conservative policy of spending cuts in the face of a recession.


http://www.theglobeandmail.com/repor...0149/?page=all

Well that's the easy answer, but as that article you linked details they really only took that path when they were forced with the coalition government. Instead of that option they kept power by acquiescing to the opposition demands and threw stimulus into the economy. Then they bought signs and advertisements to say how great an idea that was.

I refuse to credit them for taking that path though. There was no evidence they were going to put forward any stimulus package until that coalition was threatened.

[PsYcNeT]

If nothing else, it makes Flaherty look like the Canadian equivalent of a RINO.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Slava

Well that's the easy answer, but as that article you linked details they really only took that path when they were forced with the coalition government. Instead of that option they kept power by acquiescing to the opposition demands and threw stimulus into the economy. Then they bought signs and advertisements to say how great an idea that was.

I refuse to credit them for taking that path though. There was no evidence they were going to put forward any stimulus package until that coalition was threatened.

That's pretty much what I'm saying.

Fell ass-backwards into a stimulus plan that may or may not have been a waste of billions of dollars.

It's a strike against the core structure of their economic policy. Harper the economist.

[rubecube]

Does it chap anyone else's ass how much the Conservatives must be spending on the ads they're running during the playoffs? It'd be one thing if it was coming from the party coffers, but to me it's a blatant misuse of taxpayer dollars.

[Fuzz]

I have no idea how they get away with that. It's totally partisan. Being told how awesome they are with my money is infuriating.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by rubecube

Does it chap anyone else's ass how much the Conservatives must be spending on the ads they're running during the playoffs? It'd be one thing if it was coming from the party coffers, but to me it's a blatant misuse of taxpayer dollars.

Originally Posted by Fuzz

I have no idea how they get away with that. It's totally partisan. Being told how awesome they are with my money is infuriating.

Someone on Twitter noted that they cut the funding to political parties and on the other hand went right ahead and used these ads to campaign. I have no idea, no matter how much you support the CPC, how someone would think that's fine.

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

Originally Posted by #-3

Anyone else catch this.

http://www.truenorthtimes.ca/2015/05...s-intercourse/

I doubt it really hurts her in the long run, I think most who vote green don't really care what the media buzz is. But it was kinda funny to watch her get dragged off stage.

But I do think her comments early on might fuel increasing concerns about Harper being too Monolithic in his approach to policy.

I suspect this does hurt the Greens. It's important to remember what makes gaffes damaging--it's when they confirm an already-existing concern that voters have about a candidate or a party-- this is why the "lake of fire" comments were so damaging to the WRP in the provincial election in 2005.

Their numbers are so small nationally that we may not see much there, but at the riding level a drop in Green support could tip the balance in a number of swing ridings. One person who was happy to see May's "bozo eruption," I'm guessing, is Kent Hehr, who has a very good shot of defeating an extremely mediocre conservative incumbent in Calgary Centre. His biggest worry is likely Green-party vote splitting.

On that note the Liberals are also stagnating badly in the national polls, per Eric Grenier's latest analysis. The Conservatives are steady, and the NDP is very slowly rising over the last few weeks. Still way too far out to prognosticate, but it looks like vote splitting will benefit Harper, and if he does even respectably in rural Ontario I can see another majority in the cards for him. His biggest worry, honestly, should be Trudeau imploding and leftist Liberal supporters flocking to the NDP, which could mute vote splitting in parts of BC and in Ontario. As usual he has positioned himself well though.

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

I should have clarified: the "existing concern" voters have about May is that she is crazy and unstable. Her little incident may well have left people with precisely that impression. What she needs to do is to seem credible, and she failed to do that, and I would guess that soft Green support in some swing ridings erodes as a result.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

I have no idea how they get away with that. It's totally partisan. Being told how awesome they are with my money is infuriating.

I don't recall any other party promoting themselves in ads that much, especially when elections aren't for a while. And they have been doing it non-stop since the last election.

What's worse though is how susceptible people are to be indoctrinated by ads without even realizing it. Can't really blame the Conservatives because it obviously works.

[edslunch]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

I don't recall any other party promoting themselves in ads that much, especially when elections aren't for a while. And they have been doing it non-stop since the last election.

What's worse though is how susceptible people are to be indoctrinated by ads without even realizing it. Can't really blame the Conservatives because it obviously works.

We can and should blame them. Just because it works, just like other crap they pull like omnibus bills, doesn't mean it's right. They are abusing power like no government before them and should be held to account. They get away with it because the average voter is oblivious.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by rubecube

Does it chap anyone else's ass how much the Conservatives must be spending on the ads they're running during the playoffs? It'd be one thing if it was coming from the party coffers, but to me it's a blatant misuse of taxpayer dollars.

At this point it shouldn't even matter.

Harper's version of the conservatives have been such a corrupt, abject failure as a government that if you don't see it by now, you never will.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

At this point it shouldn't even matter.

Harper's version of the conservatives have been such a corrupt, abject failure as a government that if you don't see it by now, you never will.

I am astounded by the cognitive dissonance exhibited by some Alberta voters, who wanted to punish the PCs for their actions, but have no appetite for punishing the federal Conservatives, who have been just as bad if not worse.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

^There is a perception that other federal parties are bordering on openly hostile towards Alberta, essentially treating it as a foregone conclusion that they will lose here and basically giving Albertans no good reason to vote for them. Maybe that tone changes if the Libs think they have a shot at more than a couple of seats here.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by Iowa_Flames_Fan

On that note the Liberals are also stagnating badly in the national polls, per Eric Grenier's latest analysis. The Conservatives are steady, and the NDP is very slowly rising over the last few weeks. Still way too far out to prognosticate, but it looks like vote splitting will benefit Harper, and if he does even respectably in rural Ontario I can see another majority in the cards for him. His biggest worry, honestly, should be Trudeau imploding and leftist Liberal supporters flocking to the NDP, which could mute vote splitting in parts of BC and in Ontario. As usual he has positioned himself well though.

It's really amazing how Trudeau has managed to blow all of his political capital in a little over a year. Supporting C-51 basically destroyed all of his credibility with left-wing voters, and opposing the ISIS mission basically did the same thing with right-wing voters.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

^There is a perception that other federal parties are bordering on openly hostile towards Alberta, essentially treating it as a foregone conclusion that they will lose here and basically giving Albertans no good reason to vote for them. Maybe that tone changes if the Libs think they have a shot at more than a couple of seats here.

Which is ridiculous. You could argue that the NDP aren't friendly to the oil-industry, but Trudeau has been campaigning pretty hard in favour of Keystone XL, and has done a number of campaign stops in Alberta over the last year. It could also be reasonably asked what exactly the federal Conservatives are doing for Alberta.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by rubecube

It's really amazing how Trudeau has managed to blow all of his political capital in a little over a year. Supporting C-51 basically destroyed all of his credibility with left-wing voters, and opposing the ISIS mission basically did the same thing with right-wing voters.

Maybe the Liberals will learn their lesson and stop with the "Star Candidates" and actually try to get someone qualified.

Probably not though.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by rubecube

Which is ridiculous. You could argue that the NDP aren't friendly to the oil-industry, but Trudeau has been campaigning pretty hard in favour of Keystone XL, and has done a number of campaign stops in Alberta over the last year. It could also be reasonably asked what exactly the federal Conservatives are doing for Alberta.

Originally Posted by nik-

Maybe the Liberals will learn their lesson and stop with the "Star Candidates" and actually try to get someone qualified.

Probably not though.

Well I would also note that with Kent Hehr in Calgary Centre that the Liberals have both a star candidate and someone qualified. Kent was an excellent two term MLA for the Liberals and frankly he enjoys cross-party support because of his work ethic and reasoned approach. I think that he wins in Calgary, which will be a first for the Liberals since 1968.

[nik-]

I think the wheelchair thing works against Kent Hehr. I'd wonder if party strategists wouldn't want to put him out as their candidate because those unfamiliar with him would think that they were pandering.

It's unfortunate, because he's a good MLA with good values, but the optics might seem cynical.

Maybe I'm just cynical

[#-3]

Originally Posted by Iowa_Flames_Fan

I should have clarified: the "existing concern" voters have about May is that she is crazy and unstable. Her little incident may well have left people with precisely that impression. What she needs to do is to seem credible, and she failed to do that, and I would guess that soft Green support in some swing ridings erodes as a result.

Ya, I guess me view of a green voter, is somebody who does not mind being on the fringe. So I'm not sure some drunken crazy rant really scares them at all, and I don't see the conservative rolling this back out, it probably hurts them as much as the greens.

As you said this might be perfect timing for the NDP to keep this in the public mind.