2011 Canadian Election Thread

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by tripin_billie

So, with the Conservatives gaining a lot of seats in southern Ontario and especially the Toronto area, how long until they are branded at the "party of Toronto" by Albertans? I give the over-under at about 6 months. I for one welcome whatever the next version of the Alliance or Reform party that comes next to split the conservative vote. Wildrose a Federal party?

Oh Alberta, so silly. I love the Flames, but damn, what a strange province.

or it could finally be a national party

[Canada 02]

Libs will choose an interim leader as soon as Wedensday.

Dominic LeBlanc is one of the names being mentioned as a possible candidate for a Lib leadership bid.

Ignatieff pushing for a young woman to enter the leadership race. Wonder who he has in mind. Kirsty Duncan? She's an academic like Ignatieff.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/cana...ff-future.html#

[Resolute 14]

[calculoso]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Really interesting story on what the hell happened to the Liberals, written by a Liberal:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...2008011/page1/

Very interesting for sure.

We entered the election with a clear strategy to triangulate the NDP on just about every single issue save Afghanistan. Pick an issue, look at the NDP, look at the Liberals, we consistently got as close to them as possible. The strategy was to push the NDP down, polarize the election as a choice between us and the Conservatives and bob’s your uncle. At least that was the theory.

Thanks, Bob Rae.. NDP'er in Liberal clothing

[VladtheImpaler]

Originally Posted by Canada 02

Libs will choose an interim leader as soon as Wedensday.

Dominic LeBlanc is one of the names being mentioned as a possible candidate for a Lib leadership bid.

Ignatieff pushing for a young woman to enter the leadership race. Wonder who he has in mind. Kirsty Duncan? She's an academic like Ignatieff.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/cana...ff-future.html#

Joanna Carroll. You heard it here first.

[HeartsOfFire]

Originally Posted by Shazam

To be fair, no matter who was voted in, they'd have to change the copyright laws. There's massive pressure to get it redone.

And that's fine. Bill C-32 wasn't all that bad, all things considered. But the stuff about criminalizing the Circumvention of TPM's was what made it completely and wholly unacceptable.

The NDP, Liberals, and Bloc all agreed on that as well. The tories didn't give a damn.

Now that they have a majoirty, I fear the worst.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by HeartsOfFire

And that's fine. Bill C-32 wasn't all that bad, all things considered. But the stuff about criminalizing the Circumvention of TPM's was what made it completely and wholly unacceptable.

That, and the blatantly disproportionate punishments for violations.

[mykalberta]

Originally Posted by tripin_billie

So, with the Conservatives gaining a lot of seats in southern Ontario and especially the Toronto area, how long until they are branded at the "party of Toronto" by Albertans? I give the over-under at about 6 months. I for one welcome whatever the next version of the Alliance or Reform party that comes next to split the conservative vote. Wildrose a Federal party?

Oh Alberta, so silly. I love the Flames, but damn, what a strange province.

6 months really - does Jack Layton have an account on CP?

The hope from the rest of the blue in the province is that once the inevitable happens, a leader not from the West is chosen to head the CPC that leader will realize that you dont sell out the west to win Quebec. So long as that leader realizes that national priorities should trump regional pandering, the party out west will be fine.

The Reform was born out of the destruction of the PC party and the utter hatred of the Trudeau Liberal party. The votes needed to go somewhere, and they went Reform/Alliance. The party has grown up alot since then, a majority will show that the so called hidden agenda which was likely there in the Reform days no longer exists, what overrides more hard core right of centre views is the desire to be able to sit at the National table again.

Its a realization that Conservatives north of the 49th have made and one that Conservatives south of the 49th have not.

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by HeartsOfFire

And that's fine. Bill C-32 wasn't all that bad, all things considered. But the stuff about criminalizing the Circumvention of TPM's was what made it completely and wholly unacceptable.

The NDP, Liberals, and Bloc all agreed on that as well. The tories didn't give a damn.

Now that they have a majoirty, I fear the worst.

As a matter of politics, even if an opposition party agrees, they'll still say they disagree. No one truly know what they'll do until they actually gain power. I have no reason to believe any of the other parties understand the issue any better than the cons do.

Don't worry though. The death squad will make your death a painless one for violating this law

[SebC]

Originally Posted by Shazam

As a matter of politics, even if an opposition party agrees, they'll still say they disagree. No one truly know what they'll do until they actually gain power.

Hidden agenda!

[NBC]

Originally Posted by Canada 02

Libs will choose an interim leader as soon as Wedensday.

Dominic LeBlanc is one of the names being mentioned as a possible candidate for a Lib leadership bid.

Ignatieff pushing for a young woman to enter the leadership race. Wonder who he has in mind. Kirsty Duncan? She's an academic like Ignatieff.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/cana...ff-future.html#

Ralph Goodale is the name being mentioned as the most likely to become the interim leader of the Liberal Party.

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by SebC

Hidden agenda!

How long have you been following politics?

The role of an opposition party is to oppose. Provide a counter-balance to the ruling party. See and expose all sides of an issue. This is how a parliamentary system works. They're not there to agree with the gov't. That would be pointless, right?

[calculoso]

Originally Posted by Shazam

How long have you been following politics?

The role of an opposition party is to oppose. Provide a counter-balance to the ruling party. See and expose all sides of an issue. This is how a parliamentary system works. They're not there to agree with the gov't. That would be pointless, right?

It all depends on the issue. There is nothing that says they cannot agree and HAVE TO oppose.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by tripin_billie

So, with the Conservatives gaining a lot of seats in southern Ontario and especially the Toronto area, how long until they are branded at the "party of Toronto" by Albertans? I give the over-under at about 6 months. I for one welcome whatever the next version of the Alliance or Reform party that comes next to split the conservative vote. Wildrose a Federal party?

Oh Alberta, so silly. I love the Flames, but damn, what a strange province.

The #1 reason I'm so happy about the CPC majority is so that snarky comments like this can begin to cease. You sound like a fool, billie. I don't know how far removed you are from Alberta, but what you claim is just not true.
Silly Alberta, eh? The province whose largest city just elected a mayor with the most ethnic name ever? Yup, silly Alberta.

Piss off, billie.

[Bertuzzied]

My dog peed right by a Rob Anders sign this morning. My job is done here.

[Slava]

Well I'm a little late in doing this, (partly because I got tired of reading posts that basically said "Scoreboard" over and over last night), but I wanted to say a few things:

A) Congratulations to the CPC and their supporters. Clearly you did what needed to be done and got the long sought majority. I am sincerely hoping that the government is extremely successful (anyone who partisanly hopes otherwise is a moron, really).

B) Special thanks and congratulations to posters here like transplant99, Captain Crunch, Ark2, Resolute14, zamler, frequitude, Cowboy89 and calculoso (I'm sure that I missed a few, and no slight is intended) for arguing with me over the last 6 weeks. I do love to argue about politics and you guys clearly do as well! In the end we all want the same thing - whats best for Canada - and these discussions are both healthy and necessary for a good democracy. I think that for most of the 200+ pages we kept things away from petty/personal attacks, and maybe even learned something here or there!

Anyway, while I didn't see that coming last night (the majority and more specifically 160+ seats) I do hope that this works well for the next 4 years. Congrats again!

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by calculoso

It all depends on the issue. There is nothing that says they cannot agree and HAVE TO oppose.

Oh sure, if it's something like saluting Nelson Mandela when he comes to Canada.

On matters of policy, they should disagree in the sense that the opposition party should, well, take the opposing view and hash out the issue. This is a good thing for Canadians. Let's hope the NDP does that job well.

An opposition party that agrees would scare the hell out of me. Either the ruling party makes the most rockin-est legislation ever, which does not ever occur, or the opposition is stupid.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by Boblobla

To be fair, it is a bigger victory for him than it is for Harper IMO. He just changed the entier Canadian political landscape. And I think he is a dirty commie.

No he didn't. He won a protest vote in Quebec by promising them a bunch of stupid crap.

[tripin_billie]

Originally Posted by 4X4

The #1 reason I'm so happy about the CPC majority is so that snarky comments like this can begin to cease. You sound like a fool, billie. I don't know how far removed you are from Alberta, but what you claim is just not true.
Silly Alberta, eh? The province whose largest city just elected a mayor with the most ethnic name ever? Yup, silly Alberta.

Piss off, billie.

Wow, can I meet your ethnic named friend?

I was just trying to point out that the more national the Conservative Party focus is, the less Albertan's will feel that the party is "theirs."

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Slava

Well I'm a little late in doing this, (partly because I got tired of reading posts that basically said "Scoreboard" over and over last night), but I wanted to say a few things:

A) Congratulations to the CPC and their supporters. Clearly you did what needed to be done and got the long sought majority. I am sincerely hoping that the government is extremely successful (anyone who partisanly hopes otherwise is a moron, really).

B) Special thanks and congratulations to posters here like transplant99, Captain Crunch, Ark2, Resolute14, zamler, frequitude, Cowboy89 and calculoso (I'm sure that I missed a few, and no slight is intended) for arguing with me over the last 6 weeks. I do love to argue about politics and you guys clearly do as well! In the end we all want the same thing - whats best for Canada - and these discussions are both healthy and necessary for a good democracy. I think that for most of the 200+ pages we kept things away from petty/personal attacks, and maybe even learned something here or there!

Anyway, while I didn't see that coming last night (the majority and more specifically 160+ seats) I do hope that this works well for the next 4 years. Congrats again!

Niether did I brother....neither did i.

I guess I had no clue how disenfranchised the people were with the Liberals, and even more so the Bloc in Quebec.

I saw some early results via the web and was not going to post them here...when the CPC did well in the Maritimes, and then Quebec results started popping up as they did, I knew there was a chance but Toronto was the key.

Then when those started rolling in I knew it was over...certainly didnt want to gloat about it but was both pleased and stunned to be honest.

Hopefully everyone can turn the page on the last 5 years and start anew. I, personally, believe this was the absolute best result for everyone in Canada, not just CPC supporters. Hopefully Harper and co. can outperfrom the expectations of the left and live up to those from the right, and govern as a center right entity.