provuncial Conservatives Miss an Opportunity

[train]

At a Party convention in London Ontario Party members gave John Tory a sixty six percent approval rating. While low by the standards of these things it gave Tory enough wiggle room to stay on as Party Leader.

A bad move if the Party had any hopes of accomplishing anything, although I suppose there is no point to have a leadership convention for 3 years anyway.

If Tory couldn't beat a Leader who had accomplished nothing of substance in his first term in office and whose most popular media charicature was that of Pinnochio due to his aversion to telling the truth, then he should have been replaced. Tory has too long a history of shooting himself in the foot.

PS why can't one fix the typo in the heading with the edit function ?

 

[slowandeasy]

Wow... I don't know about Tory... he might have been a really good Premier...
However, I completely agree that they needed a change in leadership.

A 66.9% or whatever, is not a strong vote of confidence. If they had run a good campaign this past election, I could understand him continuing... But they ran a horrible... I repeat horrible campaign...

 

[LancsLad]

John Tory is a nice fellow personally. But thats not the issue.

I've never been a fan as I'm from the hard right of the Party and always found his surname to be a tad in the false advertising direction. We are the Conservative Party, time to behave that way.


.

 

[Damondean]

The man has incredibly bad judgment. He should have quit. The P.C.s will go down the tubes the next time.

 

[sailorsix]

The man has incredibly bad judgment.

No kidding...he worked for Ted Rogers.

 

[slowpoke]

Since 2/3 of conservative delegates endorsed John Tory, I can only conclude that the Ontario PC party is whacked. If they had better leadership hopefuls waiting in the wings, they probably would have voted for a leadership review so they'd get a chance to pick a less mutant leader. But they stayed with Tory so the alternatives must have been even worse. Note to PC Party: "If you want to beat McGuinty, you only need to elect a new leader who isn't a complete moron. In the meantime, please stop whining about how McGuinty has twice managed to become ON's premier. He's only there because you guys can't pull your heads out of your asses long enough to find a normal guy to challenge him. Whose fault is that?"

 

[to-guy69]

Mike Harris lost in 1990 and then the PC cacaus voted him to stay on which was a good move for the party since he won in 1995.

The problem with booting Tory out is that there is no clear, viable replacement at the present time.

 

[K Douglas]

John Tory is the only chance the Conservatives have at vote rich GTA. If they shift hard right they can kiss all the 416 and most of the 905 goodbye. Look the electorate keeps voting the lying Libs into power why don't the Conservatives just soften their stand throw the socialist/lib voters a bone, then once they get into power implement the right wing agenda.

 

[train]

John Tory is the only chance the Conservatives have at vote rich GTA. If they shift hard right they can kiss all the 416 and most of the 905 goodbye. Look the electorate keeps voting the lying Libs into power why don't the Conservatives just soften their stand throw the socialist/lib voters a bone, then once they get into power implement the right wing agenda.

Maybe - but he lost the mayoral election too, so how popular is he in the GTA ?

He just keeps on shooting himself in the foot though. In political terms 66% is an insult to a party leader. They were basically telling him to leave.

 

[sailorsix]

We are the Conservative Party, time to behave that way..

Actually provincially they are the PROGRESSIVE Conservative Party. Are you sure that you joined the right right wing coffee klatch?

I don't see a good fit between you and them.

If you look under the "Our policies" tab on their website (http://www.ontariopc.com/policy_message_from_john.asp) they have no policies.

 

[jwmorrice]

PS why can't one fix the typo in the heading with the edit function ?

Bump.

jwm

 

[LancsLad]

Actually provincially they are the PROGRESSIVE Conservative Party. Are you sure that you joined the right right wing coffee klatch?

I don't see a good fit between you and them.

If you look under the "Our policies" tab on their website (http://www.ontariopc.com/policy_message_from_john.asp) they have no policies.

Exactly my point. I have always hated that word "Progressive" as part of the name. We were and should be a solidly Conservative party that offers a concrete alternative to the mushy dreck of the left. We were co-opted from within.

I'm no longer a member of the Provincial PC's and haven't been for a number of years, they hound me for more donations and don't even get that now. I'm supporting John Galt.

 

[Never Compromised]

The Progressive Conservative Party is the result of two separate parties joining in order to effectively compete for votes. When the progressive and conservative elements break apart, it significantly lessens the chance of electoral success.

Case in point: Reform breaking away from the federal PC Party. And what has happened there? The leader from the Reform side of things has had to slide to the left to enjoy any electoral success. Harper is not as well liked or trusted by the "right wing" because of his shift towards the moderate centre.

Oh, and as far as Harper surviving his leadership vote, check to see just when it was held. On a Friday of a Friday - Sunday convention.

Any party that places "ideological purity" above all else, will remain on the outside. Just ask Jack Layton, or any federal NDP leader.

As for 66% support being a number that suggests that the party is pushing the leader out the door, don't be silly. It means that there are a significant minority that were unhappy with his leadership and don't think he can win, and a few malcontents that will never be happy until a very "right wing" leader takes over.

From the practical side of things, there is simply not enough time to have another leadership race, pay down the debt, then start the process of rebuilding.

While many of the media outlets have suggested that the party is divided, the truth is that the party is always divided. A leadership race is a very divisive process, and the media has seemed to forgotten that.

 

[slowpoke]

John Tory is the only chance the Conservatives have at vote rich GTA. If they shift hard right they can kiss all the 416 and most of the 905 goodbye. Look the electorate keeps voting the lying Libs into power why don't the Conservatives just soften their stand throw the socialist/lib voters a bone, then once they get into power implement the right wing agenda.

So you're advocating a trojan horse election campaign - ie: say whatever the electorate wants to hear so you can get into power and then roll out your hidden right wing agenda. This is exactly what people were afraid Harper was going to do and it is still one of the reasons some of us don't trust him.

And who says the PCs need to shift hard right anyway? IMHO, all they need is a rational person who is fiscally more conservative than McGuinty and who doesn't derail his election campaign with idiotic promises that any 10 year old would know enough not to make.