What is the life-expectancy for Harper?
- Thread starter dcbogey
- Start date
What do you mean by "the weakest opposition he has faced"? It was also the strongest opposition he has faced since it was the only opposition he ever faced. This was Harper's first election as PM.dcbogey said:
This was Harpo's third kick at the can. He proved that once again he simply does not have what it takes to be a real winner.johnhenrygalt said:
He could not hammer a nail into the coffin of the Fiberal Party when they were crumbling due to the rats leaving the nest with the sponsership scandal, and he could not finish the job against the weakest Liberal leader in 100 years.
Harpo is a great bureaucrat and he might be a decent cabinet minister. But he is not a true leader. He should do the honourable thing and step aside as party leader.
I think the dynamics of the party system in Canada have changed. We now have 4 parties which all have their bases of power and are unlikely to implode. We are on the verge of having a 5th (especially if proportional voting is implemented). Unless a significant party packs it in, I predict that it will continue to be very difficult for any party to win a majority government. In my view, the last Canadian majority government we had only occured because of the split in the conservative party.TheDuckGod said:
Barring implosion of one of our parties, we are on our way to becoming Italy.
Harper's leadership abilities are not why we have another minority government.
Get used to it. It will be par for the course. If I'm right, more and more one issue fringe parties (and coalitions) will enter the fray.
When you stand back and look at what happened, Harper won his battle but clearly is losing his war. He got more seats, but essentially no more votes than last time out.
If you believe politics is all about beating your opponent down, then he campaigned brilliantly and the results show it. If you believe politics is about carrying out the will of the electorate, he's just as far off the mark as he was back in 2006 when he said he'd govern as if he had a majority, or 40 days ago when he said he couldn't govern at all because Parliament was dysfunctional.
He's a very able man, but better suited to be a Richelieu behind the throne, because he keeps thinking he's Napoleon on it. He's decisively defeated the Liberals, but failed abjectly to win Canadians, as the popular vote shows. An increase of 1% is a rounding error, not a trend.
Given the fault lines within the Conservative-Reform-Alliance-Party, one can understand why there are no likely replacements on deck, but there should be. Harper shows no signs of maturing beyond his current sandbox Machiavelli stage. That may have been what the right needed to get its act together, but Canada needs better from a PM.
If you believe politics is all about beating your opponent down, then he campaigned brilliantly and the results show it. If you believe politics is about carrying out the will of the electorate, he's just as far off the mark as he was back in 2006 when he said he'd govern as if he had a majority, or 40 days ago when he said he couldn't govern at all because Parliament was dysfunctional.
He's a very able man, but better suited to be a Richelieu behind the throne, because he keeps thinking he's Napoleon on it. He's decisively defeated the Liberals, but failed abjectly to win Canadians, as the popular vote shows. An increase of 1% is a rounding error, not a trend.
Given the fault lines within the Conservative-Reform-Alliance-Party, one can understand why there are no likely replacements on deck, but there should be. Harper shows no signs of maturing beyond his current sandbox Machiavelli stage. That may have been what the right needed to get its act together, but Canada needs better from a PM.
I think the Liberals were very lucky that the credit/stock market crisis came to a head when it did. In these situations the incumbents usually take the brunt of the blame even though logically in this case there shouldn't have been much to pin on the Feds.
As soon as the proverbial hit the fan the polls indicated a drop for the Conservatives. I think if this had all happened two weeks after an election we would be looking at a Conservative majority.
PS Can someone explain choice 2 in the poll ? Is it until the Libs decide a new leader?
As soon as the proverbial hit the fan the polls indicated a drop for the Conservatives. I think if this had all happened two weeks after an election we would be looking at a Conservative majority.
PS Can someone explain choice 2 in the poll ? Is it until the Libs decide a new leader?
Harper will probably do his best to watch the Liberals implode again and bide his time, waiting for an opportunity to go to the polls yet again in another transparent attempt to win a majority.
It probably won't work - again - and when he fails to win a majority the next time he'll be drop-kicked back into Alberta.
It probably won't work - again - and when he fails to win a majority the next time he'll be drop-kicked back into Alberta.
bbking said:
Ah crap, I agree with bbking again.
The only hope we have of ever having a Conservative majority is with a moderate like Harper at the helm. It is up to the true hardliners like myself to keep prodding him in the right direction but in public, some of our views may be seen as a little too strident. Best that people like me are behind the scenes.
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No - the first two elections, Harper was the opposition and he faced a government. This was the first election where Harper was in government and faced an opposition.dcbogey said:
Ah crap, for once I agree with Lancs (although he seems to be working his own peculiar definition of 'moderate'). Anyway, farther behind the better, Lad. Plenty of seats in the back.LancsLad said:Ah crap, I agree with bbking again.
The only hope we have of ever having a Conservative majority is with a moderate like Harper at the helm. It is up to the true hardliners like myself to keep prodding him in the right direction but in public, some of our views may be seen as a little too strident. Best that people like me are behind the scenes.
.
Less than 12 months, if the Obama Administration makes America a booming economy like an FDR and Harper looking at a Canadian Depression.
Gyaos Baltar.
Gyaos Baltar.
I can't see Obama turning around the American economy in 12-18 months, the worst is yet to come with respect to mortage defaults, a bubble this way comes.
With all the mindreaders amongst the Liberal party and their supporters, it's surprising that the party didn't run on the simple platform "Elect us because we can read minds and foresee the future"!bbking said:
At the very least, if I were a Liberal with such awesome powers, I wouldn't be bothered posting here on TERB, or with politics at all, I'd be in Vegas making millions off my special abilities!
Give the "hidden agenda" bull***t a break, already! It didn't fool voters, and it doesn't fool anyone here.
