[Alberta's Child]

An unashamedly Right-wing politician is poised to shatter decades of middle-ground consensus in Canada's general election today.

It's worth noting that there is nothing "right-wing" about Canada's Tories. Anyone who expects major changes in Canada after this election is going to be sorely disappointed.

[Alberta's Child]

Ping.

[goldstategop]

As Kheirridin says, if you were looking for a smaller government message in this election you were disappointed. No one is expecting the Conservatives to reverse overnight 30 years of Trudeaupia. It will be enough if they can wean Canadians off the habit of looking to the state for the answers to all their problems.

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")

[Victoria Delsoul]

It's worth noting that there is nothing "right-wing" about Canada's Tories. Anyone who expects major changes in Canada after this election is going to be sorely disappointed.

Gotta disagree with you there. There's a big difference between the Tories and the Grits, not only on spending, tax cuts, crackdown on crime, increased defense spending and devolution of power to the provinces, but also on social issues.

But most who have watched him [Harper] during 20 years in politics say he is far from the typical Canadian consensus-seeking mould that has typified leaders of both Left and Right for decades.

According to his biographer, William Johnson, the country has never had a leader like him in the 139 years since Britain handed over power.

The biography, Stephen Harper and the future of Canada, describes him as a brilliant conviction politician who admired the no-nonsense styles of Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan.