The great divide ... (appraising Canada's post-election realities)

Toronto Sun (Canada) ^ | Sat, January 28, 2006 | MICHAEL COREN

[GMMAC]

Toronto Sun
Sat, January 28, 2006

The great divide ...

By MICHAEL COREN

Now that the spin has evaporated, we can perhaps state the truth about what happened this week. Canada found itself stuck in political mud.

Ignore the nonsense about "wanting" minority governments and Canadians being a middle-of-the-road people. Individuals don't vote for grand schemes but simply for whom they want to win. The fact that an election results in a minority government is pure chance.

In fact, this nation is arguably more divided now than at any time in its history. East and west, urban and rural, secular and faith-based, immigrant and Canadian-born. It's a mess and none of the parties have anything for which to be particularly jubilant.

The Liberals remain strong in urban Ontario, but may never recover in western Canada and Quebec. On top of this, they are in enormous debt. New laws transforming the way political parties are funded have hit the Liberals particularly hard.

Two-thirds of the party's income routinely came from corporations and major donors and neither of these will be permitted in future. It is no exaggeration to say the Liberals could face bankruptcy, especially with a costly leadership campaign in the near future.

The race will be nasty. Neither Belinda Stronach nor Michael Ignatieff ran to be mere MPs. Reverse those letters and we'll be closer to the truth. Throw in Frank McKenna and perhaps Brian Tobin and even Joe Volpe and wait for the fun to start.

John Manley, who has bowed out this time, would have been the best of the bunch, but don't write off Belinda, who has money, if not brains, to burn. It was assumed that she'd lose her seat this time, but she won fairly comfortably. The appeal may be bewildering and vulgar, but it still works.

Harper fought a reasonably good campaign and we're now being told a minority government will guarantee he governs in a moderate manner. But what is moderation and who defines it?

Canada redefines marriage, arrests people who try to operate private clinics, persecutes law-abiding gun owners and has the most permissive approach to abortion in the democratic world. There is nothing immoderate about questioning and countering this. Opposing extremism is not extreme.

Some people, of course, will not be happy unless and until the Conservatives resemble the red Tory mess of the Mulroney days. The absurdity of this is that the Progressive Conservatives failed.

Remember, at least one-third of the Liberal caucus are social conservatives and there is a chance of some crossing of the floor, depending on who becomes their next leader.

As for the NDP, their vote changed only marginally. By the end of the summer there will be screams of "We lost daycare for 10 stupid seats in Ottawa" thrown at Jack Layton. And if Stephen Harper fails to put a halt to the socialized daycare fetish, he will have broken one of his most tangible promises of the election.

Layton has to be careful about overplaying his hand. Nobody wants another election and he can only use that trick once. He is not the leader of the opposition and never will be.

The Bloc Quebecois performed terribly. The Liberal corruption scandal was the greatest opportunity they ever had and they failed to exploit it. Such gifts are not offered twice in a political lifetime.

The best thing about the entire process? Our new PM used the phrase, "God Bless Canada" after he won. It's been a long since that was said by this nation's leader.

[GMMAC]

Interesting take from a writer who, although definitely a social conservative, is arguably somewhat to the left otherwise.

[GMMAC]

PING!

[GMMAC]

[speedy]

at least one-third of the Liberal caucus are social conservatives and there is a chance of some crossing of the floor

Is this true? Are there people who vote Liberal but who are the Canadian equivalent of what we used to have in the US, Conservative Democrats? Where do they come from, and what are the chances they could come over to the Tories?

[GMMAC]

Hard to say if many - if any - will actually switch parties.
To a large extent, that depends upon both how bitter & divisive the up-coming Liberal leadership race is and especially upon who/which faction emerges victorious.

In the last Parliament, as example, 32 Liberal MP's defied Martin to vote against same-sex "marriage" on the final vote and a couple left to sit as Independents later. Bet the farm, if a PM with all his powers of office couldn't control such people, an interim lame duck leader will have no chance whatsoever of doing so.

In general, so-called right-of-center or relatively socially conservative Liberals are elected from rural, suburban or at least non big city Ridings. While they & enough of their voters need to elect them - in the past - have wanted to be on the winning side / close to the levers of power which meant Liberal, many are rightly appalled by its extreme left & mostly urban-based majority.

All Harper needs to do to govern effectively and with their support is to present legislation which they'll find attractive in comparison their party's policies and/or that they don't dare oppose for fear of the negative reaction from the folks back home.

As example, just watch for the CPC's soon to be introduced anti-corruption & accountability legislation to literally sail through the House and into Law!

[speedy]

Thanks for the analysis, GMMAC.

[Para-Ord.45]

" Opposing extremism is not extreme. "


We`re seeing the exact same thing as exists in the USA.

The big cities and their suburbs being neo-marxist voting

for the left-wing parties and the rest of the country

voting for common sense.

[Para-Ord.45]

"anti-corruption and accountability" is,or should be,designed to indict and convict as many Liberals involved in Adscam,Option Canada and the inisider stock tips as possible.

We must prosecute as many Liberals as were directly or indirectly involved in all crimminal activity,specifically embezzlement kickback schemes.

This is have the effect of marginalizing the Liberal party for an entire generation.

[Para-Ord.45]

*insider

*will have

[GMMAC]

You're welcome - like many on FR, pontification is my pleasure.

Although marvelous American patriot Zell Miller is pretty much in a class all by himself, the same issues which finally motivated him to turn on the 'Rats - & their hard-left in particular! - are the same issues now driving countless ordinary decent people - especially outside of urban areas - to support conservative policies & candidates all across North America.

[JNL]

Easier said than done as long as articles such as this

http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2006/01/27/weyrich-harper060127.html

are pushed by the Canadian Media, the chances of a long term Conservative majority are slim to none.

[Heartofsong83]

That is basically correct.

Many represent Toronto ridings though, which would make crossing the floor political suicide. The most likely to cross the floor IMO is Paul Steckle (Huron-Bruce, ON).

[Para-Ord.45]

'The pessimistic view was that Harper, lacking a parliamentary majority, can do little to make Canadians "adopt a more reasonable view of the United States" and abandon Marxist principles "such as same-sex marriage and abortion on demand," Weyrich says.

He does not say how these things are linked in his mind to Marxism, a doctrine better known for concepts of class warfare.'

The marxists at the CBC have never read the Communist Manifesto,where Marx calls the patriarchal family "an abomination."

[GMMAC]

With you all the way ... but don't get me started!

IMHO, Anne McLellan - for her role as Injustice Minister in publicly funding & promoting anti-majority, anti-family radical feminist & homosexual hate-mongers alone! - should rightly be tried for "Crimes Against Humanity" with respect to outrages committed against Canadian families in general & fathers & their children in particular !!!

BTW, not long ago, Stephen Harper told a group of family justice advocates privately that he believed McLellan to be more personally responsible for the dismal state of the nation's so-called "family" Courts than any other 3 people in Ottawa combined!

Stephen gets it.

[GMMAC]

Neo-Marxists such as radical feminists & homosexuals have re-vamped the traditional economic definitions of classical Marxism to now also encompass:
gender
race
sexual orientation
... and just about anything else that fits with their divide & conquer strategies.

In short:
White, heterosexual, males are most definitely the "new bourgeoisie" - the evil oppressor class!

[speedy]

Yes, there used to be an entire Zell Miller wing in the Democratic Party that had to be taken into account by the lefties who plotted much of the strategy. That's no longer an issue. Then we had our "Reagan Democrats." And now maybe we see the start of a "Harper Liberals" phenomenon in Canada. I sure hope so. I'm enjoying all these warm and fuzzy sentiments toward Canada over the past few days!! It's the way it's SUPPOSED to be.

[GMMAC]

If you've read Ann Coulter's "Treason" - & if you haven't you should! - if anything, Canada's Liberals even more morphed into a party of traitors & Marxist ideologues than your 'Rats did over the same 50-60 year time-frame.

As bad as it was for America to go from JFK to the despicable Jimmy Carter (!) in barely more than a decade, I'd argue that our Liberals' shift from Lester Pearson to the vile Pierre Trudeau in far less time was even more extreme.

But, America's betrayal was worse because it's the single greatest nation - in so may respects! - the world has ever known.
However, on the other hand, America also has the most remarkable testament to personal liberty ever written in our common language with which to battle its internal enemies: the magnificent U.S. Constitution!

If only Canada had similar ... but we'll fight on anyway!

[GMMAC]

"It's the way it's SUPPOSED to be."

[speedy]

Great picture of Mulroney and Reagan. Those were the days. Despite the great age difference, they were obviously so comfortable together. Comfortable enough to do their rendition of "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling." He gave a wonderful eulogy at Reagan's funeral.