[Ethan Clive Osgoode]

Canada is NOT a model to be looking at

It's not a model, it's an omen.

[conservative in nyc]

The Progressive Conservatives party’s defeat in 1993 wasn’t really due to it abandoning social conservative principles as it was to it implementing a very unpopular national sales tax in order to reduce a deficit in the middle of a recession. Previous PC Prime Minister Mulroney also pandered to Quebec, which annoyed many Westerners. Kim Campbell and her handlers also ran an inept campaign, including a running very ill-fated attack ad making fun of the Liberal leader’s appearance.

The main lesson from the Canadian experience is that the more socially conservative Reform/Canadian Alliance party there couldn’t make much inroads into more socially moderate Ontario or Quebec until it socially moderated a bit when it merged with what was left of the PC. The party’s leaders were often portrayed as scary theocons with a “hidden agenda”, even though there really wasn’t one. Social conservatives need the help of fiscal conservatives in order to win elections in Canada as much as fiscal conservatives need help from social conservatives. That's probably true south of the 49th parallel as well.