Thursday, February 14, 2008

If Not On Afghanistan, Then Maybe Wait

"'What would we go on?' asked one senior Liberal legislator, saying there would have to be 'something egregious' in the budget not to support it.

Other parties mock the Liberals for having kept the Conservatives in power through a series of supporting votes or abstentions over the past year, but the legislator said there was no sign that voters were angry."

Unlike those of us in the blogging nerdosphere who chafe at every insult Harper hurls at Dion, the "people" seem to be neither fazed, nor impressed, nor even paying attention. And while personally I could summon up the energy to fight over the Afghanistan mission, I'm not sure what the point is of going to electoral war over a budget that will probably just hold the line.

Meanwhile, the air goes slowly out of the Tory balloon as the economy goes South. So why not, as some have counselled, wait a bit longer, and let it head all the way down to Mexico?

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

Geez, I nearly blew a CPU doing the "Liberal Math" on this one.

Let's see, Liberals always lie, but are also always wrong, but Bob Rae might not even be a Liberal. Carry the one, negatives cancel each other, and...

The Libs urging for an early election are the very stupid, who know no better, and the very clever, who want to lose an election yesterday as to hasten the departure of a not terribly effective leader.

Rae knows this, and while this may appear at first glance to be Rae taking a swipe at the leader a more nuanced interpretation is that it is a public declaration of support. Which is actually a clever ruse for the dump Dion campaign, which a committee of Bilde***NO CARRIER***

Ti-Guy said...

That was good, William G. Biff. I like it when the righty lunatics stop play-acting at cogency and go full-metal insane...it comes off more honest and candid.

I don't know why the Liberals would want to be saddled with a tanking economy. Should they win an election shortly, the Conservatives will begin, on day one, to blame them for their reckless taxing and spending.

Anonymous said...

The problem with BCL and Ti-guy's analysis is that Canadians are getting comfortable with the Conservatives in power. Unlike Martin, Harper's credibility while in power has increased. (The recent Leger poll has the Cons on top 37-32 over the Libs.) It's Dion's credibility that is suffering. (If one looks at the best leader numbers.) With the vagaries of any election campaign, it could be close one way or another. In other words, if we wait for the Liberals to be way ahead in the polls, we might be waiting for a very long time. If we go now we're in the game.

bigcitylib said...

That leger poll puts them pretty much where they were at election time. So the number of people comfortable with them doesn't seem to be increasing.

Anonymous said...

That's true as far as it goes, but the longer Harper's in power and not messing up the more he'll attract moderate voters who might otherwise have gone to the Liberals by default as they have in several elections since 1993. That 4% swing in Ontario towards the Cons cost the Liberals the election in 2006.

bigcitylib said...

People have been saying that for two years, Blue. It hasn't happened yet and there's no reason to suspect it will.

wilson said...

I don't get this Liberal message
'let's wait until the Cons really mess up Canada'.
Why 'rescue' Canada if you can 'save' it?

The reality is, and Canadians aren't stupid enough to think otherwise, our economy is/will be being drug down by the US econmy tanking, not any policy the Liberals left behind nor the Conservatives have put in place (yet).

If the Liberals think they have a good plan for 'hard times' they should offer it up, not wait until Canada is a real mess. period.

If Liberals aren't ready to govern (kinda looks that way re: Afghan mission ammendments) then just respect the will of Parliament, and aim for the Oct 2009 election.
Have a policy convention so as Dion doesn't have to 'wing it'.

Or ... just keep that 'entitlement' mentality of 'getting back into power asap', and watch your party tear itself apart.

Robert McClelland said...

If Liberals aren't ready to govern (kinda looks that way re: Afghan mission ammendments) then just respect the will of Parliament, and aim for the Oct 2009 election.

I have to agree with Wilson on this one. I'm getting sick of the Liberals threatening to bring down the government only to have them run away when the time comes. They should either do it on the budget or flat out state that Harper can have his way with them until Oct. `09.

Ti-Guy said...

The problem with BCL and Ti-guy's analysis is that Canadians are getting comfortable with the Conservatives in power. Unlike Martin, Harper's credibility while in power has increased. (The recent Leger poll has the Cons on top 37-32 over the Libs.)

What about the other polls that show the Liberals slightly ahead of the Conservatives? What does that say about Canadians?

I don't get this Liberal message
'let's wait until the Cons really mess up Canada'.
Why 'rescue' Canada if you can 'save' it?


Oh, Wilson, you're so jejune. This particular issue with the economy is beyond any government's control at the moment.

I didn't read past that. Please don't start your comments so stupidly...save it until the end...a big finish, as it were.

Ti-Guy said...

They should either do it on the budget or flat out state that Harper can have his way with them until Oct. `09.

The Liberals aren't the NDP, Robert. They expect to win and form the government.

Robert McClelland said...

You can't win if you refuse to step onto the ice, Ti-Guy.

Anonymous said...

You whine about every little 'insult' thrown Dion's way? Well people grounded in reality don't call those insults, it's called telling him the truth and pointing out his hypocrisy and idiocy on issues.

Insults? You mean like mean, evil, nazi, Bush-lite, dictator, etc. Which side throws those about, do you know?

wilson said...

'I didn't read past that.'

LOL. Yes you did, you just couldn't put an argument into 12 letter words that anyone would buy.

wilson said...

Did the Liberals not want fixed a election date?
I remember Goodale practically begging Parliament to pass the bill asap.

If there is an election, it's the opps who bring down the govt',
in defiance of the fixed election date bill.
Think that won't be a Cons talking point?

Ti-Guy said...

Yes you did, you just couldn't put an argument into 12 letter words that anyone would buy.

I swear, I didn't. You're a fool...everyone knows that.

Most partisan attacks on political adversaries are characterised by blinding idiocy. That why I rarely confront my political adversaries on their home turf. I just don't get a kick out having to be so stupid and pretend to dialogue seriously while trying to avoid swearing, which is frankly all I ever have to say to them.

With you and the rest of the Cuntservative trollertariat...well, idiocy is all you have.

For God's sakes, you guys don't even read newspapers or books!

Ti-Guy said...

You can't win if you refuse to step onto the ice, Ti-Guy.

This isn't a hockey game.

Robert McClelland said...

This isn't a hockey game.

Sure it is, Ti-Guy. The Cons have given us the great hockey Prime Minister and the Libs considered giving us the great goaltender opposition leader.

Aside from that, my point stands. The Liberals have no intention of bringing this government down over any issue. So they should stop pretending. All that does is give the media a gigantic boner.

bigcitylib said...

Sour grapes, Robert. The Libs will bring down Harper on their terms, not the NDPs.

Robert McClelland said...

The Libs will bring down Harper on his terms...

There, I fixed that up for you. Face it, BCL, the past two years has gone like this.

Harper: Gives us that, Dion my love.

Dion: Why?

Harper: Because it's my birthday, and I wants it.

:cut to Dion's throttle body and Harper holding the precious:

Ti-Guy said...

There, I fixed that up for you. Face it, BCL, the past two years has gone like this...

For a good year, Dion wasn't even on the scene.