30% Catholic
52% Jewish
12% Muslim
50% Regular church-goers
27% Non-religious
Dennis Gruending ties them all together, and even manages to shed light on this post election meeting between Msgr. Patrick Powers, the general secretary of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Jason Kenney.
14 comments:
It's not that Jewish voters demand "uncritical support for Israel" but rather their horror and the rabid anti-Zionism that has become so prevalent on the Left. Even calling the perceived interest the phrase within quotes offends that community because it is a consious distortion made in bad faith.
Yeah yeah.
Fine, but when people like Volpe and Dryden go down, there is a massive problem so it's either perception or substance, but it's there. The anti-Semitic smear campaign against Bob Rae at the last leadership convention that led to the leader obviously didn't help either. Some of the union and NDP stuff is sticking to the Liberals, perhaps unfairly, but that's reality. Having one of the most loyal voting blocs for the Liberals go CPC is beyond dramatic.
It makes one pause when Jewish voters don't care the only reason Harper gives a rat's ass about Israel is that it is the staging ground for his fantasy rapture. But support is support, I suppose.
I like how MM uses the term 'anti-Zionism'. It's a handy, quick tool to stop discussion in its tracks. At least he didn't use 'anti-Semitism' but I think that's what he really is getting at. Shrewd.
Nice smear. But no. This is about Libby "the occupation began in 1948" Davies, Jenny Peto, QuAIA, SAIA, BDS, IAW and the many other organizations that are identified with the (far) Left. Jewish Canadian voters wouldn't on the whole be Likud supporters if they were Israeli but they know the difference between the two state solution and the one state solution. Why would anyone expect one bloc of voters not to notice something of this nature? It's not like there aren't a zillion other interest groups who look at how the parties stand on the related issues. This is no different.
Fine, but when people like Volpe and Dryden go down, there is a massive problem so it's either perception or substance, but it's there.
And helped along by ad like the full page one taken by Conservatives against Michael Ignatieff. I suppose the Liberals should have ran an equally big ad on Ignateiff's apology....
This is about Libby "the occupation began in 1948" Davies, Jenny Peto, QuAIA, SAIA, BDS, IAW and the many other organizations that are identified with the (far) Left
And the less said about the far right, the better.
I do get a sense of where you're coming from. The Liberal party needs to go and talk to different groups and hear their issues. There may not be complete agreement, but there needs to be some sort of discussion, and the party has to make it clear how they differ from the other parties.
(As an aside, I'm hoping the Liberal Party makes more of an effort to show up to different cultural festivals. I'm a visual minority, and in the last few I've been to, the Conservatives were there. They actually bought a booth to one and gave out Conservative paper hats and pins. It seems so superficial at times, but the Conservative win on this field simply because they're there and no one else is. I'm not arguing that that a party has to go to every celebration and festival, but a few would be nice. :))
Sharon, its the same with Layton visiting the Que flood zone. Its a bit corny, but its effective. Did Iggy ever have the energy to do something along those lines? I can't remember but I don't think so.
BCL:
It's not just Iggy. With his bus tours, he was doing that. But deeper and more significant than that: when was the last time you did that? when was the last time I did that? or Sharon or X, Y and Z?
Liberals really have become complacent. Every conservative and every socialist knows that if they are going to win the day, they have to scrap for every single vote. Liberals look at polls that show a clear majority of Canadians support Liberal policies and so they'll probably vote Liberal in the next election.
Sharon, its the same with Layton visiting the Que flood zone. Its a bit corny, but its effective. Did Iggy ever have the energy to do something along those lines? I can't remember but I don't think so.
Not that I can remember. The corny stuff is effective. Hey Justin Trudeau had monthly meetings in his riding in different neighbourhoods. During a traffic jam caused by a blizzard, Chretien got out of his car and start knocking on windows and introducing himself to the drivers. Things like this can make or break a politician.
The closest thing Ignatief probably did that was llke this was the townhalls. It was interesting comparing the one with Ignatieff with the one I tried to attend with Layton. By the time I got there, the people at the door gave me the impression that I could sit in the audience, but there was no chance of me asking a question. (Maybe so that Layton could avoid another situation like this one. ;) ) At Ignatieff's townhall, he answered questions at random from the crowd.
It's not just Iggy. With his bus tours, he was doing that. But deeper and more significant than that: when was the last time you did that? when was the last time I did that? or Sharon or X, Y and Z?
Ted, you're right. I did a bit of this during this election among my friends and co-workers. My parents talked to relatives.
Hey, if the national party is out there, try asking for volunteers on the mailing list and the members, give them some training (people need to know policy inside and out and interpersonal skills), and then letting them go. <-- Suggested because I'm starting to feel as though I'm some sort of moonbat. Wouldn't mind being an organized moonbat. ;)
I think it's a bigger issue. The Liberals were effectively squeezed out in a US style partisan divide. The Middle East issue is interesting because it isn't as if the Liberals as a party have policies anything like the portion of the Left I've mentioned-even the NDP doesn't support most of those policies. But Jewish voters whose votes were swayed by this issue (and that's of course not 100% or anywhere near that figure) are mad at that crowd and the person who is standing up to that crowd most prominently is Stephen Harper. The fact that people like Volpe and Dryden have the same views didn't help them and if almost wasn't enough for Irwin Cotler to keep his sear. It isn't about the leader getting out there and it isn't even really about policy.
If and when Canadians desire centrist solutions and prudent management the Liberals will rise again. If Canadians become increasingly divided on ideological grounds with edge issues (this being one) playing a prominent role in campaigns, that will be very bad for the LPC.
The linked piece is written by a former NDP MP and the way he mischaracterizes things doesn't offend you BCL but it does offend me because: 1. it is wrong; and 2. it is a group smear. And the same people who say what Gruending said would have a total meltdown if it were suggested in a column that Muslim Canadian voters chose candidates who were "soft on terrorism."
Mark, you're probably right that not all the Jewish voters voted Conservative because of the Israeli question. Most probably voted for them for the same reasons everyone else did (lower taxes, things are doing okay, don't want to see the NDP in government ;) ).
Still, there is the issue of Conservatives trying to tar the party with crap like this and the crap Irwin Cotler faced. Things like this need a response from the party.
Absolutely. And Bob Rae is the right person to do it.
Go Rae.
Rae was a one man opposition party with his comments yesterday on Senate reform and on foreign policy.
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