Chretien begins forming his fascist dictatorship

[KrazyHorse]

Wait, I remember this exact same argument...about the federal government and Alberta.

The difference is, the Ontarians are big enough to not have to compromise. You aren't, and probably won't ever be.

[Asher]

Yes, it's a similar argument.

Alberta is small enough, population wise, that the Federal government can consistently give it the shaft simply because the "regional" liberals are in power.

The difference if the liberals vote for the CA, is the CA needs Ontario's votes to stay in power, and would also appease them.

[KrazyHorse]

The liberals managed at least a showing in the West. The CA is stuck in the BC-Alta-Sask-Man region which contains less than a third of Canada's population and seats. They have to do something to get out. What that something is is up to the Ca leadership, but I get the feeling that if and when they do it they'll have less appeal to their core constituency in Alta, and migh undergo yet another schism...

[notyoueither]

Tsk, tsk, Kitty. Asher has a point. An aweful lot of people in Ontario voted for CA last time. They are as much a regional party as the Tories are.

OTOH. My prediction. Either Martin unseats Jean the Mangler in February, or Ontario will return a significant number of Tory, CA AND NDP MPs next go. Hell, Quebec might even go back to the Tories. The Liberals will get trounced. Not a minority. It'll be either CA or Tories leading a coalition government.

Can you believe that clown saying that 'it was only a few million bucks... And it was for a good cause...' As if the cause were the point. Pfff.

[Asher]

If Jean stays in power, I bet it'll be just like the old NDP government in BC going down in flames.

[KrazyHorse]

Yes. We all know how much the people of BC appreciate their new government.

[notyoueither]

Very well could be. It's funny. It's almost like someone flipped a switch about 3 to 6 months ago and suddenly the media and many insiders are starting to trash the Liberals.

Last time a government was so maligned the party was reduced to 2 seats in the next election. This will not be so severe. No Free Trade bitterness. No GST issue. But it could go bad.

If Martin knocks off Chretien, he could probably hold the Libs in power for another 1 or 2 elections (or more).

[Goingonit]

Chretien just fired the one person in cabinet who actually could do his job.

He also fired one of the most popular federal Liberals, the one who's keeping all of the right-of-centre epople from voting for Joe Clark.

He's also just taken some bad PR over the most recent corruption scandal.

If the liberal Party knows what's good for themselves, Chretien's out.

[Tingkai]

Originally posted by Asher
the CA is moderate right.

And so was Thatcher and Regan.

Matin's departure isn't going to change anything. The CA, PC and NDP are too incompetent to get elected.

The CA won't do any better in the next election because Harper will stick his foot in his mouth just like his predecessors. Look at his comments about the Maritimes where he called them lazy. There might be some truth in his comments, but do you think anyone out there will vote for him. No bloody way.

Sooner or later, Harper will say something to piss off Ontario.

The PCs and the CAs will split the right wing vote. At best, they might be able to get enough seats to deny the Liberals a majority, in which case the NDP will become the kingmaker like KH said cause the Liberals would never form a government with the PC and CA.

[Asher]

The CA is moderate right wing. Hell, the republicans from the US tend to be more right wing, let alone Floyd & Co... You seem to think you're centrist, when you're actually left wing. So I can see how you think the Canadian Alliance is so radical. It's not, really, it's par for the course for a Western nation's conservative party.

As much as I enjoy your type of argument, Tingkai, I'm not going to bother arguing with you. Your entire argument hinges on Harper putting his foot in his mouth, when it's entirely the liberals that are doing that (have you paid attention to Canadian news lately?).

You're just being so incredibly silly I'm still trying to figure out if you're joking. But I don't think you are.

[Asher]

I am reminded of quotes like this:

When holding a press conference on Free Trade with U.S. president Bill Clinton, Canadian prime minister Jean Chretien was asked what he thought about all the drugs that were entering Canada from the U.S. He responded: "Well, it's more trade."

After a tense moment of silence and some muffled laughter Clinton leaned over and whispered something in Chretien's ear. Chretien immediately blurted "Oh drugs! I thought you said trucks!"

[Tingkai]

The Liberals do a lot of stupid things, but I can't recall the last time they insulted an entire region of voters by calling them lazy. The fact that Harper repeated his comments a couple of days later indicates that the CA political strategists have their heads of their butts.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Tingkai
The Liberals do a lot of stupid things, but I can't recall the last time they insulted an entire region of voters by calling them lazy. The fact that Harper repeated his comments a couple of days later indicates that the CA political strategists have their heads of their butts.

You do realize that Harper was referring to the unemployed people who have been unemployed for years on end, not the entire region, right?

Maybe we should lynch you now for calling the entire region unemployed.

Can you actually find me a quote where Harper used the word lazy? All the ones I've found are from the NDP leader.

Here's another great Chretien quote:

Perhaps the most famous Chretien quotes involve the APEC scandals. When asked by reporters about his involvement, Chretien responded by saying, "For me, pepper I put it on my plate." Chretien also reportedly said that the students were lucky that they were not beaten by baseball bats.

[Lonestar]

Originally posted by red_jon
But KG, if you get rid of her Canada truly will be an American suburb

Not bloody likely. I think a Commonwealth. You know, like Puerto Rico.

[Asher]

Here are the real words from Harper. Someone tell me where it calls the entire region lazy:

There is a dependence in the region that breeds a culture of defeatism

And the CBC article says later:

Harper tried to clarify his remarks Wednesday by saying that the defeatist culture isn't restricted to Atlantic Canada. But he added that his party has to break through that attitude if the Canadian Alliance is to have a breakthrough of its own in region.

"We have a program that says that Atlantic Canada can be as wealthy as any other region, but that needs to be pursued aggressively and we don't sit around waiting for favours," he said.

Tingkai seems to be spouting the typical NDP-recycled trash like always. The only place 'Lazy' is mentioned is from the NDP leader's "interpretation" of it. Now it's suddenly "fact".