CanPol: You like that new sales tax cut? If you elect us, we will repeal it

[Ben Kenobi]

Perhaps its that far-right part of the party that spouts off about things like gay marriage from time to time that turns people off.

Such as?

I find this amusing. When the conservative party does well, the moderates get praised while if the party does poorly, the conservatives are the scapegoats.

I mean look at John Tory. He actually won fewer seats for the Ontario Tories, then the Conservatives did. Tory is to the left of Harper, and yet many seats that vote tory federally went Liberal.

If you ask me, it's several things.

1. Lack of real tax cuts up until now.
2. Programs promised to cut (gun control, etc) that remain.
3. Buying into this Kyoto nonsense.
4. His flip flop on Income trusts.

Really Harper shouldn't take a page from the Tory handbook on how to win elections, it wouldn't leave much in the book.

[Asher]

John Tory had a lot of problems unrelated to his conservativeness.

I'm sure you're well aware of his faith-based schools bull****.

[Wezil]

Ben's point is valid. John Tory was so pink he glowed. There was very little to appeal to conservatives. Even the school issue is a reflection of that. His position/policy wasn't very "conservative". In fact it was quite liberal...

Bill Davis (another pink Tory) got burned on that very same issue in 1984. He lost the provincial election and brought 42 years of the "Big Blue Machine" to an end. Apparently Conservatives don't learn when they touch a hot stove. 20 some years later they are again losing on the same issue. Idiots.