Election 2015

[Remius]

While not likely to be on par with peeing in a cup or youtube shenanigans, this here shows that yet again, that some people should watch what they post/tweet.  It may come back to haunt them.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-election-2015-shawn-dearn-ndp-mulcair-twitter-apology-1.3220283

I'm not sure I would want a communications director with that kind of judgement. 

 

[Remius]

I believe the ER hit it on the head earlier in that people are tired of SH and want a new hand on the tiller.  If this is so, then I expect there will be a groundswell of votes to boot the CPC from the king of the hill position.  If enough voters do it, then it will be a slaughter for the CPC and they may just be able to hold their caucus meetings in a phone booth.  And that's why I think there is a smell of a dead whale about the CPC campaign.

This is a good point.  And if there is momentum and people get caught up in it it could be as bad for the CPC as you say.

 

[Lumber]

While not likely to be on par with peeing in a cup or youtube shenanigans, this here shows that yet again, that some people should watch what they post/tweet.  It may come back to haunt them.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-election-2015-shawn-dearn-ndp-mulcair-twitter-apology-1.3220283

I'm not sure I would want a communications director with that kind of judgement.

Poor judgment because you think what he said was wrong, or poor judgment because (given his occupation) he should have known it could be politically damaging?

 

[Remius]

Poor judgment because you think what he said was wrong, or poor judgment because (given his occupation) he should have known it could be politically damaging?

Poor judgement because of the way he communicated his views. 

You can read here exactly what he said. 

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/mulcairs-communications-director-apologizes-past-anti-catholic-tweets-010302934.html

If you are going to be working in communications and media (he would have been in that field at the time according to his bio) and you are going to be tweeting f-bombs about touchy subjects then yeah it's bad and unprofessional. 

The guy is 41.  He did this when he was 39.  This isn't some youthful indiscretion.  He should have known better. 

 

[Lumber]

Poor judgement because of the way he communicated his views. 

You can read here exactly what he said. 

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/mulcairs-communications-director-apologizes-past-anti-catholic-tweets-010302934.html

If you are going to be working in communications and media (he would have been in that field at the time according to his bio) and you are going to be tweeting f-bombs about touchy subjects then yeah it's bad and unprofessional. 

The guy is 41.  He did this when he was 39.  This isn't some youthful indiscretion.  He should have known better.

I guess for me I have no objections at all with what he said, and I get un-nerved with how carefully you have to tip toe around what you say and do when you're in politics. "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone ..."

Do I agree it was foolish given his position and experience? Yes. Do I actually care and think this actually matters in any way shape or form wrt the election? Does it reflect at all on the NDP, their party, the platform, or their leader? Not one bit.

 

[Remius]

I guess for me I have no objections at all with what he said, and I get un-nerved with how carefully you have to tip toe around what you say and do when you're in politics. "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone ..."

Do I agree it was foolish given his position and experience? Yes. Do I actually care and think this actually matters in any way shape or form wrt the election? Does it reflect at all on the NDP, their party, the platform, or their leader? Not one bit.

Yep.  That's politics.  What you say and do will matter.  His comment likely offended some.  Hence the danage control.  Luckily his comments were aimed at a group that is a safe target as compared to others where he would have been crucified for it (no pun intended).

Of course it doesn't matter in the long run.  Or even the short run.  My point was that this is just another case of social media coming back and biting you in the a**.

Mr. Mulcair has taken the apology at face value and has confidence in this individual.  Fair enough and it is his call.  Personally i agree that it isn't a big deal in the end.  But i don't belive him for one second when he says those aren't his views.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

So, for all the Harper Haters, what if the CPC won again and six months in the PM retires after a leadership convention and the new leader takes over.

Would that make the CPC more palatable? I think there are a lot of people that aren't even aware, one iota, of the various platforms and issues. Their only commonality and reason for voting is they don't like Harper.

They're willing to risk all kinds of financial woes, possible economic failure, maybe four years of irreparable damage, etc simply because they want to punish one man.

Watch what you ask for, you just might get it.

 

[Lumber]

But i don't belive him for one second when he says those aren't his views.

Ditto! And this is where I believe politics becomes especially malignant. Mr. Dearn was forced to lie to the public about his views, because his actions were unprofessional. Since I was a kid I've heard people rant about how politicians are coniving liars, but some of them are decent folks who get backed into a corner.

I'd never heard of Mr.Dearn before this story, so for all I know he's a real wicked man. It's moot, because now he is a liar.

 

[jollyjacktar]

So, for all the Harper Haters, what if the CPC won again and six months in the PM retires after a leadership convention and the new leader takes over.

Would that make the CPC more palatable? I think there are a lot of people that aren't even aware, one iota, of the various platforms and issues. Their only commonality and reason for voting is they don't like Harper.

They're willing to risk all kinds of financial woes, possible economic failure, maybe four years of irreparable damage, etc simply because they want to punish one man.

Watch what you ask for, you just might get it.

Sadly, I don't believe that many of the "Harper Haters" are reasonably looking past their distaste for the PM and by extension his party.  There may, or may not be, sound reasons to vote for this, that, or another party/leader and in a perfect world/election these would be the deciding factor on how to cast a ballot.  I don't believe that the electorate is willing or able to see past their present views on each party.  Unless I'm mistaken and ER's fears are unfounded, there is a serious desire for change at the top in the person of SH.  With him go the fortunes of his party. 

I was in Borden in 1989 during the provincial election that catapulted Bob Rae into the driver's seat, for these self same reasons.  The incumbent leadership of the day had to go and it was a landslide on one end and a slaughter on the other end.  I fear history is about to repeat itself and catapult another NDP leader into the driver's seat.

 

[GAP]

Six weeks is a very long time in politics.......let's see what things look like on Oct 20th..................

 

[Remius]

Six weeks is a very long time in politics.......let's see what things look like on Oct 20th..................

this^

 

[Altair]

So, for all the Harper Haters, what if the CPC won again and six months in the PM retires after a leadership convention and the new leader takes over.

Would that make the CPC more palatable? I think there are a lot of people that aren't even aware, one iota, of the various platforms and issues. Their only commonality and reason for voting is they don't like Harper.

They're willing to risk all kinds of financial woes, possible economic failure, maybe four years of irreparable damage, etc simply because they want to punish one man.

Watch what you ask for, you just might get it.

depends who the CPC replaces him with. My fear is if SH wins, even a minority,  everything he's done, from his style of leadership to the abuses of parliament tools like omnibus bills with misleading names to pass everything, the attack ad destruction of his opponents, the talking point answers in parliament and to the press that dont even begin to answer the question that was asked, would be legitimized and they will replace harper with the mini harper, pierre poilievre. The if it isn't broke, why fix it camp will stay the course.

If they lose they might just do some soul searching and get someone who might play well with others.

 

[Kirkhill]

You know, one of the advantages of a long campaign is boredom.

HateHarperInc is coming out of the gates early and taking their best shots.  If they keep this up for 6 weeks I wonder how many folks are still listening to them when they
go into the polling booths.  Even the noisiest factory becomes background noise after a while.

And after they have taken their best shots, showed their hands, spent their money..... then what?

 

[Remius]

You know, one of the advantages of a long campaign is boredom.

HateHarperInc is coming out of the gates early and taking their best shots.  If they keep this up for 6 weeks I wonder how many folks are still listening to them when they
go into the polling booths.  Even the noisiest factory becomes background noise after a while.

And after they have taken their best shots, showed their hands, spent their money..... then what?

You could say exactly that about some of the attack ads we are seeing. 

 

[Altair]

You know, one of the advantages of a long campaign is boredom.

HateHarperInc is coming out of the gates early and taking their best shots.  If they keep this up for 6 weeks I wonder how many folks are still listening to them when they
go into the polling booths.  Even the noisiest factory becomes background noise after a while.

And after they have taken their best shots, showed their hands, spent their money..... then what?

If you believe the so called insiders, the LPC and NDP have kept their powder dry for after labour day. The unions as well.

 

[Altair]

Polls are coming out faster and faster.

http://www.ctvnews.ca/mobile/politics/election/nanos-polls

Liberals 32.5

NDP 31.2

CPC 25.9


http://www.ipsos-na.com/news-polls/pressrelease.aspx?id=6976

NDP 34

LPC 30

CPC 29

Wonder when the conservative war room starts to panic?

 

[Fishbone Jones]

depends who the CPC replaces him with. My fear is if SH wins, even a minority,  everything he's done, from his style of leadership to the abuses of parliament tools like omnibus bills with misleading names to pass everything, the attack ad destruction of his opponents, the talking point answers in parliament and to the press that dont even begin to answer the question that was asked, would be legitimized and they will replace harper with the mini harper, pierre poilievre. The if it isn't broke, why fix it camp will stay the course.

If they lose they might just do some soul searching and get someone who might play well with others.

So you mean just like Chretien did.

Polls are coming out faster and faster.

http://www.ctvnews.ca/mobile/politics/election/nanos-polls

Liberals 32.5

NDP 31.2

CPC 25.9


http://www.ipsos-na.com/news-polls/pressrelease.aspx?id=6976

NDP 34

LPC 30

CPC 29

Wonder when the conservative war room starts to panic?

You might be selling the CPC short. Given how Harper has played chess, against his opponents, since he was elected, it's hard to believe he's on the ropes. We'll have to wait and see I guess.

 

[Rocky Mountains]

My fear is if SH wins, even a minority,  everything he's done, from his style of leadership to the abuses of parliament tools like omnibus bills with misleading names to pass everything, the attack ad destruction of his opponents, the talking point answers in parliament and to the press that dont even begin to answer the question that was asked, would be legitimized

Why are attributing to Stephen Harper the same criticisms that have been attributed to Trudeau, Mulroney, and Chretien as if he invented Parliament himself?  Nothing to see here folks, move along.

 

[Edward Campbell]

It's after Labour Day so polls are starting to matter. The Globe and Mail's Election Forecast is here. It says:

                        CPC:      114 (range about 75 to 155 seats)  2nd
                LPC:                  86 (range about 55 to 135 seats)  3rd
                            NDP:  126 (range about 80 to 160 seats)  1st
        BQ:                          11 (range about  0 to  20 seats)  4th
Green:                              1                                                5th

In other words, if the election was held today we would, most likely, have an NDP minority government. It is very unlileky, today, that anyone could get a majority. But, BIG BUT, we are only about half way through the campaign, there are still almost six weeks to go.

 

[Privateer]

Why are attributing to Stephen Harper the same criticisms that have been attributed to Trudeau, Mulroney, and Chretien as if he invented Parliament himself?  Nothing to see here folks, move along.

The seeds of all of these problems were planted before Mr. Harper, I would say.  However, he has cultivated all of them to a level that far surpasses what others have done before him.  Mr. Harper appears to have decided that his government governs best when Parliament is broken and rendered completely dysfunctional.  His contempt for the judicial branch is unconcealed.  There have been Conservative policies that I can support, but what I cannot support is a deliberate effort to dismantle Parliamentary democracy, which is what I have seen from this government.  In our system, constitutional and Parliamentary conventions are the glue that binds the system together.  In my view, the conventions are more important to our democracy than most laws that are passed by any given government.  But in order for the conventions to have hold, they must be internalized and respected by Parliamentarians, including members of the cabinet.  In the current government, I see a Prime Minister and Ministers who have utter disregard for constitutional and Parliamentary conventions.  This is the primary reasons why the Conservatives will not have my vote in this election.  It would be the same for any party that has acted this way.