Nemo888 said:
I think many people believe the Conservative party has been hijacked by corporate interests. Basically welfare for the richest and nothing for the rest. NDP almost doubled their seats, that is the mood on the street. Liberals were just seen as better than Hudak, not like they were a good option.
I think you are partially right. The big winners, in percentage terms, are the NDP (70% gain in seats vs 50% for the PCs). But the highjack, which I agreed occurred, was not - nor do I
believe it was
perceived to be - by Bay Street; rather the highjack was by
perceived to be by something akin to the Tea Party. Liberal propaganda worked.
The real highjack took place during the PC leadership campaign. Tim Hudak convinced Tory loyalists that he was a new Mike Harris: clearly he isn't, he can neither connect with voters, as Harris did, nor did he (or his team or the party) have a compelling new idea.
Absent a good idea - which are rare things - Ontarians want
moderation, risk reduction. They are, actually, remarkably sophisticated voters. They are willing to elect right wingers nationally and municipally when they understand that the fiscal situation finally requires it or when they perceive that the
natural governing party needs a long time out or, sometimes, when they understand the division of powers in our system. But the PC Party rejected the moderate, electable leader and chose, as federal Liberals tried to do, a
savior. This situation, wherein party loyalists - who select leaders - are, broadly, father to the right or left (recognizing how little utility those words have) than the general public who speak at general elections bedevils politics in Canada and the USA (and Australia, too, I think): the loyalists select the people
they want, not, necessarily, the people who the people want.
:facepalm: