Springer

Oh, they punished the Wild Rose, too, albeit not so bad that the party actually picked up some seats. All the floor crossers got thumped. The next election is the Wild Rose's to lose.

Waldo... Guess I was giving you too much credit for political knowledge. Harper had a problem with Manning's leadership, and didn't run for a second term. That Harper learned some tricks of the trade from watching Chretien, is a matter of common knowledge. I'm sure you at least know how to do an internet search? Skilled tactician? Well, let's see now: He won the leadership of the CA. Outflanked the likes of Joe Clark to unite the CA and PCs. (You know, don't you, that before the CA, Harper was approached to run for leadership of the PCs, but declined?) Defeated Paul Martin, and then managed to win an increased minority government, and ultimately won a majority. And now is one of the longest serving PMs in Canadian history. A number of so-called "natural governing party" Liberal leaders have crashed and burned along the way. I don't know, how skilled of a tactician does one deserve credit for having achieved as much? Huh? And I know, I know! You're probably going to say that this is because the left vote was split, and only 40% of Canadians voted for Harper et al...totally ignoring, of course, that the LPC won all those elections because the right vote was split, and never themselves exceeding 40%, which everyone knows is an entirely different thing. Sorta. I guess.

Waldo... Been a political junky for about 45 years, since I'm about 15. Seen lots over that many years. You? Been watching the NDP in Alberta. So have some of my family, who happen to live and work in that province. Let me tell you, there's considerable alarm so far with this NDP crew. A great many of her appointed chiefs of staff, most from out of province, including her own, are decidedly anti-oil and anti-oil sands development. You know, somewhat in the same manner as appointing avowed vegetarians to oversee the cattle industry. The NDP got elected there, not because the province suddenly jerked to the left, but because Daniele Smith totally blew it, and got too cute by half with Prentice. POed just enough voters to the extent that they decided it was time to clean house, and the NDP just happened to be handy. Had Smith kept her wits about her, and stuck to her guns, she'd be premier today, and with a helluva lot bigger majority than Notley. I watched the NDP sack my province here in BC. I know what Albertans are in for, and it ain't gonna be pretty. First lesson of politics: Ideology matters...no matter how much socialists try to pretend otherwise.

Waldo... Most whom know their way around federal politics will tell you, quite readily, that Harper took a great many notes on how Chretien ran the LPC. No doubt, he also made notes about how both Manning and Day managed their leadership, ya think? Kinda like a top NHL hockey team. No room for prima donnas. No "I" in team. No time for personal agendas outside of official party policy. Discipline. Look it up in a dictionary, if you have to.

Not being muzzled at all. Being disciplined, which is what Harper brought to the party when he took over, and what MPs were ready to buy into, given their experiences up until then. We live in the age of the 9 second sound bite, context be damned. And an MSM that will descend upon a misstep like hyenas on a carcass. I recall, like it was yesterday, Harper's comment about a culture of defeatism having been created in Atlantic Canada by Liberal policies...which, BTW, was spot on. Quite literally within minutes, a CBC reporter was on the streets of Halifax telling people that Harper said they were "defeatists", and what did they think of that? No context whatsoever, no preamble, zilch. They had a chance to create a trumped up unowhat storm around Harper, and they went for it for all they were worth. Journalistic integrity? Means nothing! In the early days, one CA MP from Saskatchewan beaked off...totally outside of party policy...regarding some Christian view of homosexuality or whatever, and of course, the MSM had a field day with it. The next caucus meeting, so the story goes, Harper came pretty much unglued...paint peeling off the walls, as one unnamed MP reportedly put it...and that Sask MP didn't show up in the next election. Harper is a team player, no time for renegades inflicting themselves and their untoward views outside of official policy on the rest of party, full stop. That's pretty consistent with most successful political leaders.

That's what I think, On Guard. Canada came through the 2008 crash...you know, the one caused by the sub-prime mortgage fiasco stateside...certainly relative to the US and Europe, pretty much unscathed. Indeed, we were the envy of the western world, particularly considering how tied our economy is to America fortunes...and they got crushed! This latest little blip? - 0.1% over two quarters? Fact of it is, considering that our energy sector is getting the hell kicked out of it...all credit due to the Saudis deliberately throttling oil prices...it's because our economy is so well managed that the hit didn't affect us a great deal more. Thank you, PM Harper. Nevertheless, Mulcair has the utter gall to suggest Harper is somehow to blame for two recessions now. Some would even call him an outright liar on that count. Trudeau, he's all over the map. I've no doubt that what he knows about the economy and a loony still wouldn't getcha a coffee at Timmy's. Now...you want to see a government inflict itself upon a recession? Just pay attention to Alberta, and witness the hell the NDP are going to put that province through! Heads up to Quebec, Ontario and the rest of the provinces living off of equalization dole - that tap is just about to run dry! And the lot of you will have to start figuring out to pay your bills all on your own for a change. Not that it isn't about bloody well time! I don't even want to get started on foreign affairs. Those two clowns are living on another planet.

Last election here in BC, the NDP started out 20 points ahead 36 days prior to the vote. Christy ran a positive campaign, focused on the economy. The NDP were pretty much against anything to do with resource development and pipelines. Eventually, and when push come to shove as the vote neared, people finally got serious as they tend to do in the final days, and got around to remembering the disastrous years of the last NDP government. The rest is history. The Nanos polls show undecided as high as 50%. This, historically, tends to favor the government du jour. Watch for polls in BC to start to swing back to the CPC, already trending that way. Mulcair is peddling garbage. Trudeau is just ignorant and all too obviously unqualified for the job. Harper has forgotten more about economics than either of them ever knew in their entire lives...combined. Early on, people...the few actually paying attention...are out there kicking tires, which is reflected in the first polls, particularly this time, given the extended lead up time. When the time comes to get serious about who's the most capable to lead the country, the focus turns to the economy. And in this case, I believe international affairs will factor in more than usual. Stephen Harper, clearly, is the only adult in the room in both cases.

Sorry about that, WestCoast. For some reason the "quote" thing ain't happening for me, and I screwed up, too rushed. That was meant to be a reply to Big Guy.

WestCoast... Do they need to? No. Would they take advantage of a situation like this mess? What do you think?

The thing nobody wants to talk about, wondering how many of the 400,000 refugees now in Europe are Al Qaida / ISIS operatives? And how many does there have to be to create a very serious threat? It is incumbent upon the Canadian government to background check or screen applicants before accepting them into our country, and that is as should be, given what we have witnessed over the last twenty years, and particularly over the last year. I've no qualms whatsoever with blocking those looking to enter Canada with that brand of issues in tow, and if that slows down the process, so be it.