Steve

That poll is not credible. It's online, seemingly attached to a clearly left-leaning website, and it doesn't even have a 'Bloc Quebecois' option.

No, he's not. He has not shown any ability to think beyond tired old cliches like the ones you quote. He has failed to realize that no one cares that he's against Stephen Harper. Sure, he's had a lengthy career as an academic - but that does not make him a good politician or prime minister. He's just another tired old Liberal ready to rehash the same old garbage from the 1970s. The Trudeau era is over - get used to it. Right now, the CPC is the centre. Source?

Guaranteed election loss right there. I hope he wins and runs with it. We don't even need to bring up his Ukrainophobia or stances on torture - his arrogance is all Harper needs to pull off a majority.

The point is that although we are not carrying out the Common Sense Revolution part II, we are accomplishing things that the Liberals would never do: - we won't have a state-run child care program. - we're showing real leadership in international affairs, ie. Afghanistan and the cutting of aid to Hamas. - we banned the Tamil Tigers, which the Liberals wouldn't. - slow, but steady reductions in government spending, ie. closing down the Council for Canadian Unity and the One-Tonne Challenge. - we've all but abandoned Kyoto. I know it's not everything, but getting too radical is a surefire way to make our stay in government short. And I'd rather have a moderate CPC in power than the assorted far-left alternatives, because at least it's not going to get any worse. They'll be looking primarily at Quebec and 905 Ontario, but I think there's potential in New Brunswick and Newfoundland. There are a few straggler seats in the west that can be taken as well.

Rondi Adamson has a column like this every week in the Red Star. I think that a rightward shift can be accomplished, but it's going to take time and more than one CPC government. We had a great, but squandered opportunity in the 1980s, and I don't think that Harper will let it pass him by like Mulroney did. Already we're trying to show Canadians that there is a different way of doing things - ie. stopping the child-care scheme and stalling Kyoto - and that the sky isn't falling with Harper in power. This is the small stuff. If we can handle ourselves properly and hang on for a few terms, we can make some real progress in rolling back the Liberal state.

One Member, One Vote. Sorry for the confusion.

Belinda was actually against OMOV when she ran for the CPC leadership - but I guess it suits her now.

Vote motivation will change before the next election based on whatever issues are relevant - this time, 'time for a change' was important, next time it may be 'the Conservatives are doing a good job.' As a Conservative, I'm looking towards the latter. I think that Harper can win a majority, and it will come through the clear and focused way his government operates. The policies will be popular to an extent, but the real strength will come from the contrast to the erratic workings of the previous government. The scary Harper thing isn't going to fly next time around - he's no longer an unknown quantity in government, so that "fear of the unknown" is going to be a hard sell.