Could it be true?

[mikedavid00]

Toaster comment of the year. See lefties, I don't play favorites.

Even if something that proposterous did happen, the western wing of the CPC would form another party. Bob Rae and any form of an economy do not mix.

Hehehe.. you'll see......

Bob Rae is a winner. He wins elections. Who else can win the whole provine of Ontario?

Think back. Remember the Liberal convention where every single candidate crossed over to his side? Even Belinda was backing him. Everyone supported him.

Facts are, the bus loads of Sikh's that were there were instructed by their 'leader' to vote for Dion (due to the sympathy Rae showed to the Air Indian victims) and that's the only reason why you see Dion in power today. This is well documented and factual. If you wonder why Dion 'made it', that's the only reason why. Otherwise, everyone was backing Rae.

I will go as far to say.. and this is my prediction, Rae will rule Canada for atleast 8 years - *REGARDLESS* of what side he's on. He really is *that* saavy of a politician.

Harper just can't win elections. He tries his best. He really does. But he just isn't politically saavy (funding cuts to arts, ignoring Quebec). He belongs as an advisor or finance minister. Not PM.

Rae going Conservative is already the rumor mill behind the scenes (as I hear Mike Duffy aluded to today) that's already known behind the scenes and you'll see it play out. If he wont lead the Liberals, he's going to lead the Conservativs. There's almost no stopping it.

Anyone reading this mark my words you'll see this all play out. This will be entertaining time in Canadian politics.

Edited October 14, 2008 by mikedavid00

[capricorn]

Rae going Conservative is already the rumor mill behind the scenes (as I hear Mike Duffy aluded to today) that's already known behind the scenes and you'll see it play out. If he wont lead the Liberals, he's going to lead the Conservativs. There's almost no stopping it.

Anyone reading this mark my words you'll see this all play out. This will be entertaining time in Canadian politics.

My rumour trumps yours.

In case you haven't noticed, there's already an undeclared federal Liberal leadership race underway. The only thing that will put a stop to it is if the Liberals capture more than about 110 seats (my estimate) in tomorrow's election.

Bob Rae has shaken hands with voters in Vancouver Kingsway, showed up at the opening of Don Bell's Liberal election office in North Vancouver, and dined with 1,000 mostly Chinese Canadian Liberals in Vancouver's Chinatown. It appears that Rae is already running for the job.

If Liberal Leader Stephane Dion fails to deliver in tomorrow's election, Rae is an obvious frontrunner.

We can also expect Liberal deputy leader Michael Ignatieff to enter the race. But so far, we haven't heard Vancouver South MP Ujjal Dosanjh's name mentioned in connection with any contest to succeed Dion.

Dosanjh and Rae, both former NDP premiers, are natural allies. Both have won support from families of Air India victims, and both would appeal to traditional Liberal voters who've moved to the NDP.

Neither appears overly fond of Ignatieff's strongly pro-American orientation, which manifested itself in his vehement support for the U.S.-led attack on Iraq and his opposition to a Liberal motion to remove troops from Afghanistan in 2009.

http://www.straight.com/article-165959/lib...njhrae-alliance

[Argus]

Why worry about the Liberals they will find a leader from within the party if need be. Harper called the election on his own terms alienated Quebec making it very difficult for him too win a majority.

I don't think Harper or anyone else thought that a couple of minor housekeeping cuts to a trio of little-used arts programs would become the cause celebré it has in Quebec. Or that so many Quebecers would be dumb enough to completely misinterpret a law which gives judges the option of sentencing teenagers as adults into meaning they were going to send 14 year olds into adult prisons.

Tell you this. There's going to be a need for some belt-tightening after the election given the economic situation. I truly hope the arts community gets the "reward" it deserves for its shrill political grandstanding on the issue.

[normanchateau]

True, even though it's not social conservative, it's just tough on crime. All parties in some way or another are tough on crime, Layton even suggests harsh sentances for handgun crimes, oh the horror!!!

CPC, Liberals and NDP all claim to be tough on one aspect of crime or another. But only CPC has a leader who's a social conservative. Given that the Liberals are stuck with the most ineffective leader in generations, that Harper ranks high on leadership, that the Green Shift has not been embraced by most Canadians, that Canada has one of the strongest economies in the world and best banking system in the world, you'd think that CPC would today win a majority. But I suspect CPC'll do no better than in 2006. Why? Canada will not hand over a majority to a social conservative even if that social conservative claims to no longer be a social conservative.

I'd be happy to see a financial conservative as Prime Minister. CPC will need to find a leader who's a financial conservative, not a social conservative.

Harper's increase in spending on the CBC as well as his overall increase in Arts spending in the past two years are not what one expects of a financial conservative. His trivial cuts to Arts spending in Quebec, his trivial cuts to programs which he opposes ideologically and his censorship-like Bill C-10 (withdrawn too late last week) are what one expects of a social conservative.

The Bloq's rise in Quebec is due to Duceppe reminding Quebecers that Harper is a social conservative. In the next election, Dion's replacement as party leader will do the same in the rest of Canada.

[capricorn]

The Bloq's rise in Quebec is due to Duceppe reminding Quebecers that Harper is a social conservative. In the next election, Dion's replacement as party leader will do the same in the rest of Canada.

Duceppe ran a masterful campaign. Dion said he's not stepping down whatever the election outcome.

[normanchateau]

Duceppe ran a masterful campaign. Dion said he's not stepping down whatever the election outcome.

Had Dion been as effective as Duceppe in reminding the rest of Canada about Harper's social conservatism, he'd not be destined for political oblivion.

[Jobu]

CPC, Liberals and NDP all claim to be tough on one aspect of crime or another. But only CPC has a leader who's a social conservative. Given that the Liberals are stuck with the most ineffective leader in generations, that Harper ranks high on leadership, that the Green Shift has not been embraced by most Canadians, that Canada has one of the strongest economies in the world and best banking system in the world, you'd think that CPC would today win a majority. But I suspect CPC'll do no better than in 2006. Why? Canada will not hand over a majority to a social conservative even if that social conservative claims to no longer be a social conservative.

I'd be happy to see a financial conservative as Prime Minister. CPC will need to find a leader who's a financial conservative, not a social conservative.

Harper's increase in spending on the CBC as well as his overall increase in Arts spending in the past two years are not what one expects of a financial conservative. His trivial cuts to Arts spending in Quebec, his trivial cuts to programs which he opposes ideologically and his censorship-like Bill C-10 (withdrawn too late last week) are what one expects of a social conservative.

The Bloq's rise in Quebec is due to Duceppe reminding Quebecers that Harper is a social conservative. In the next election, Dion's replacement as party leader will do the same in the rest of Canada.

In what respects is Harper a social conservative?

[betsy]

Duceppe ran a masterful campaign. Dion said he's not stepping down whatever the election outcome.

The Liberal leadership will be the next interesting thing to watch if Dion loses.

[normanchateau]

In what respects is Harper a social conservative?

Here's what I said earlier in this same thread:

If I provided you with examples, you would no doubt claim that this is not evidence of social conservatism. But here are some examples:

As leader of the Opposition, Harper voted against Bill C-250, the legislation which made it a hate crime to promote or advocate the killing of homosexuals. Harper has no problem with hate crime legislation per se. For example, he favours hate crime legislation when the criterion is religion, race or ethnicity. But he opposes it when the criterion is sexual orientation. C-250 passed anyway because a majority of MPs, including some in Harper's own party, voted for C-250.

Harper opposes abortion, embryonic stem cell research and same sex marriage. Although he claims that he won't introduce legislation to overturn these, his positions are nonetheless those of a social conservative.

When Harper campaigned in the 2006 election, he promised not to reintroduce the marijuana decriminalization legislation introduced by the Liberals before they were voted out of office. The NDP and BQ also support decriminalization of possession of tiny quantities of marijuana. The Greens support outright legalization. A majority of Canadians favour decriminalization. Harper favours criminal sentences for teenagers in possession of even a few grams of marijuana. Harper's position is anti-libertarian and socially conservative. Government intrusion for possession of a few grams of marijuana is evidence of social conservatism.

Harper's omnibus crime bill has a mandatory six month jail sentence for one marijuana plant, i.e., judges will not have discretion in sentences in such cases.

How about Bill C-10 where Harper's government decided not to fund art that they considered "offensive"? Sure, they withdrew C-10 a few days ago but only because Harper was desperate to portray himself as not being a social conservative.

Of course those Canadians who are even more socially conservative than Harper would not view him as a social conservative.

[scribblet]

Harper is very far from being a social conservative...that's ridiculous. Plain and simple.

There has been a huge increase in social spending and immigration since the 1960's no matter who was living at Sussex. So give it a rest already.

The CPC is really just the Liberals of the 50's and 60's. Every party has taken a step to the left.

Instead of parroting the CBC, please comment on how he is a social conservative.

I haven`t read any more, but likely the parotting will be the same as before, nefarious accusations accusing Harper of supporting hate crimes against lesbians, or some such thing. This is just part of the left wing scary scary mantra which fewer people are buying into these days. Certainly the minority group of social conservatives can only wish that he supported their anti abortion, anti SSM agenda and are lamenting Harper`s lack of such support. - Harper is an economic conservative, but it does suit the agenda of some to regurgitate the same pap which has been rebutted time and time again on this forum.