Who Should be the Next Conservative Leader?

[ToadBrother]

The last Conservative Convention brought out some interesting priorities, but it wasn't a Leadership Convention. Your views are shared by many though it seems. The Party is moving away from it's original goals and needs someone to get them back on track. The scandals must be hurting them as well. Preston Manning was a much better leader, in terms of Social Conservatism and fiscal responsibility.

But the Party, as you put it, is no longer the Reform Party. It's a totally different beast. Try to push it back to the Reform days, and you'll end up with a schism again, sooner or later. The Tories have always been a compromise between red and blue, with the social conservatism at best tolerated, but usually just ignored.

[ToadBrother]

4. The Conservative leadership issue has become more of a 'front burner' issue with the revelations I've mentioned above. It is a very real possibility, more so now than a month ago when more Canadians were behind Harper. This budget is all about HIS job. He knows it, the media knows it, and most people here know it. A new Conservative leader is also on the minds of Conservatives, who according to the Canadian Press "Have begun putting out feelers".

You've nailed it on the head. I said right after the crisis bubbled to the surface that Harper had shot himself in the foot. You can piss the Opposition off to a certain point, but when you start pissing off your own caucus you're in trouble.

It's pretty clear now that this budget is going to have something for everyone. Social housing, infrastructure, bailouts, you name it, it's there. The NDP couldn't do it better. But there's a lesson in that for all those political ideologues who marry themselves so thoroughly to any political movement; crises destroy ideology. Notions of "right" and "left" are rendered absolutely meaningless.

[Progressive Tory]

with the social conservatism at best tolerated, but usually just ignored.

Yikes! I wouldn't say that too loudly. The Convention I spoke of revealed pretty clearly what the priorities were. Abortion and the Human Rights Commission (against both). How long can Harper ignore them, or in fact any Conservative leader? They're a stronger presence than you think. If they broke away and formed their own Party or revived the Reformers, the Conservatives would be in serious trouble.

[ToadBrother]

Yikes! I wouldn't say that too loudly. The Convention I spoke of revealed pretty clearly what the priorities were. Abortion and the Human Rights Commission (against both). How long can Harper ignore them, or in fact any Conservative leader? They're a stronger presence than you think. If they broke away and formed their own Party or revived the Reformers, the Conservatives would be in serious trouble.

I guarantee you that if Harper loses his job, a social conservative will not be taking his place, unless of course, the Conservatives want to lose their grip on power, and probably even split. The social conservatives are going to have to content themselves with being the bride's maid, and never the bride.

[Progressive Tory]

I guarantee you that if Harper loses his job, a social conservative will not be taking his place, unless of course, the Conservatives want to lose their grip on power, and probably even split. The social conservatives are going to have to content themselves with being the bride's maid, and never the bride.

I don't think a Social Conservative will take his place. However, after the merger, even Harper knew that he had to appease them. They are still a very large and vocal group and can't be silenced forever. The challenge will be to make them think they're the bride, while creatively postponing the wedding. But for how long?

[Alta4ever]

I don't think a Social Conservative will take his place. However, after the merger, even Harper knew that he had to appease them. They are still a very large and vocal group and can't be silenced forever. The challenge will be to make them think they're the bride, while creatively postponing the wedding. But for how long?

Just so you know the parties power and base are still west of Ont., this was very evident at the Policy confrence.

[ToadBrother]

Just so you know the parties power and base are still west of Ont., this was very evident at the Policy confrence.

Which the party leadership immediately turned around and basically said "We're ignoring you." The reality is that if the social conservatives take power in the party, the Conservatives will turn back into the Reform rump, and run the risk of the Progressives walking out again.

I bet Iggy's praying that Harper gets ousted and some Albertan social conservative gets in. That will guarantee the Liberals a majority.

[Jack Weber]

If a person like Bernard Lord or Jean Charest won a Conservative Leadership convention,and took the party back to the centre,the socially conservative Western base would not be very impressed.I would suggest that it would yake very little for the party to split again under those circumstances.If a hardline right winger became leader of the party,most small c conservatives that the party needs to get elected would probably vote Liberal.

The Igg man would be pleased!!!

[Martin Chriton]

Dear victims of SPIN......

The first article is a repeat of an article from Early December Last year, BEFORE, Dion took ownership of the coalition and screwed it up.

Had the media had a crystal ball, they would have been making articles about how long Dion can last as Leader of the LPC.

The 2nd and 3rd articles provided are Late November and Early December articles, not current ones.

Exactly. This thread is kind of silly.

I wonder who is going to replace Ignatieff after he leaves?

[Alta4ever]

If a person like Bernard Lord or Jean Charest won a Conservative Leadership convention,and took the party back to the centre,the socially conservative Western base would not be very impressed.I would suggest that it would yake very little for the party to split again under those circumstances.If a hardline right winger became leader of the party,most small c conservatives that the party needs to get elected would probably vote Liberal.

The Igg man would be pleased!!!

most of western CAnada is small c not red tory.

[Smallc]

Most of Alberta and Saskatchewan are small c. Large parts of BC as well as Winnipeg and Northern Manitoba are not for the most part.

[blueblood]

Most of Alberta and Saskatchewan are small c. Large parts of BC as well as Winnipeg and Northern Manitoba are not for the most part.

Not BC geographically, the interior was pretty tory blue. The Island and LMD is a different story however. 1/3 - 1/2 of Winnipeg is tory blue as well.

[Smallc]

Not BC geographically.

Geography isn't really relevant to the point.

1/3 - 1/2 of Winnipeg is tory blue as well.

Based on provincial election results, I doubt the numbers are that high. 1/3....maybe....1/2...no.

[blueblood]

Geography isn't really relevant to the point.

Based on provincial election results, I doubt the numbers are that high. 1/3....maybe....1/2...no.

Of course prov. is different, there are twice the ridings in Winnipeg. Not to mention Doer is on another level than Layton. Federally, 1/3-1/2 of the dirty W was tory blue.

[Smallc]

Federally, 1/3-1/2 of the dirty W was tory blue.

Voting Conservative and being tory blue are two different things. Winnipeg is a very liberal minded city overall.

I voted Conservative in the last election. Am I tory blue?

Edited January 27, 2009 by Smallc

[Alexandra]

Yikes! I wouldn't say that too loudly. The Convention I spoke of revealed pretty clearly what the priorities were. Abortion and the Human Rights Commission (against both). How long can Harper ignore them, or in fact any Conservative leader? They're a stronger presence than you think. If they broke away and formed their own Party or revived the Reformers, the Conservatives would be in serious trouble.

Were you at the convention? The priority was abortion? Really? I don't recall abortion being in any way, shape or form, a priority. With respect to Section 13 of the Human Rights Commission Act madam. Where have you been for the past year or so? Does Mark Steyn, Mcleans', Ezra Levant, various members of an Ontario-based message board, etc., etc., ring any bells in your belfry? No? Of course not. Try expanding your horizons rather than rushing here there and everywhere looking for any criticism no matter authored by the most 'progressive' such as the first url you presented which was from the 'reddest' blog imaginable. Credibility or integrity is obviously not of importance in your quest to smear S. Harper/conservative party.

The fact you are new here (from where by the way - rabble?) does not excuse in any way your posting urls from articles which have no bearing whatsoever on your contention that the conservative party members are planning on ousting S. Harper as leader of the party. As a matter of fact madam if you had actually read the article re the 'mysterious new websites' you posted as definitive proof of the imminent departure of S. Harper you would have realized that the whole thing was a farce. As is your statement that 'abortion' was clearly revealed to you as a priority at the Winnipeg convention. With all of this disinformation you are busily spreading about a party you obviously know absolutely nothing about your motives are patently clear.

`

[blueblood]

Voting Conservative and being tory blue are two different things. Winnipeg is a very liberal minded city overall.

I voted Conservative in the last election. Am I tory blue?

Pig farmers are finding that out the hard way that Winnipeg is a very liberal minded city.

My riding voted NDP in the prov. election, are we all dippers?

[Jack Weber]

most of western CAnada is small c not red tory.

Frankly,they're pretty close to one in the same...Am I to assume someone like Jean Charest would be an acceptable leader to most Westerners then?

[punked]

Frankly,they're pretty close to one in the same...Am I to assume someone like Jean Charest would be an acceptable leader to most Westerners then?

They are not even close to the same, one feels one way about social con issues and the other stands on the other end.

[Mr.Canada]

They are not even close to the same, one feels one way about social con issues and the other stands on the other end.

Really? What socially conservative policies has PM Harper passed?

[punked]

Really? What socially conservative policies has PM Harper passed?

That wasn't what I was saying I was saying Small c's are socially conservatives and Red Tory's aren't. They stand at two very opposite ends of the spectrum.

[Alta4ever]

Frankly,they're pretty close to one in the same...Am I to assume someone like Jean Charest would be an acceptable leader to most Westerners then?

Are you tring to imply that Charest is a small c conservative?

let me find a definition for you.

The term was especially popular in Canada during the 1990s when the Progressive Conservative Party was centre-right with the Reform Party (later, the Canadian Alliance) further to the right. Members and supporters of the Reform Party/Canadian Alliance would thus describe themselves as small-c conservatives. Another term for small-c conservatives in Canada is Blue Tory.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small-c_conservative

Now I don't beleive that Jean Charest fits this definition. He is a RED TORY, LIBERAL LITE, not a smal c conservative.