Ignatieff and Alberta

[capricorn]

The prime minister's a radical?When did that happen?

Never, of course. But, that was the knock on Stephen Harper from Michael Ignatieff this week. Specifically, he told a Globe and Mail reporter Harper was a "politician formed and shaped in the radical world of Calgary and Calgary think-tanks." In contrast to which he, of course, was the urbane voice of conventional wisdom, an alternative to whom somebody other than a Calgarian-- or anybody not formed and shaped by our revolutionary municipal ideals--would be naturally drawn, as a sheep to the good shepherd.

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Only in Ignatieff's comfortable world view, in which people vote Liberal because that's what nice people do. That is also the only place where the values Harper claims for himself would be considered radical.

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Will+rea...9640/story.html

You have to wonder. Ignatieff is trying his best to woo the West, to the point of declaring Alberta as being the nucleus of our economy.

“We have to be a party that understands that the beating heart of the Canadian economy, the beating heart of the future of our country, is in Alberta.”

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politi...article1206789/

So which is it Mr. Ignatieff? Calgary/Alberta good? Or Calgary/Alberta bad?

[jdobbin]

So which is it Mr. Ignatieff? Calgary/Alberta good? Or Calgary/Alberta bad?

So you think Ignatieff was speaking about people in Calgary in general?

[capricorn]

Calgary represents about one third of Alberta's population. You think they'll appreciate being labeled a hotbed of radicalism?

[jdobbin]

Calgary represents about one third of Alberta's population. You think they'll appreciate being labeled a hotbed of radicalism?

You think that most Calgarians believe that Ignatieff was referring to them personally?

[Alta4ever]

You think that most Calgarians believe that Ignatieff was referring to them personally?

You seem to think Harper is refering to all canadians personally.

[jdobbin]

You seem to think Harper is refering to all canadians personally.

Can't recall saying that.

[Alta4ever]

Can't recall saying that.

"I say it because when Harper attacked the BQ by calling them separatist in English and sovereignists in French, BQ supporters took it personally. They are likely to take this personally as well."

In Quebec, a sovereigntist is an advocate of the Quebec sovereignty movement that calls for an independent Quebec. The term derives from the neologism souverainisme that René Lévesque initiated to qualify the movement, notably with the manifesto Option Québec and the founding of the Mouvement Souveraineté-Association, the direct predecessor of the Parti Québécois.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sovereigntist

Seperatist

A person who advocates or seeks the splitting of one country or territory into two politically independent countries or territories.

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/separatist

Edited July 5, 2009 by Alta4ever

[jdobbin]

"I say it because when Harper attacked the BQ by calling them separatist in English and sovereignists in French, BQ supporters took it personally. They are likely to take this personally as well."

I think you should read what I said. I said BQ supporters took what Harper said personally even if it wasn't addressed to them.

Edited July 5, 2009 by jdobbin

[Alta4ever]

I think you should read what I said. I said BQ supporters took what Harper said personally even if it wasn't addressed by them.

I forgot dobbins opinions and spin are always the correct answers.

You assume and try to pass it off as fact, then backpeddle like no tomorrow when you are called on it.

[jdobbin]

I forgot dobbins opinions and spin are always the correct answers.

You assume and try to pass it off as fact, then backpeddle like no tomorrow when you are called on it.

I assume you will not read what is written or generally miss the point like there is no tomorrow.

[Alta4ever]

I assume you will not read what is written or generally miss the point like there is no tomorrow.

You seem to have problems reading what is written, the thread on the Conservative government 10%er is proof. You seem unable to comprehend the few lines of text on it.

Edited July 5, 2009 by Alta4ever

[jdobbin]

You seem to have problems reading what is written, the thread on the Conservative government 10% is proof. You seem unable to comprehend the few lines of text on it.

I generally have problems comprehending most of what you say.

[Alta4ever]

I generally have problems comprehending most of what you say.

You must spend to much time reading your own BS.

[jdobbin]

You must spend to much time reading your own BS.

I suppose your party knows what they are doing but it certainly isn't obvious from the polling. I know that must make you very angry but there it is.

[Alta4ever]

I suppose your party knows what they are doing but it certainly isn't obvious from the polling. I know that must make you very angry but there it is.

The CPC strategists seem to have a better idea of whats going on in Canadian politics then you. That must really irk you, must be why you were so keen on call Harper a Mad Dog Sociopath.

[jdobbin]

The CPC strategists seem to have a better idea of whats going on in Canadian politics then you. That must really irk you, must be why you were so keen on call Harper a Mad Dog Sociopath.

Please do continue then. It sounds like it will be a winning strategy.

[Alta4ever]

Please do continue then. It sounds like it will be a winning strategy.

The truth usually is, must be why the liberals have lost the last few elections.

Edited July 5, 2009 by Alta4ever

[Jerry J. Fortin]

The truth usually is, must be why the liberals have lost the last few elections.

What are you going to say if Harper loses the next election? That is a very real possibility, some may say it is a great likelihood.

[normanchateau]

The CPC strategists seem to have a better idea of whats going on in Canadian politics then you.

Do you mean brilliant CPC strategists like Calgarian Tom Flanagan?

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/st...html?id=1696082

[capricorn]

I found the original Globe article with Ignatieff's complete quote relevant to my OP.

“The alternative [Mr. Harper] is a politician formed and shaped in the radical conservative ideological world of Calgary and Calgary think tanks,” Mr. Ignatieff said.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/nation...article1201354/

A radical conservative ideological world is what the City of Calgary is to Ignatieff. He did not restrict his assessment of radicalism to think tanks but to the entire City. And this from a guy who accuses the Conservatives of being divisive and of pitting one region against another. Ignatieff, the Great Unifier. If he is so intent at binding the country together, when he attended the stampede why did he not wear the signature accessory, a cowboy hat? Too redneck looking for his liking maybe? To his credit Layton did.

[capricorn]

So you think Ignatieff was speaking about people in Calgary in general?

Whether he meant to or not, that's the message. See my post above.

[Molly]

Well... Calgary actually IS a radical ideological world, very atypical of Canada as a whole, and at the very outside edge of the normal political spectrum.

Is this news? I doubt that it is to most of the folks from Calgary! They know darned well that if they look to the right, they see no one, but if they look to the left, they see a horde.

[Keepitsimple]

I found the original Globe article with Ignatieff's complete quote relevant to my OP.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/nation...article1201354/

A radical conservative ideological world is what the City of Calgary is to Ignatieff. He did not restrict his assessment of radicalism to think tanks but to the entire City. And this from a guy who accuses the Conservatives of being divisive and of pitting one region against another. Ignatieff, the Great Unifier. If he is so intent at binding the country together, when he attended the stampede why did he not wear the signature accessory, a cowboy hat? Too redneck looking for his liking maybe? To his credit Layton did.

I think the point here is that Mr. Ignatieff has a habit of blurting things out that need to be "clarified" later on. I'm sure he'll have to backtrack somewhat on this statement as well. He tends to be a careless speaker because he's used to thinking of himself as the smartest person in the room. That's not really a partisan knock against Mr. Ignatieff - it's simply acknowledging the reality of an intellectual professor's world - a big fish in a small pond. He can't really help himself - it's embedded in his pshyche. It's not a quality that is endearing to a potential PM.

Edited July 5, 2009 by Keepitsimple

[jdobbin]

Whether he meant to or not, that's the message. See my post above.

At least from the viewpoint of one columnist. We'll see if it send Ignatieff's numbers in Alberta lower than Dion's.

[ToadBrother]

I think the point here is that Mr. Ignatieff has a habit of blurting things out that need to be "clarified" later on. I'm sure he'll have to backtrack somewhat on this statement as well. He tends to be a careless speaker because he's used to thinking of himself as the smartest person in the room. That's not really a partisan knock against Mr. Ignatieff - it's simply acknowledging the reality of an intellectual professor's world - a big fish in a small pond. He can't really help himself - it's embedded in his pshyche. It's not a quality that is endearing to a potential PM.

Man, but people sure hate academics. At any rate, I doubt Iggy is going to lose too much sleep over irritating Calgarians, or Albertans in general. To Albertans, being a Conservative is practically a religious requirement. There are a few spots in Edmonton where the heretic may be found, but all in all, I'd have to say Alberta is not a land where Liberals have much expectation of electoral success, so sparing their feelings probably isn't high on his list, much as sparing Newfoundlanders' feelings has never been high on Harper's list.