Martin's Current Problem

[August1991]

Vincent Marissal, the Lapresse journalist with Martin, wrote a piece this morning that has made me wonder. Maybe this election is already over.

Marissal's point is that no one is listening to Martin anymore. He can say whatever the hell he likes, but no one will believe him or even listen. "$9 billion for health, $2 billion for cities, get G8 on board..." No one is paying attention.

On a related point, there are almost no Liberal posters to this forum. NDP, Tory or just plain whacko, yes. But pro-PM PM?

Liberal voters, I think, are people who pay little attention to politics and want the status quo. They don't want to "waste their vote". They want to be "mainstream".

But what if Liberals are no longer perceived as winners or mainstream? Their support will collapse.

Potential listeners are not listening anymore and many traditional Liberal voters will sit this one out. The polls assume people who answer the phone will also go to vote.

There is something up here.

[Kliege]

Its not Martin that is the problem, its the Liberals. After 11 years of promises and lies, the wheels on the Liberal train have finally come off. The Liberals don't know that yet, but when they do there is going to be a shit storm we haven't seen in this country for generations.

$9 billion for health, $2 billion for cities, get G8 on board...we've heard it all before..election after election since 1993 they bring out the same old promises. You know the old saying Fool me once same on you, Fool me twice shame on me...well the people are sick of being fooled by this bunch.

Its time for change. Canada deserves better

[August1991]

Its time for change. Canada deserves better

You're a Tory. You probably never listened. But ordinary people did listen to Chretien.

According to a Quebec journalist travelling in BC with PM PM, ordinary people are not listening to PM PM anymore.

I think the journalist has a point. I'm curious.

[takeanumber]

I think most people are looking at Martin's first 6 months in office and are saying, "wow, Martin really is like Chretien, all talk no action."

And you know, I can't point to a single good thing Martin has done in the past 6 months. He gave a few peanuts to the cities, but so what?

And then he comes out with yet another fudgit budget that's totally wrong...how do we know? Well because he comes out with all these spending pledges during the election.

It's just become so transparent and so boring, and I think ordinary Canadians might be just getting sick of it.

[idealisttotheend]

There was an article in the Post today about how Manely is being pegged as Martin's successor, by disaffected Chretienites. Now the Post may simply be trying to stir up trouble within the Liberals but Martin's complete inability to unite the party after the feud may hurt him substantially. I think the continuing feud is a function of PM PMs advisors having cut their teeth attacking the Chretienites and their pettiness, not necessarily Martin himself. Nevertheless the Liberals could do a lot worse than Manely who may have been seen as a better choice if the leadership had been decided in a more democratic fashion.

Given this, August's comments and the situation in Ontario with the unpopular tax hikes (and traditional 'send the opposite party to Ottawa as we have in Toronto') I am starting to wonder if this might not be an interesting election after all with a conservative minority and the NDP making substantial gains (and therefore holding the balance of power on non-Quebec issues. .

If it happens it may be the best way to deal with the 'democratic deficit' anyway, ironic from Mr. Martin's perspective but true.

[maplesyrup]

First of all, the history of the Liberal party dictates that it will be a francophone that will replace MR Martin, not an anglophone. Probably will be Pierre Pettigrew, unless they pick some from neither anglo nor franco communities.

Secondly Martin is considered RIGHT WING, and Chretien was not.

Maybe 25% of Canadians are right-wingers.

That is Martin's problem in a nutshell.

Also Martin being a RIGHT WINGER is Stephen Harper's problem as well. Thet are competing for the same votes.

[August1991]

According to tradition since Edward Blake, federal Liberals have switched between English and French. Lapierre wanted it but he won't get it. The next federal Liberal leader will be Dion and he'll be PM of Canada. You read it here first. (This story is far from over.)

If you're a federalist (I'm not really), Canada has some kind of weird protecting horoscope sign. Fate seems to have decided this place.

[idealisttotheend]

I thought Martin was a francophone (yes he has Ontario roots but more in Quebec), wasn't this one of Chretien's beefs with him, that he broke the tradition?

[takeanumber]

It's time to part with tradition.