Have the Conservatives peaked?

[maplesyrup]

Have the Conservatives peaked?

Canadians are peeved with the Liberals, but are they really prepared to throw the baby out with the bathwater?

Paul Wells this evening entitled his column: "BREAKING TREND STORY".

I think Wells may be onto something here. What do others think?

[takeanumber]

Too early to say.

I know that every time one of Harpers old guard says what they're really thinking/feeling, mainstream Canadians get suspicious.

I think the debates are going to matter.

I think many Canadians are mad with the Liberals, and now they're starting to look at the alternatives.

[maplesyrup]

TAKING THE POLLS OF CANADIAN POLITICS

QUESTION: WHAT DO CANADIANS WANT? Most of us want to

punish the Liberal Party. We're sick of gliberal arrogance and

sponsorship scandals; tired of Liberal squabbling, Paul Martin's

squirming and health care squawking.

That's why polls have been turning against the Liberals ever

since the election call. But that doesn't mean most Canadians

want to elect Stephen Harper, whose Alberta-style social policies

give many easterners the creeps.

We just want to leave Paul Martin with such a tiny

minority government he doesn't have a fig, or maple leaf to cover

up his private member's bills. So we're watching the polls more

than the politicians - and figuring out how to get that minority

government.

CAN YOU REALLY VOTE THIS PRECISELY? Yes, Canada

is just following the Quebec model. Precision voting was

pioneered in Quebec during the 1995 referendum, when many

French-Quebecers didn't really want either side to win.

Pre-referendum polls swung wildly from No to Yes and back

again, as Quebecers studied each like math professors --

trying to adjust their vote to get an exact tie. On

referendum night the tally hung at precisely 50-50 for awhile,

while the final score of 50.5 to 49.5 was a tactical masterpiece.

Now, English-Canadians are doing the same and entering the

world of "poll-ar" politics.

BUT ISN'T THERE ANY DANGER TO THIS STRATEGY? Of course -

Quebec almost separated, by accident. And this federal election, there are

some wild scenarios that could unfold, if the voters bet wrong.

[bOLD]Scenario 1: [END BOLD] Stephen Harper could actually

slip into power and share the bed at Rideau Hall with Bloc leader

Gilles Duceppe. This would be so bizarre a marriage it would make

gay marriage look straight.

Duceppe runs a left-wing Quebec separatist party dedicated

to destroying Canada and Harper heads a right-wing Alberta party

dedicated to destroying Liberal Canada. They agree on "more

powers to the provinces," but they'd battle to the death over

every issue: abortion rights, gay marriage, capital punishment,

gun control, birth control, Stars Wars, the Iraq war and the

right to wear a shower cap in the House of Commons.

After months of fighting they'd come to the only

compromise that could really make both parties happy. Quebec

and Alberta would both separate.

Now that you mention it, I am kind of missing Chretien.

Who the heck is Josh Freed? He's hilarous.

[idealisttotheend]

That is a great story MS. The guy is hilarious, we should try to get him to post here lol.

[falling leaf]

Where the hell is Martin didnt see his face in France this morning ! Does anyone know if he was there?

[Redragon]

For me, I was supporting Conservatives until I heard about the new tax cuts he is promising. 58 billion dollars over 5 years? When I read that, I finally realized that he is either a liar or an idiot.

Where are they going to find 58 billion dollars to give back, with the addition of increased spending on military, health, etc. where are they going to find that money? Considering the highest surplus that the federal government received was 10 billion I think in 2000.

The Harris government prematurely reduced taxes to put money back in the peoples pockets. Result, cuts to services across the board. Now the Liberal Ontario government is left with a 5.6 billion dollar deficit and is facing more cuts and must establish health care premiums. This study concluded that the premature tax cuts by the Harris government will increase provincial debt by 30 billion dollars. http://www.ofl-fto.on.ca/ftp/tp3.pdfhttp:/....ca/ftp/tp3.pdf

This is exactly what Harper is wanting to do.

[BigGunner]

For me, I was supporting Conservatives until I heard about the new tax cuts he is promising. 58 billion dollars over 5 years? When I read that, I finally realized that he is either a liar or an idiot.

Where are they going to find 58 billion dollars to give back, with the addition of increased spending on military, health, etc. where are they going to find that money? Considering the highest surplus that the federal government received was 10 billion I think in 2000.

The Harris government prematurely reduced taxes to put money back in the peoples pockets. Result, cuts to services across the board. Now the Liberal Ontario government is left with a 5.6 billion dollar deficit and is facing more cuts and must establish health care premiums. This study concluded that the premature tax cuts by the Harris government will increase provincial debt by 30 billion dollars. http://www.ofl-fto.on.ca/ftp/tp3.pdfhttp:/....ca/ftp/tp3.pdf

This is exactly what Harper is wanting to do.

So, who have you switched you vote to? If you don't mind sharing with everyone...

[theWatcher]

Where are they going to find 58 billion dollars to give back, with the addition of increased spending on military, health, etc. where are they going to find that money?

Well not sinking money into the gun registry, paying off all of their adscam buddies, regional subsidies, and curtailing corporate welfare is a start.

58 billion over 5 years is about 10 billion a year. The economy is growing. Giving people back money will let them spend it on goods and services which will stimulate the economy.

Besides how many Billions has Martin already pi##ed away since the budget? And Layton is promising the world because he knows he never will have to deliver on his promises.

Look at Harpers budget that they just released at Conservative Budget and see what numbers don't add up. That would be better than just guessing.

[idealisttotheend]

Has there been a Conservative regieme in the history of the world that hasn't counted on economic growth it can't guarentee (resulting in bloated surplusses) to fund it's promises? The Cons want to cut taxes and spend more money on all sorts of things. They justify this by quoting economic growth that no one can guarentee. In fact it's about time for a recession doesn't everyone think, have you seen the US deficit and/or trade deficit.

I'll give this to the Liberals, since their budget is the lowest cost they are the promising only the cake and not the eating.

[takeanumber]

I know for sure that I'm not voting for Rob Anders.

The guy embarassed Calgary West when he voted against Nelson Mandella.

So I'm not voting Conservative purely because of the candidate.

I might vote for the party that has the best chance at beating Anders. Without any PC's running, it becomes harder.

Which means I'm forced to ask: "Who deserves my 1.75?" I think the Liberals get enough money from the Marijuana grow ops in BC. I don't like unions, and have a strong dislike for Buzz Hargrove, so I won't vote NDP. Which pretty much leaves the least of all evils. The Greens.

It sucks. I don't even like the Greens, but they're the least of all the evils.