Ontario’s Power Trip: The backroom funding of the McGuinty Liberals

Michael Hardner · October 5, 2011

I don't see Hudak as being anything like Harper. Harper walks a thin line well - reaching out to the mainstream while floating enough conservative ideas to keep the base happy. And it took years for Harper to get enough trust to get a majority government. Canadians are conservative, in that they're reluctant to upset the apple cart, no matter how poorly run that cart is.

Shwa · October 5, 2011

I don't see Hudak as being anything like Harper. Harper walks a thin line well - reaching out to the mainstream while floating enough conservative ideas to keep the base happy. And it took years for Harper to get enough trust to get a majority government. Canadians are conservative, in that they're reluctant to upset the apple cart, no matter how poorly run that cart is.

I said 'stylized' not an exacting imitation. For Tim Hudak, the stylization doesn't appear to be working much.

Canadians have demonstrated they upset the poorly run apple cart almost every time. Come on now.

Michael Hardner · October 5, 2011

I can't think of a worse apple manager than McGuinty though.

Shwa · October 5, 2011

I can't think of a worse apple manager than McGuinty though.

Well it's a damned good thing you got the franchise son.

Me? I can imagine a far worse alternative apple manager. For example, one who doesn't spend much time talking about real alternatives and spends an election campaign with simpleton attack ads.

Oleg Bach · October 5, 2011

And today's message is that "Hudak is anti abortion".

What's McGinty's message? That he will help you kill the unborn and put the surviving infants into an all day soviet style day care - so the mother can be enslaved while the kid is estranged and raised by some early child hood educators with a cheeze ball degree from some run down community school? To late - socialist liberal conditioning has taken hold....woman believe they are free when they are not - men are afraid to be men - and children are raised by strangers who understand that kids are property of the state - great - just great - more McGinty the swinty henchman for Nazi bankers.... glad I am old and will not see the out come of this engineered slave farm.

Michael Hardner · October 5, 2011

Well it's a damned good thing you got the franchise son.

Me? I can imagine a far worse alternative apple manager. For example, one who doesn't spend much time talking about real alternatives and spends an election campaign with simpleton attack ads.

Believe it or not I'm seriously considering voting for him. Not because I think he's good - I don't - but because the alternatives are worse. It's sad when we have to settle for 'not worse'.

Oleg Bach · October 5, 2011

Believe it or not I'm seriously considering voting for him. Not because I think he's good - I don't - but because the alternatives are worse. It's sad when we have to settle for 'not worse'.

Strange having an election with no one to vote for - this is a first! In other words democracy does not exist this time around - because all the choices have been removed ----pretty bad...and it might get worse...it's bizarre.

PIK · October 5, 2011

It is looking like the unions are running the province. They don't care about nothing but what's in it for them and dalton gave them everything. With the unions spending big money campaigning for the libs is hard for any other party to keep up. But within a year you won't find anybody admiting to ever voting for the libs.

Shwa · October 5, 2011

Believe it or not I'm seriously considering voting for him. Not because I think he's good - I don't - but because the alternatives are worse. It's sad when we have to settle for 'not worse'.

Turn that frown upside down.

If the alternatives are "worse" then the status quo must be "better." Therefore you are voting for the "better" choice.

Hey, it might be cheap semantics, but it might help you sleep at night.

capricorn · October 5, 2011

What else would you call them? Here, this is from wikipedia:

Grassroots

I looked at your wiki definition of "grassroots". You omitted this part.

Astroturfing
Main article: Astroturfing

Faking a grassroots movement is known as astroturfing. Astroturfing, as the name suggests, is named after AstroTurf, a brand of artificial grass. Astroturfing means pretending to be a grassroots movement, when in reality the agenda and strategy is controlled by a hidden non-grassroots organization. A show is made of individuals pretending to be voicing their own opinions.[4]

Who do you think created the Working Families Coalition? Grassroots union members? Absolutely not. The truth is union executive officers of Ontario unions have banded together and formed the Working Families Coalition. Their only purpose is to run anti-PC campaigns. Have you seen any of their ads? Look closely. Nowhere does the ad mention that the group is a coalition of unions, not even in fine print anywhere.

Astroturfing at its finest. Working Families Coalition is fake and a front for the unions' campaigning against the PCs. This is how Ontario's unions spend their membership's union dues. Evidently, the union coalition attempts to deceive the viewers of their ads that it is a collection of ordinary Ontario families. Disgusting and dishonest.

Once this election is over I doubt we'll be hearing much from them, suggesting an ad-hoc movement.

Are you kidding? Where were you in 2007? Ontario Working Families was front and centre in the 2007 provincial election working actively to turn voters away from the PCs. See for yourself.

And you can be darn sure they'll be back come next election with an anti-PC campaign. All paid for by unsuspecting union members who are the real "grassroots" of any union.