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Belinda DEFECTS!?!?!


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I wonder how much in taxpayer's money she stands to make from this transition...
I have the vague notion that money was not a motivating factor for her.
It actually takes a principled stand for her to say that she cannot continue to support the path of the Conservatives and that she is sticking to her principles, even if the result is that she is a minister for only two days.
It seems she realized that she would never be leader of the Conservative Party and hence, she would never be PM, as a Conservative. Thursday's vote seems to have concentrated her mind.

OTOH, I kind of prefer the National Enquirer version that she's taking public revenge on Mackay for some indiscretion.

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I wonder how much in taxpayer's money she stands to make from this transition...
I have the vague notion that money was not a motivating factor for her.
It actually takes a principled stand for her to say that she cannot continue to support the path of the Conservatives and that she is sticking to her principles, even if the result is that she is a minister for only two days.
It seems she realized that she would never be leader of the Conservative Party and hence, she would never be PM, as a Conservative. Thursday's vote seems to have concentrated her mind.

OTOH, I kind of prefer the National Enquirer version that she's taking public revenge on Mackay for some indiscretion.

Yeah, she's a billionaire, I was being facetious.

It's quite simply the fact that Stephen Harper told her she'd never be Party leader...as you said. She decided to jump to the Liberals because she probably figures she can be a more prestigious public figure that way. It's simply a grab at attention for her. She wants to be in the limelight and this is the only way she can.

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It's quite simply the fact that Stephen Harper told her she'd never be Party leader...as you said. She decided to jump to the Liberals because she probably figures she can be a more prestigious public figure that way. It's simply a grab at attention for her. She wants to be in the limelight and this is the only way she can.
Well, Harper said in his statement that regardless of what happened in the election, she would not become leader. She realized that even if Harper left, she still wouldn't get the nod.

I just watched her press statement and three things stood out: she wrapped herself in the flag ("I got into politics to help my country"), she thought an election now would divide the country ("a Conservative government would have no support in Quebec") and she said she was unsuccessful in opening up the Conservative Party ("the leader does not understand the complexity of Canada with cities, women, young people"). As to the last point, I liked Harper's rejoinder: "complexity is not a word I associate with Belinda Stronach".

She doesn't strike me as duplicitous, just very ambitious (no harm there). She read a boiler-plate statement written by others. We are far, far from the political skills of a Pierre Trudeau, Rene Levesque, Robert Bourassa.

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She realized she would never be the Conservative leader because Harper told her so? Have the Conservatives abandoned the quaint notion of voting for a leader altogether?

She would never be PM as a Conservative because she is unlikely to win its leadership, but she has a better chance of that than becoming Liberal leader. Leadership ambitions are not the reason for her joining the Liberals.

I wonder why it is so hard for some people to accept her words at face value. It's been quite clear for some time that she's been uncomfortable with the Conservative direction and agenda. She realized she was closer to being a Liberal than a Conservative and therefore made the logical choice to join the party that better suited her.

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Absolutely brilliant... truthfully, if she had won the leadership of the CPC I think they would have won the last election, she's a moderate and I think will make an excellent Liberal.  Good for her and stinging indictment of harper to boot.

You have to be kidding! This woman is only interested in herself. She saw that there was no way she would ever have a power position with the "conservatives" and, instead of just deciding to vote by her conscience she flips to the other party!!! How much more we could have admired her beliefs if she had said, either that she would vote against her party, or become an indepenedent. Now that would have been ethical!!

If I was a liberal backbencher I would be furious that a political whimsy can get a cabinet post by betraying her own party, whereas my years of dedicated service is totally negated.

Belinda Stronach has justified the majority view of cynicism about politicians motifs. It has nothing to do with us - Joe Blow public and the good of the country - nor about real beliefs, just about oportunism. Blah!

Dafydd

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What's hurts the CPC though, is that besides being all the things I've already mentioned, she is credited with helping to unite the CA and the PC parties, she has been a (for some) welcomed moderate voice to help offset the perceived rough edge of the CPC and she's from vote rich Ontario.

This is bad for the CPC on so many levels.

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It's funny how the Cons demonstrated Stronach's point:

She's been called a whore, a dipstick and effectively a stupid person, each by different conservatives.

The right-wing press has been printing very sexist editorials.

It's disgusting, and demonstrates the attitudes that she faced in the party.

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How can her defection be interpreted as ambition? According to the Conservative press, the libs are going down...

-----

If you thumb back to the initial pages, I predicted that the Cons, instead of addressing the real issue: their inability to appeal to youth, women and urban voters -- focus on attacking the defector.

Well, that's fine with me. After reading and listening to conservative attitudes towards women, I'm convinced that she left for those reasons, and for national unity.

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She's been called a whore

You are so full of $hit it isn't even funny. You know damn well it wasn't meant in a sexual sense or meant as derogatory against women. She sold herself.

The right-wing press has been printing very sexist editorials.

You sound like an idiot when you make comments like this, you really do.

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QUOTE

She's been called a whore

You are so full of $hit it isn't even funny. You know damn well it wasn't meant in a sexual sense or meant as derogatory against women. She sold herself.

QUOTE

The right-wing press has been printing very sexist editorials.

You sound like an idiot when you make comments like this, you really do.

You really don't 'get it' do you Reagan?

"Prostitute" and "whore" are derogatory towards women in general, and you simply don't get it, nor do many of your Con friends.

And I suppose you're going to spin this some way, instead of acknowledging the faults in your attitude, you'll blame the reflection of your attitude on the media.

Simply disgusting. And what's worse: you don't understand why it's disgusting.

You'll never win government bashing 52% of the population.

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You are so full of $hit it isn't even funny. You know damn well it wasn't meant in a sexual sense or meant as derogatory against women. She sold herself.

I've seen sly innuendos and sexist invective directed at Stronach that you'd never see towards a male politician of any stripe. One columnist suggested her choice of political parties is no different than her choosing between Prada or Gucci shoes. Did Peter McKay get called a whore when he sole out the PC's?

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Ohh silly silly conservatives. With a leader like Stephen Harper what do you expect from the rest of Canada. The man clearly does NOT command respect, for one usually has to earn it first. He is NOT a statesman, this is just another shining example of why he is not cut out for Canada's top job. Think about it, can you imagine this man going oversees and representing Canada? The other world leaders would have a collective WTF happened to Canada moment :blink: .

These are my observations as a small c conservative that would have happily voted for the 'progressive conservatives' in the last election. If Belinda was leading the conservative party they would have my support.

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It all comes down to perception. :D

Stronach defects, whether or not it was right, wrong, honourable, opportunistic, doesn't matter.

What the CPC had to do was come out, voice their dissappointment, displeasure and anger in a "high road" type of way.

They had to take the high road. It wouldn't be easy, but they had to do it.

Instead, you've got Abbott, Moore and Runciman shooting off their faces in such a way to portray the CPC as the intolerant and sexist(?) party that some people may still perceive them to be.

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You are so full of $hit it isn't even funny. You know damn well it wasn't meant in a sexual sense or meant as derogatory against women. She sold herself.

I've seen sly innuendos and sexist invective directed at Stronach that you'd never see towards a male politician of any stripe. One columnist suggested her choice of political parties is no different than her choosing between Prada or Gucci shoes. Did Peter McKay get called a whore when he sole out the PC's?

Give me a break, Scott Brison was called a whore as well. But I'm sure that was somehow derogatory towards his sexual orientation right? :rolleyes:

I see the shoe comment as more to do with her being a spoiled brat rather than to do with her being a woman. And Peter McKay was called quite a few names.

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Stronach defects, whether or not it was right, wrong, honourable, opportunistic, doesn't matter.

What the CPC had to do was come out, voice their dissappointment, displeasure and anger in a "high road" type of way.

They had to take the high road. It wouldn't be easy, but they had to do it.

Instead, you've got Abbott, Moore and Runciman shooting off their faces in such a way to portray the CPC as the intolerant and sexist(?) party that some people may still perceive them to be.

Agreed. The Cons are just feeding the media circus and keeping teh notion that Paulie Pockets fleeced them alive. They should have issued a strong, terse statement and walked away. Instead, you get a bunch of clowns shooting their mouths off, which just reinforces the existing notion that the Cons are buffoons. Harper doesn't seem capable of controlling the loose screws in his caucus.

Give me a break, Scott Brison was called a whore as well. But I'm sure that was somehow derogatory towards his sexual orientation right? 

I see the shoe comment as more to do with her being a spoiled brat rather than to do with her being a woman. And Peter McKay was called quite a few names.

Political watcher says Stronach backlash sexist

Trimble said the candidate's aspirations were often ridiculed, her qualifications trivialized, and her youth and looks the subject of vulgar and excessive obsession.
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Ooops, what was I thinking, if the CBC says it's sexist it must be :rolleyes: .

The Cons are just feeding the media circus

True, the Cons need to realize that they are under the microscope of the Canadian media. We just need to accept that there is a double standard with respect to politics in the media.

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Did Peter McKay get called a whore when he sole out the PC's?

(uh, actually, I think he did...)

In any case, the media's treatment of Stronach has *always* been bullshit-- I've posted this before. The Toronto Sun is the worst offender; I can only assume that paper's editorial board is made up of 13-year old boys. They're incapable of producing a Stronach headline without using either "Blonde", "Bombshell", or both.

Even more respectable outlets often find themselves discussing her clothes, her jewelry, her makeup, or her hairstyle.

....

The CPC's responses have kind of reminded me of the scene in Monty Python and the Holy Grail when Arthur battles the Black Knight. "Tis but a scratch!" insists the Black Knight after Arthur has sliced his arm off.

They might deny it, and they might not even realize how badly they got jacked up. But they got jacked up. There's no other way to look at it.

"Perception, perception, perception," as Newfie Canadian put it. And the perception this creates, for the CPC, is utterly disasterous. Whatever her motivation, she was key to their efforts in Ontario, and with women, and with moderate voters.

And I feel that this raises questions about Harper's judgment and his leadership abilities.

....

Eureka's insistance that this will turn Liberal fortunes in Quebec leaves me wondering if he's on the party payroll. The only other explanation is that Eureka has a much sharper sense of humour than I thought.

....

I do agree with those who've pointed out that if she'd decided to go sit as an independant rather than jumping right to the other side and into a cabinet post, she'd have done a lot to combat the appearance that it was just opportunism.

Opportunism or not, I think it's pretty clear that her tiff with Harper was long-running, and only getting worse.

-k

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Ooops, what was I thinking, if the CBC says it's sexist it must be

Let me explain something you don't seem to get. See, there's this thing called the media. The media employs reporters to write what's called news. Reporters in turn talk to people who know about the subject at hand. These people are called sources. The information these sources give is referered to as a quote. These quotes do not necessarily represent the views of the reporter or the media they work for. In conclusion, to cite the position of a single source as evidence of the media's bias is and incorrect.

Clear enough?

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Ooops, what was I thinking, if the CBC says it's sexist it must be

Let me explain something you don't seem to get. See, there's this thing called the media. The media employs reporters to write what's called news. Reporters in turn talk to people who know about the subject at hand. These people are called sources. The information these sources give is referered to as a quote. These quotes do not necessarily represent the views of the reporter or the media they work for. In conclusion, to cite the position of a single source as evidence of the media's bias is and incorrect.

Clear enough?

:lol: Ok let me rephrase for ya BD: Ooops, what was I thinking, if the CBC seeks out a feminist prof from U of A who says it's sexist it must be.

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The Toronto Sun is the worst offender; I can only assume that paper's editorial board is made up of 13-year old boys. They're incapable of producing a Stronach headline without using either "Blonde", "Bombshell", or both.

I'm sure the Sun will change it's tune now that she's a Liberal. I'm sure the story will now be about "the courageous Belinda who bravely stood up to Conservative fascism".

Even more respectable outlets often find themselves discussing her clothes, her jewelry, her makeup, or her hairstyle.

Perhaps she should be less concerned about wearing a new outfit everytime she appears in public or the Martha Stewart esque pastel colors she uses in her campaign and more concerned about learning the issues. I remember her discussing in an interview how difficult it was to find different outfits to wear every day. I remember her in interviews fliping her hair and grining as the interviewer asked her about how her son feels that she's described as 'hot'.

The CPC's responses have kind of reminded me of the scene in Monty Python and the Holy Grail when Arthur battles the Black Knight. "Tis but a scratch!" insists the Black Knight after Arthur has sliced his arm off.

You of all should know it's not great strategy to roll around on the ground screaming in pain.

And I feel that this raises questions about Harper's judgment and his leadership abilities.

Don't go to the light Kimmy, for heaven's sake stay with us!!

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I'm sure the Sun will change it's tune now that she's a Liberal. I'm sure the story will now be about "the courageous Belinda who bravely stood up to Conservative fascism".
Well, the truth does hurt.
Perhaps she should be less concerned about wearing a new outfit everytime she appears in public or the Martha Stewart esque pastel colors she uses in her campaign and more concerned about learning the issues. I remember her discussing in an interview how difficult it was to find different outfits to wear every day. I remember her in interviews fliping her hair and grining as the interviewer asked her about how her son feels that she's described as 'hot'.
God forbit a woman take pride in her appearance, and if the Conservative's best argument for not voting for her is her choice of clothing then they're far more lame than I thought they were (and that's pretty lame)
Don't go to the light Kimmy, for heaven's sake stay with us!!
Yes kimmy! stay in the darkness with the far-righters!

Seriously tho, I stand by what I said you should do before kimmy, follow your heart.

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