Have Conservatives Run Out of Gas?

[Michael Bluth]

It looks like Harper will make Senate reform an issue although it is going to be hard to make it an election issue. Moreover, if the Tories stall the Kyoto bill, it is going to look like they are stalling Parliament themselves.

What do the Senate bill or Kyoto have to do with the quote in your post?

[jdobbin]

A favourite of Conservatives had to say this on Sunday about the Tories.

http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news...89-0c6ec7cb407a

The Tories under Stephen Harper wanted a majority, so they moved left with a big-spending budget and an over-the-top green plan. These were to be the launching pads for the campaign, but the government then got cold feet.

It didn't call for the national vote it had used to justify a more than seven-percent increase in federal spending and a greener-than-thou environmental plan.

So in the end, it was stuck with policies its core supporters didn't like and no election that might have persuaded those supporters to forgive them on pragmatic grounds.

Most columns provoke six to 12 e-mails in the week that follows publication. So I knew I hit a nerve with my Friday piece because before noon that day, over 50 were crowding my inbox.

The responses could be broken down into two basic categories: Disgruntled basers happy that someone had articulated their frustration, and Conservative insiders discouraged that I hadn't explained how the election had to be postponed because a majority remained outside their grasp.

He goes on to say that the Tories are:

Most troubling, though, I think the Harper Conservatives have become Mulroney-ized. Former prime minister Brian Mulroney seems to have too much influence over policy and strategy.

Think a few people here have mentioned that. However, some of the Tory supporters here are big on Mulroney so they probably don't see anything wrong with it.

[Figleaf]

Think a few people here have mentioned that. However, some of the Tory supporters here are big on Mulroney so they probably don't see anything wrong with it.

I think he has been 'mulroneyized' in more ways than simply having the 'old who7e' around. He has pretty much staked his flag on catering to Quebec nationalists. And he acts like he sees his future on the boards of American multinationals.

[jbg]

I wonder if Harper will be using this week to decide whether to prorogue Parliament until October. Unfortunately, it will leave many pieces of legislation dead until re-introduced in the House. It would certainly make the government look ineffective if they ended the session before getting their bills through.

Killing those enviro-nut targets would be, on balance, a good thing.

[jdobbin]

Killing those enviro-nut targets would be, on balance, a good thing.

To do that, he will probably have to lose his crime bills then, possibly his own budget because he prorogues the session. He'll probably have to let Kyoto pass unless he wants to go to an election now.

[Who's Doing What?]

It looks like Harper will make Senate reform an issue although it is going to be hard to make it an election issue. Moreover, if the Tories stall the Kyoto bill, it is going to look like they are stalling Parliament themselves.

What do the Senate bill or Kyoto have to do with the quote in your post?

Do you post after every jdobbin post?

edit: oh wait there are a whole 2 in here you missed. Never mind.

[Michael Bluth]

Do you post after every jdobbin post?

edit: oh wait there are a whole 2 in here you missed. Never mind.

What does this have to do with anything in the thread?

[jdobbin]

Lorne Gunter comments on why the Tories have run into problems.

http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonis...79-a1f21e987bc7

The Conservatives were running a consistent six to 10 points ahead of the Liberals in national opinion polls before their big-spending budget and green plan came out.

Now they are effectively tied with Stephane Dion and his crew.

Hmm. Do you think there's a connection maybe?

When Stephen Harper and his cabinet were acting like Conservatives they had a comfortable lead in the polls, but the moment they started governing like Liberals, their support cooled.

There were other factors behind their recent slip, of course.

The income trusts lie was one. Many middle-class investors and oilpatch executives still have not forgiven the Tories for promising in the last election not to up taxes on trusts, then increasing them anyway -- substantially.

This reversal was made more offensive by another tax flip-flop engaged in by the Harper government in the past two weeks.

In this spring's budget, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty announced he would be ending corporate tax write-offs for interest paid in foreign countries.

Then when Bay Street squawked, and claimed (rightly) that the vast majority of Canadian companies operating abroad weren't claiming a deduction both here and there for the same interest, Flaherty reversed himself. He put back the old tax regime (sort of).

He goes on to say that the anger in financial quarters is still raw over many of these issues.

[Who's Doing What?]

Do you post after every jdobbin post?

edit: oh wait there are a whole 2 in here you missed. Never mind.

What does this have to do with anything in the thread?

Just an observation I have made. Not only in this thread, but the majority of threads where you can be found immediatley after jdobbin. Rather odd, and too common to be mere coincidence.

[Michael Bluth]

Just an observation I have made. Not only in this thread, but the majority of threads where you can be found immediatley after jdobbin. Rather odd, and too common to be mere coincidence.

Please keep it off the Federal Politics forum. PM me if you have any questions.

Barring that take it to News and Announcements.

[Who's Doing What?]

Just an observation I have made. Not only in this thread, but the majority of threads where you can be found immediatley after jdobbin. Rather odd, and too common to be mere coincidence.

Please keep it off the Federal Politics forum. PM me if you have any questions.

Barring that take it to News and Announcements.

Wouldn't PM you if you paid me.

Since when have you been shy about getting personal on the forums?

Just the other day you called me a jack@ss. Now a simple observation is all of a sudden out of bounds?

Sure whatever.

[Michael Bluth]

Since when have you been shy about getting personal on the forums?

Just the other day you called me a jack@ss. Now a simple observation is all of a sudden out of bounds?

Sure whatever.

dobbin posted 22 times on this thread. I followed 5 of those posts with a post of my own.

If your "observations" had any connection to the truth, you wouldn't be constantly trying to start fights with me.

[Who's Doing What?]

Since when have you been shy about getting personal on the forums?

Just the other day you called me a jack@ss. Now a simple observation is all of a sudden out of bounds?

Sure whatever.

dobbin posted 22 times on this thread. I followed 5 of those posts with a post of my own.

If your "observations" had any connection to the truth, you wouldn't be constantly trying to start fights with me.

Dude you follow him like a lost puppy. Get over it. Enough already with your obsessive behaviour.

[Michael Bluth]

dobbin posted 22 times on this thread. I followed 5 of those posts with a post of my own.

If your "observations" had any connection to the truth, you wouldn't be constantly trying to start fights with me.

Dude you follow him like a lost puppy. Get over it. Enough already with your obsessive behaviour.

So when you said the following it was a conscious lie?

Do you post after every jdobbin post?

edit: oh wait there are a whole 2 in here you missed. Never mind.

Take a look at your own behaviour. Done for the night with you maybe tomorrow we can play this little reindeer game again.

[Who's Doing What?]

dobbin posted 22 times on this thread. I followed 5 of those posts with a post of my own.

If your "observations" had any connection to the truth, you wouldn't be constantly trying to start fights with me.

Dude you follow him like a lost puppy. Get over it. Enough already with your obsessive behaviour.

So when you said the following it was a conscious lie?

I asked if you post after everyone of jdobbins posts. So what. Go look up his posts and find how many times your name appears right underneath. Pathetic really.

Do you post after every jdobbin post?

edit: oh wait there are a whole 2 in here you missed. Never mind.

Take a look at your own behaviour. Done for the night with you maybe tomorrow we can play this little reindeer game again.

Ya right. You said the other night you were putting me on ignore and replied 5 minutes later.

[jbg]

I came here to read about the Conservative's gain or loss of new ideas and momentum, not to watch a bunch of hormone-soaked screen names baiting each other. Take it to the schoolyard!!

[Who's Doing What?]

I came here to read about the Conservative's gain or loss of new ideas and momentum, not to watch a bunch of hormone-soaked screen names baiting each other. Take it to the schoolyard!!

About time you chimed in. Sheesh where would we be without your insightful commentary?

[jbg]

I came here to read about the Conservative's gain or loss of new ideas and momentum, not to watch a bunch of hormone-soaked screen names baiting each other. Take it to the schoolyard!!

About time you chimed in. Sheesh where would we be without your insightful commentary?

If you're expecting me to join in this barroom brawl on the deck of the Titanic, I won't.

I don't post on many threads. Why would you expect me to chime in?

[Alexandra]

It looks like Harper will make Senate reform an issue although it is going to be hard to make it an election issue. Moreover, if the Tories stall the Kyoto bill, it is going to look like they are stalling Parliament themselves.

What do the Senate bill or Kyoto have to do with the quote in your post?

Do you post after every jdobbin post?

edit: oh wait there are a whole 2 in here you missed. Never mind.

You're joking, right? You could accuse a number of people on this board of 'posting after every jdobbin post' since jdobbin posts the majority of new topics; also on every topic he doesn't open he usually has the majority of posts.

The only way a poster could avoid being accused of following or stalking jdobbin is clearly to not post on this board.

`

[Who's Doing What?]

If you're expecting me to join in this barroom brawl on the deck of the Titanic, I won't.

I don't post on many threads. Why would you expect me to chime in?

Just past experience. It is what you do.

[Who's Doing What?]

You're joking, right? You could accuse a number of people on this board of 'posting after every jdobbin post' since jdobbin posts the majority of new topics; also on every topic he doesn't open he usually has the majority of posts.

The only way a poster could avoid being accused of following or stalking jdobbin is clearly to not post on this board.

`

I'm sorry, I guess you don't understand the difference.

[Michael Bluth]

You're joking, right? You could accuse a number of people on this board of 'posting after every jdobbin post' since jdobbin posts the majority of new topics; also on every topic he doesn't open he usually has the majority of posts.

The only way a poster could avoid being accused of following or stalking jdobbin is clearly to not post on this board.

`

Thanks for that.

jdobbin only likes people who share his hatred for Stephen Harper to play in his sandbox.

Alas, you get exaggerated claims if you don't share his views.

For some reason, WDW? jumps in to his defence.

Conveniently they both share the same views of the Conservative Party of Canada....

[Shakeyhands]

I can't believe you don't see through your own bias, do you really believe that you aren't biased? It seems to me that you wait for whoever, JDobbin, WDW, BC Chick or anyone else who doesn't share your views about the CPC to post and then immediately call out their "hatred" or "bias" or accuse them of belonging to the hateocracy or whatever... I just don't get your indignation just to get the talking points out.

to attempt to get this back on track, it looks like the slow down and coming summer break (don't quite get the need for that) are creating some havoc in the general momentum of things happening, what can the CPC do or do they have anything else? I'm thinking they weren't expecting things to last this long...

[Michael Bluth]

I can't believe you don't see through your own bias, do you really believe that you aren't biased? It seems to me that you wait for whoever, JDobbin, WDW, BC Chick or anyone else who doesn't share your views about the CPC to post and then immediately call out their "hatred" or "bias" or accuse them of belonging to the hateocracy or whatever... I just don't get your indignation just to get the talking points out.

to attempt to get this back on track, it looks like the slow down and coming summer break (don't quite get the need for that) are creating some havoc in the general momentum of things happening, what can the CPC do or do they have anything else? I'm thinking they weren't expecting things to last this long...

Shakey, the indignation is at the false claim of stalking. That's a serious allegation, one made with no support and for some reason WDW? has decided to jump into that little game even when dobbin sees the error in his ways.

Yes, to get back on track. The summer break has been a long tradition. Lets MPs work their constituencies and actual talk to the people they represent.

I completely agree with you. The Conservatives were not expecting things to last this long. Now that this parliament has lasted this long the Harper will spend the summer working on a new legislative agenda.

[jdobbin]

This video goes over the reasons why the Tories have run out of gas.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cg4PqFP7mCY

Don't know if I agree with all of it but it certainly emphasizes the problems they had the last several weeks.