The Conservative “This
election isn’t about me, Stephen Harper” ad that reached
airwaves during Friday’s Blue Jays game is remarkable. It is
impossible to look upon it as anything other than an acknowledgment
that the leader of the Conservatives has become a liability to his
party.
Remember this is the man who dictated that our
Canadian Government shall henceforth be known as the “Harper
Government” but its not about him eh!
In
the case of the Conservatives it must also be considered that the
party is substantially a creation of its leader: in a real sense he
is its God. The party’s post-Harper fate is unclear, but the chance
of schism is obvious. And if it can hold together, the possibility of
falling into a deep bog of mediocrity is equally obvious. So what
does Harper represent to a Conservative partisan? He is everything.
He is the horse on which the farm is already bet.
This
is the man that has been airing personal attacks upon young Trudeau
for many months and making this election very personal.
But
there is he on TV, complaining that the other candidates want to make
things personal and that they would rather talk about him than about
their policies. It is an all but explicit appeal to voters who like
what I sometimes think of as the Martin-Harper version of Canada, but
who are tired of Harper and his callow Prime Minister’s Office
myrmidons.
It
is the
death march of deception for Harper to try to remove himself from
the political equation in this election. This is the man who insisted
that the public service refer to the crowd in charge not as the
“Government of Canada” but the “Harper government”. This is
the guy who allowed everyone to remove their muzzles just long enough
to read scripted lines that came down from the high-command in the
PMO.
The Conservative Party of Canada IS
Stephen Harper, he has made it such with his obsessive need to
control everything personally and the building a cadre of unelected
disciples in the PMO to do his bidding. This election is very much
about him, and ridding the country of this would be dictator.
We want him Gone, Gone Gone so Vote That Fker Out
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7 comments:
When the going gets tough, Rural, Stephen Harper hides and looks for some one else to blame.
There will be more than enough blame to go around, Owen!
It will be really interesting to watch what happens if Harper losses. As you say, this party has very little identity outside of his persona. If he leaves, I have no doubt that Peter "women are nothing more than caregivers" Mckay will return to attempt to take over the party. Meanwhile Kenny, that sexually ambiguous, college dropout will also try to take the party into his bizarre hands. One wonders if there are any Progressive Conservatives out there who will attempt to assert the historical roots of their old party. It will be an interesting process to watch.
Watch for a tongue in cheek post by guest writer Pamela Mac Neal on that score tomorrow, Kirby!
Yes Bill, and they all say I will do this and that, not we will introduce legislation to....
Even the individual candidates (from all partys) are guilty of this!
For what it's worth, Rural, I had a long chat last night with my best Ottawa Tory buddy, a guy who has been a lawyer, judge and politician, a Tory insider going back to Stanfield.
He said a lot of "old stock" Tories (PCs) won't be voting for Harper this time around. They'll either stay home or vote for another party. Apparently they've finally had it with Harper's 'above the law' governance and, in particular, his relentless attack on the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
My friend said a number of Tory ridings in the Ottawa-Carleton region will be lost. Baird's riding is one of them. Poilievre escaped the same fate by ditching his old, urban riding to run in a much more rural, redistricted riding where he can likely hold on. Oliver, Fantino and Chris Alexander - Adios.
There's some concern that Harper might go into the bunker, refusing to step down and staying on as opposition leader if Trudeau prevails. His caucus is so cowed they might be afraid to stand up to him.
These old school PC veterans are afraid a Reform-PC leadership fight for the hearts and minds of the party could lead to a mild version of what's happening now to the Republicans with Western extremists (i.e. Reformers) running amok.
It sounds as though this could get ugly.
Its good to know, Mound, that a few of the Tories are coming to their senses as to the future of Cons after years of one man rule it could be a 'reform' or a disaster.
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