Canada General Discussion (2019-)

[Geoffrey Howe]

[Geoffrey Howe]

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-more-than-leadership-or-policy-its-the-conservative-temperament-thats/

Coyne for the Globe.

I don't want to fully break the paywall, but this blurb resonated particularly well with me:

"If the besetting sin of Liberals is smarmy sanctimoniousness, the Conservative equivalent is a chippy defensiveness, an adolescent petulance, a conviction that the cards are perpetually stacked against them."

This is basically what I mean by the "Conservative image problem". It's not necessarily their policies (it's a part of it, but I don't think Canada is an inherently left-wing country where conservative politics can never win - people who criticize CPC policy for being too conservative are, for the most part, people who wouldn't vote for them anyway), the problem is their delivery. The CPC's culture, especially under O'Toole, manifests itself as angry and pessimistic - unlike the somewhat ideologically comparable Boris Johnson or Francois Legault who project more confidence and vision. Underneath that image I think is a defeatist mentality, a constant problem for generations of Canadian Conservatives.

The similarities between the CPC and the Labour Party are quite astounding.

[Geoffrey Howe]

The "Maverick Party" platform reads like a string of tweets from Donald Trump.

[Geoffrey Howe]

My thoughts on the parties are as follows:
Conservatives: Right now in very bad shape and most likely election will be a defensive one.  Pandemic has been devastating for parties on right as moderates who they need to win over tend to support vaccinations, vaccine passports, and public health restrictions, while much of their right flank opposes them so have to look over both shoulders.  Go right and fail to win key swing votes they need.  Go closer to centre and risk PPC or Maverick Party gaining and splitting votes.  Still Tories do tend to outperform polls is one saving grace, but usually only 2-3 points so not nearly enough to get them anywhere near power.  Perhaps one thing that could cheer them up is Harper going into 2006 election had similar numbers, but you also had a 13 year incumbent rocked by major scandal, not 6 year one who people seem okay with thus I think shifts like you saw in 2006 are very unlikely. 

Is their best hope Singh's popularity you mention below splitting the left?

[Geoffrey Howe]

Not particularly topical but I just found this extraordinary gem:

En pays pittoresque: un documentaire sur la Gaspésie

Well worth a skim, especially the opening. To me the narrator sounds so strange: a mix of an old-fashioned stilted newsreel voice and a good old provincial accent. Enjoy the bears at 11:15

[Geoffrey Howe]

Admittedly somewhat low-brow, but Trudeau's strange acronym has been making the news here. 2SLGBTQQIA+ I believe it was - someone suggested it might be his computer password