[Canada] Canadian Politics Redux

[viper37]

IED at Saskatoon Provincial court house

Saskatoon police say the call about an explosion at the court house came in after 11 p.m. on Wednesday night.
According to police, some minor damage to the exterior of the building has been reported and there are no injuries.
Members of the police, including the SPS Explosive Disposal Unit and a bomb detection trained SPS K9 team and of the fire department were at the scene after midnight. 
Saskatoon resident Scott Dempster says he witnessed the explosion after stopping with a friend to examine what they originally thought was a fire outside the courthouse while driving up 19th Street around 10:55 p.m.
He said they pulled over and were getting off the phone with 911 when: "All of a sudden, it was like a 'bang.' "
Dempster said while the noise wasn't "a really huge bang" he and his friend had questions about what had happened, noting they were shaken up after police had released information they were investigating the blast as a suspected "improvised explosive device."
"I wasn't very freaked out at the time, but now looking back ... I kind of wish I hadn't been that close to something going off," he said in a phone interview.
"Afterwards now, we're a little freaked out."
No arrests have been made, and police are asking anyone with information to contact them or Crime Stoppers.

[crazy canuck]

Umm, I said "So should I put you down in the "clumsy dog-whistle" category for Bernier?", trying to paraphrase your views, not mine.

I posted after you, not before you. 

He was either using a terribly dated reference or a dog whistle.  Not too sure he is the kind of person who would be much of a contender in a general election.

[PRC]

Received this in the mail today.  Stephen Harper's old riding has a "real conservative" running for the seat. 

[crazy canuck]

Leadership races normally energize supporters and draw new blood into the party.  I think the Conservatives will end up doing the opposite.  In years past nutters like that would never reach the public consciousness.  Now they just do damage to the party.

[Barrister]

Leadership races normally energize supporters and draw new blood into the party.  I think the Conservatives will end up doing the opposite.  In years past nutters like that would never reach the public consciousness.  Now they just do damage to the party.

Nutters like who?

The guy who sent mail in PRC's mail box is running for the Christian Heritage Party, which has always been a bunch of wingnuts.

A guy like Bernier... he was a senior minister in Harper's cabinet.

[Monoriu]

We have so many pressing problems facing us that I can't imagine a transgender person using a public toilet of either sex should be a concern to anybody 

[PRC]

We have so many pressing problems facing us that I can't imagine a transgender person using a public toilet of either sex should be a concern to anybody 

A man who thinks he is a woman trying to use a ladies washroom, probably so he can rape a girl because he is actually a man, is Satans most perverted and devious battle plan yet!  What issue could possibly be more pressing than this stance against the unholiest of evils!?

[crazy canuck]

Leadership races normally energize supporters and draw new blood into the party.  I think the Conservatives will end up doing the opposite.  In years past nutters like that would never reach the public consciousness.  Now they just do damage to the party.

Nutters like who?

The guy who sent mail in PRC's mail box is running for the Christian Heritage Party, which has always been a bunch of wingnuts.

A guy like Bernier... he was a senior minister in Harper's cabinet.

A senior minister for about as long as it took to leave confidential briefing documents with his biker gang girl friend.  That senior minister?

[Barrister]

Leadership races normally energize supporters and draw new blood into the party.  I think the Conservatives will end up doing the opposite.  In years past nutters like that would never reach the public consciousness.  Now they just do damage to the party.

Nutters like who?

The guy who sent mail in PRC's mail box is running for the Christian Heritage Party, which has always been a bunch of wingnuts.

A guy like Bernier... he was a senior minister in Harper's cabinet.

A senior minister for about as long as it took to leave confidential briefing documents with his biker gang girl friend.  That senior minister?

So let me get this straight.  You figure a guy like Bernier, by running for party leader, is "just do[ing] damage to the party"?

[crazy canuck]

So let me get this straight.  You figure a guy like Bernier, by running for party leader, is "just do[ing] damage to the party"?

By running - no.  By espousing simplistic policies designed to appeal to a narrow libertarian interest group - yes.  The front runners in this race do no credit to the Conservative party.  The main problem is, much like the experience in the US, the more extreme candidates are getting all the attention.

[Barrister]

So let me get this straight.  You figure a guy like Bernier, by running for party leader, is "just do[ing] damage to the party"?

By running - no.  By espousing simplistic policies designed to appeal to a narrow libertarian interest group - yes.  The front runners in this race do no credit to the Conservative party.  The main problem is, much like the experience in the US, the more extreme candidates are getting all the attention.

How long have you been paying attention to politics for?

It's like politics 101.  In a nomination race you run to the base.  In the general election you run to the centre.

[PRC]

So let me get this straight.  You figure a guy like Bernier, by running for party leader, is "just do[ing] damage to the party"?

By running - no.  By espousing simplistic policies designed to appeal to a narrow libertarian interest group - yes.  The front runners in this race do no credit to the Conservative party.  The main problem is, much like the experience in the US, the more extreme candidates are getting all the attention.

How long have you been paying attention to politics for?

It's like politics 101.  In a nomination race you run to the base.  In the general election you run to the centre.

It used to be that way, but mass media exposure on multiple source channels has changed that.  With the exposure the Conservative race is getting (and the NDP race just starting and will get) it's not just "the base" that the message is resonating with or repelling from.  Parties need to look to the general if they want their movements to have power.

[jimmy olsen]

Barrister Boy's nightmare is upon him!

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/liberal-legal-marijuana-pot-1.4041902

[crazy canuck]

So let me get this straight.  You figure a guy like Bernier, by running for party leader, is "just do[ing] damage to the party"?

By running - no.  By espousing simplistic policies designed to appeal to a narrow libertarian interest group - yes.  The front runners in this race do no credit to the Conservative party.  The main problem is, much like the experience in the US, the more extreme candidates are getting all the attention.

How long have you been paying attention to politics for?

It's like politics 101.  In a nomination race you run to the base.  In the general election you run to the centre.

It used to be that way, but mass media exposure on multiple source channels has changed that.  With the exposure the Conservative race is getting (and the NDP race just starting and will get) it's not just "the base" that the message is resonating with or repelling from.  Parties need to look to the general if they want their movements to have power.

Yeah, BB conception that the two things are separate is very outdated.  Also his view is tone deaf to the visceral reaction of Canadians to what is occurring to the south.  The Conservatives are deluding themselves if they think the general electorate isnt paying attention to some of the leadership candidates saying they have things in common with Trump.

[viper37]

The Conservatives are deluding themselves if they think the general electorate isnt paying attention to some of the leadership candidates saying they have things in common with Trump.

James Moore issued a warning to the candidates, about that, without phrasing it that way.  I wonder if it'll be enough to make some people reconsider their choice.  The way it's going right now, with an O'Leary - Bernier tandem as 1st and 2nd, we'll be stuck with Justin boy for a while.  At least, with Chrétien he was old enough that you knew he would retire eventually.  Now, with a young PM, prospects aren't good