[Canada] Canadian Politics Redux

[Neil]

Maybe they can split the vote enough for a proper party to win.

I'm not up on the current state of Neilism in Albertan politics. What's a proper party in this context?

The Neil Party.

I am currently in a state of despair regarding Alberta politics.  The PCs are exhausted and generally incapable of doing anything worthwhile anymore, and are led by a woman of no account who probably won't amount to any improvement over Stelmach.  At this point, they're just this colossus that is empty of all meaning and ambition, which means that the power of the government is availible to whoever pays the most.  The Wildrose is full of the sort of maniacs who degregulate everything in sight.  The Liberals have turned their entire party into a health care martyrdom party, and there is still the troubling relationship with the teachers union.  The Alberta Party is a nonentity that branched off the Liberals and the NDP has no chance of ever becoming a government so long as they remain completely detached from the way of thinking of most Albertans.  Not only is there no party worth getting excited about, but every party is actually a bad choice.

[Barrister]

Maybe they can split the vote enough for a proper party to win.

I'm not up on the current state of Neilism in Albertan politics. What's a proper party in this context?

The Neil Party.

I am currently in a state of despair regarding Alberta politics.  The PCs are exhausted and generally incapable of doing anything worthwhile anymore, and are led by a woman of no account who probably won't amount to any improvement over Stelmach.  At this point, they're just this colossus that is empty of all meaning and ambition, which means that the power of the government is availible to whoever pays the most.  The Wildrose is full of the sort of maniacs who degregulate everything in sight.  The Liberals have turned their entire party into a health care martyrdom party, and there is still the troubling relationship with the teachers union.  The Alberta Party is a nonentity that branched off the Liberals and the NDP has no chance of ever becoming a government so long as they remain completely detached from the way of thinking of most Albertans.  Not only is there no party worth getting excited about, but every party is actually a bad choice.

That seems to mirror my thinking (other than the bit about the Neil Party).

Except I have to throw in an element of self-interest that the PCs seem uninterested in cutting any public service positions.

[Neil]

The Neil Party is perfectly respectable.  Just imagine how much fun you would have gaoling traitors and enemies of the province!  Plus I'd invest in some electricty generation.

[Josephus]

You guys seen the latest attack ads the Conservatives are laying on Bob Rae? I'm totally at a loss at what they're trying to gain from this. There's no reason for it. There's no election and Bob Rae is only an interim leader. Makes no sense.

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

[viper37]

There's no reason for it. There's no election and Bob Rae is only an interim leader. Makes no sense.

deflecting attention from them, shifting the focus, make the critics of their government appear shallow, etc, etc.  The reasons are many.

[Barrister]

So an election was called in Alberta yesterday.  And by the time I was driving home the roads were already littered with election signs, and I received my first PC robo-call during the Jets game.

[viper37]

So, you won't vote PC? 

[Neil]

You guys seen the latest attack ads the Conservatives are laying on Bob Rae? I'm totally at a loss at what they're trying to gain from this. There's no reason for it. There's no election and Bob Rae is only an interim leader. Makes no sense.

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

Bob Rae isn't really an interim leader.  He's going to aim for a coronation as Liberal Party leader, and the Liberals don't have anyone else credible who could oppose them.

As for why they would run attack ads when there's no election for years, I think it's got something to do with reminding everyone that Bob Rae has a strong history of complete and utter failure, while reinforcing that NDP policies lead to poverty for everyone.  Also, it's part of Harper (and the West's) most cherished dream:  Revenge on the Liberal Party, and the destruction of that evil institution.

[crazy canuck]

In answer to Josephus, no I havent seen any attack adds.  Perhaps a regional thing?

edit: After reading Neil's response I can see why I would not have seen the ad here in the West.  We already know the Liberals should not be elected.  People in Ontario are just coming to that realization.

[Jacob]

Meanwhile, in BC, there's a new party: the Conservatives. CC: maybe a new party with some of the same people can avoid the HST taint and keep government out of Dix's hands?

[crazy canuck]

and I received my first PC robo-call during the Jets game.

It was a small mercy to deflect attention from the fact that the Jets are not going to make the playoffs.

[crazy canuck]

Meanwhile, in BC, there's a new party: the Conservatives.

New?

[Jacob]

Meanwhile, in BC, there's a new party: the Conservatives.

New?

Well, according to the headlines I passed on my way to work they're newly resurgent or something.

[Josephus]

In answer to Josephus, no I havent seen any attack adds.  Perhaps a regional thing?

edit: After reading Neil's response I can see why I would not have seen the ad here in the West.  We already know the Liberals should not be elected.  People in Ontario are just coming to that realization.

Yeah, maybe it's just an Ontario thing, CC...if you want to see it, though, I linked to it.

[crazy canuck]

CC: maybe a new party with some of the same people can avoid the HST taint and keep government out of Dix's hands?

First, this is not a new party.  The Conservatives have been around forever.  Its just that since the rise of the Social Credit party - and then the Liberal party after Social Credit imploded - the Conservatives have been relegated to the fringes of BC politics.

I have never cared for the BC Conservative party and I suspect there are many people like me.  That is why the NDP will win the next election.  The vote on the centre right will be split.