The dreams of a free market die not with a bang but with a sad pathetic whimper

[AdamSmith]

Tom, I know your as sincere as any one on this site, BUT, you have to acknowledge that the CPC is just as complicit in this travesty as any other group.

They have taken their base for granted for too long and now they are getting cocky about it.

In the next election they MUST pay and we, their sheepish voters of the past must be prepared to send each an every one of them packing.

TWO seats (Kim Campbell's #'s) are going to be too good for them. If they want to treat us this way, we (naive CPC voters of past elections)have a duty to either stay home or vote Liberal. I will be struggling to decide which I will do but judging by our traitorous to principles MP's comments I can assure you I can not vote Tory in the next election.

You'd of thought the CPC party would have learned their lesson by now. Oh well I guess 2024 isn't really that far off. (That's fifteen more years in the penalty box for the CPC of Canada)

Pissing offf the base is the absolutly stupidest thing a political party can do and RITZ seems to be a master at it.

[cottonpicken]

Never bet on government getting smaller or giving up control.

[cottonpicken]

We should have knowen the fix was in when ritz kept his job.

This obamanation thing is starting to freak me out.

Me may have a seriously bad curve ball throwen at us.

[TOM4CWB]

AdamSmith,

I don't agree with you...

Here is why;

The Coalition took power by using the leverage of the break up of Canada... or if they didn't think western Canada cared about the Bloc ripping us off worse than in 1980... and getting Quebec 95% of the way to sovereignty...

This is as dirty as politics in Canada has ever gotten... and I didn't see it coming... so I can't blame PM Harper for trying to do what was right for Canada... and getting bush wacked.

Nearly all the issues you claim the CPC have compromised... were the issues that caused the ND/Bloc Coup... and the Liberanos feasted at the table of power... with absolutely no regard to the millions who worked and sacrificed... and the many who gave their lives... for the freedom and integrity and decency of CANADA.

The CPC didn't cause this... they truly want and tried to stand for a reasoned sacrificing governance of Canada...

The only way this situation could get worse...

Was for PM Harper... to have given power the the lunatics in the coalition.... and allowed the coup.

The CPC/PM Harper did the only 'reasonable' governance manoeuvre... that was left open to them.

I am saddened that you feel the way you do... understand your frustration... but principal dictates that Canada... and the survival of this Canadian nation... comes before the resolution of the CWB issue.

The Liberano's and Goodale know this... which is why they didn't hesitate to pull the coup... cause they knew the CWB would get an new lease on life... if they formed the coalition!!!

FRUSTRATION... that Goodale would take corrupted politics... and risk the Country I love... the best nation in the world... FOR the CWB to maintain it's power and injustice/corruption over western Canada.

Therefore AdamSmith... I must disagree... with the reasons of motivation (for the position of the CPC finds itself in today) and the opportunistic cheap shots... you have brought forward in this thread!!!

[agstar77]

Political parties tend to do what is right for themselves not what is right for their supporters. This government is especially desparate to hang on to power.

[Fransisco]

Cotton said, "Never bet on government getting smaller or giving up control."

So then why do you think that a Preston Manning/Reform party would be different? Or are you maybe not as cynical as you let on to be?

[Fransisco]

I think the big mistake the Conservatives have made is that they are following the Liberal formula of putting partisanship and power ahead of principles and policy. Conservatives don't win following Liberal formulas. And if by some chance they do they hog tie themselves with lousy Liberal policies.

The goal should be getting your policies and principles implemented. The excuse that you can't do that if your not in power doesn't ring true. The Liberals never would have balanced the budget if it wasn't for the Reformers nipping at their heels. We got medicare because of the NDP who have never been in power. Heck the dippers and the Libs are going to get their budget passed in a couple of weeks while they're in opposition.

Until Conservative strategists realize that partisanship and power do not trump principles and policy they are going to be stuck with the groundhog day syndrome, doomed to repeat the same mistakes over and over again.

[Fransisco]

http://gerrynicholls.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=125:t ime-for-reformers-to-take-back-their-party-report-magazine&catid=34:gerrys-columns&Itemid=53

Time for Reformers to take back their party - Report Magazine
Thursday, 15 January 2009 01:39
January 2009

Maybe now is the time for the Reform Party of Canada to make a comeback.

Actually, “comeback” is probably the wrong word, for in reality the Reform Party never really went away.
As we all know, it changed its name to the Canadian Alliance in 2000 and then a few years after that it merged with the Progressive Conservative Party.


But the Reform Party is still here in spirit, hidden away within the ranks of the Conservative Party of Canada.


And the Reform Party will always be here in spirit as along as one-time Reformers make up the core support base for the Conservative party.


In fact, without the support of one-time Reformers, who generously contribute money to the party and who loyally line up to vote each election, the Conservative Party would not have the success it enjoys today.


So you would think keeping these former Reformers happy would be an important goal for the Conservative Party brass, especially for Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who himself was once a Reform MP.


But that’s not the case.


In fact, the sad reality is that Reformers are basically treated like second-class citizens within the party, at least when it comes to setting a policy agenda.


Just consider how many Reform ideals have been omitted from the Conservative Party’s platforms.


The Reform Party, for instance, stood for fiscal responsibility, but since taking hold of power the Conservative Party has spent government money at a rate that would put the Liberals to shame.


Nor does the Conservative Party embrace the old Reform idea of direct democracy; Conservatives never talk about referendums, plebiscites or recall.


But the greatest divergence between Reform ideals and Conservative Party practice centres on the question of how to deal with Quebec.


The Reform Party, believing all provinces should be treated equally, firmly rejected the notion that Quebec should be granted any sort of special recognition or preferential treatment.


The Conservative Party, on the other hand, has taken a different approach. It has made a strategic decision to woo Quebec’s nationalist voters.


In fact, short of wearing a Montreal Canadiens jersey during Question Period, Prime Minister Stephen Harper did everything possible to pander to Quebec.


The most egregious example of this pandering occurred when Harper pushed a resolution through the House of Commons recognizing the "Quebecois" as a nation within Canada.


Later, Harper even went so far as to claim that he was a Quebec nationalist himself. "True nationalists don't want to destroy,” he once told a Quebec audience, “they want to build. We (the Conservatives) are the true nationalists."


And on top of all that the Conservative government poured billions of tax dollars into Quebec and eagerly made known its support for official bilingualism.


The whole point of the Conservative Party’s Quebec strategy, of course, was to win votes. The Party’s brain trust believed if they could out-nationalist the Bloc Quebecois they would win enough seats in Quebec to secure a majority government.


Unfortunately for the Conservatives it didn’t work.


In the last election, despite all the Quebec catering, the Conservative Party utterly failed to achieve any sort of electoral breakthrough in La Belle province. Not surprisingly, Quebec nationalists continued to support the Bloc.


This setback should be a stark message for the Conservative Party’s leadership.


Maybe it’s time for them to stop listening to the spin doctors and the pollsters and to start heeding the old-time Reformers.


Or better yet, maybe it’s time for old-time Reformers to start demanding their voices be heard within the party.


To be blunter, the Reformers should take back their party.

(Gerry Nicholls is a writer and freelance political consultant. www.gerrynicholls.com)

[jensend]

this country definitely needs a change of direction. i think it could be forced on us if the economy goes into depression. as far as having faith in any of the political parties i have none. their only aim is to be electable; good governance is at best a distant second concern. politicians are followers of polls and special interest groups. there is no leadership.

[silverback]

So I guess you guys have 3 choices.

Vote for a party that now has to wait for a majority to give western farmers choice because of the choices farmers in the eastern areas just made a few weeks ago.

Vote for a party/parties? that have vowed neverending support for your hated cwb to maintain Ontario/Quebec votes.

Don't vote at all like some people and heckle from the sidelines about the direction of the country.

If you really think that starting a new party again or voting for one of the coalition guys is really going to speed up freedom of choice you are dreaming.

The people who vote to keep the cwb running the way it always has are the ones who deserve the most investigation and scorn. Nothing will please the opposition more than to keep dividing up farmers in the west.