Monday, April 21, 2008

Harper's Red Populist Nationalist Alliance

I have a column published in the "Web Exclusive" comment section of the Globe and Mail today.

In it, I explain how and why Prime Minister Stephen Harper is trying to create a new political coalition, a coalition I like to call the Red Populist Nationalist Alliance.

It's an alliance that has room for everybody, everybody that is except for free market conservatives.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Crikey, what are you thinking?

I guess it's easier to be in permanent opposition and criticize from a distance as the Libs and NDP ruin the country than to fight the daily battle against the media, education system, unions, other political parties, and just general ignorance in order to try to effect incremental change.

Don't you get it? The CPC will never be the "natural governing party" of this country. At least n not in our lifetime. Until then we choose our fights and policies and keep the big picture in mind.

Ideology is great for idealogues. It makes for dangerous and ultimately unsuccessful leaders.

Are you still a member of the CPC?

Anonymous said...

Anonymous, I'm afraid you're the one who doesn't get it. First, politically: the CPC is now below the support they received on election day, despite embracing most liberal policies except child care. Great results, 'moving to the centre' When you sell out your supporters on taxes, size of gov't, income trusts, etc, they tend to stay home in the next election.
Secondly, which fights are you choosing? We've rolled over on spending, we've thrown out some pathetic liberal style tax cuts, and swallowed this kyoto hoax as well. The only thing they haven't embraced is the national childcare plan. Of course, we aren't yet in the election campaign yet, are we?
Why in the world is it so incomprehensible to stick with what you believe in? Don't you 'incrementalists' see that you have fallen into the trap that the PC media has set for you?

Anonymous said...

This is so true. Although, I suspect it's truer than you think...

The far-righties might want to ask themselves, "How long has Harper been Pro-Choice?"

I'm not just asserting here either.

Monkey Loves to Fight said...

I would say nonsense. The only people I know that voted for Trudeau in the 60s and 70s and now vote for Harper are those who were young and idealistic then and have become more conservative as they have grown older. Those who still subscribe to Trudeau's view of Canada do not like Harper. The problem is the right wing base Gerry talks about is only about 15% of the population. The Reform and Alliance parties ran unabashadely conservative platforms and got clobbered. It is true they might have done a bit better had they been only economic conservatives and not included social conservatism, but I doubt they would have won. The Red Tories from the old Progressive Conservatives they have lost so without them they need to get votes elsewhere. It seems they are focusing on the Blue Liberals and soft nationalists from the BQ to compensate for losing the Red Tories and the two above groups may support moderate conservatism, but not hardcore conservatism.