Two views of me

This guy says I am the "voice of doom."

This guy says I am the voice of "hype."

Loyal Review

Check out this review of my book Loyal to the Core.

Tory Schism?

I am quoted in this interesting Hill Times news story predicting a schism in the Conservative Party after Stephen Harper steps down as leader.

Nobody is Happy

Comedian Louis CK says we are spoiled.

Media Alert

I will be a guest on the World Tonight with Rob Breakenridge tonight at 9:35 PM EST to talk about, yup you guessed it -- my book Loyal to the Core.

That's the same book, by the way, which Seamus O'Regan of Canada AM called a "fascinating read."

Homeless Cons

Are you a principled conservative who feels orphaned?

Are you looking for a political home?

Well if you answered yes to those question, you should definitely consider joining a new social networking site devoted to those of us who don't feel at home in the so-called Conservative Party.

It's called Homeless Cons.

Think of it as an ideological shelter.

Loyal to the Core

Had my official book launch for Loyal to the Core in Ottawa last week.

It was a fun event, which a couple of bloggers, -- here and here -- covered.

So far the reaction to my book is overwhelmingly positive, so be sure and order your copy today.

A sad turn of events

This past weekend I attended the Manning Centre Networking Conference in Ottawa.

That's the good news; the bad news is that while in Ottawa I was computerless.

Hence, I was unable to voice my outrage on this blog over the speech Prime Minister Stephen Harper recently delivered in which he basically threw libertarians and fiscal conservatives under the bus. See here for an excellent analysis.

Imagine my frustration!

Even more frustrating was that I actually heard his speech in person.

Yet, although frustrated, I am not surprised. Not a bit. In fact, about a year ago, I wrote a column in the Globe and Mail basically predicting this sad turn of events.

In that column I stated Harper was intent on creating what I called the "Red Populist Nationalist Alliance."

I wrote, "it seems Mr. Harper is trying to unite Pierre Trudeau-style Liberals, Reform-style populists and Québécois-style nationalists under the Conservative Party banner."

And that's exactly what's happening. Harper's pathetic attack on Wall Street capitalists and free markets was simply a cynical attempt to woo both left wing voters and Reform-style populists.

Actually, on second thought, maybe I'm not outraged.

Just depressed.

As I wrote in my Globe piece, "there is room for everybody in Mr. Harper's Red Populist Nationalist Alliance – everybody, that is, but conservatives who believe in the equality of citizens and want more freedom and less government. Sadly, these Canadians no longer have a political home."

Johnson on the PM

Stephen Harper biographer William Johnson has an interesting audio Q and A on the Prime Minister's recent political performance.

Kids say the darndest things

When I was 14 years old the most important thing in my life was baseball.

And it still is today.

But check out this 14 year old named Jonathan Krohn, who sounds like he should be advising Prime Minister Harper.



H/T Paul Tuns

Taube on the Tories

Former Conservative speech writer Michael Taube says the Tories are heading in the wrong direction.

Tories targeting the wrong enemy

I have a column in this week's Hill Times in which I offer some tactical advice for the Conservative Party.

Essentially, I say the Tories should go "negative" but not against Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff.

Bald Brother

A public service announcement from Larry David.

First Review

My book, Loyal to the Core, won't be officially released until next week at the Manning Centre Exibition, but there's already one advance review.

Wendy Sullivan, of Rightgirl fame, says, "The book is awesome."

And she adds, "every Canadian remotely interested in politics and the state of the country should have a read of Loyal to the Core."

You can read the rest of the review here.

The Tory Lesson

While at the Ontario Conservative Party convention a few weeks ago, I asked a delegate if he thought John Tory would win his by-election contest.

"Oh yes," replied the delegate. "We could run a scarecrow in that riding and win."

Well maybe Tory needed more straw, because he lost.

So what happened?

The likely answer is Tory simply didn't excite the party's grassroots base. And unexcited, unmotivated voters, sometimes don't bother to vote.

That's a lesson the federal Conservatives should heed.

Right man for the job

Today's National Post carries an extract from my book, which you can order here.

Frum vs Limbaugh

David Frum has taken some nasty shots at conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh.

See here and here.

In a nutshell, Frum sees the outspoken Limbaugh as a millstone around the Republican Party's neck because he is, according to polls, unpopular with a wide streak of the American public.

But who cares whether or not Limbaugh is popular with the masses? He isn't running for office. Limbaugh's job, which he does brilliantly, is to mobilize (and entertain) conservatives.

And like it or not, right now Limbaugh is the most prominent voice for conservatism in America. That's mainly by default.

So perhaps rather than lashing out at conservative talk show hosts, Frum and other Republicans should be figuring out how they can recapture their own base.

The wonderful preteen years

Back in the early 1990s when my two sons were just little tykes, they loved a video I owned called In the Mind's Eye.

The video was nothing but a bunch of oddball computer-generated imagery with a futuristicky music sound-track.

But they would watch it for hours, which was a great way to keep them out of trouble.

Just for fun, here's a sampling:

Changing Times

Interesting video, with interesting facts.(If true.)

Hollywood's Sin

Apparently the Iranian government wants a visiting Hollywood delegation to formally apologize for the films 300 and The Wrestler.

As usual the Iranians have it all wrong. If Hollywood should apologize for anything, it's this.