Today the Liberal Party is unveiling its "Red Book".
The Liberals, of course, are hoping the 2011 Red Book will perform the same magic as the 1993 Red Book which helped propel them to a majority government.
It's a good theory, except for one thing: The 1993 Red Book story line is a bunch of baloney!
The Liberals won in 1993, not because of any book, but for the simple reason that Jean Chretien was not Brian Mulroney. Canadians wanted change.
Plus, the Progressive Conservatives under Kim Campbell ran the worst election campaign in the history of the universe.
In fact, I would suspect that only about 0.01 percent of the Canadian population in 1993 even read the Red Book.
So releasing a Red Book in this election won't help the Liberals -- but it could very well hurt them.
After all, the Tories will be poring over Ignatieff's Red Book seeking out any unpopular proposals which they can pounce on spin and against the Liberals.
Before the day is done, in other words, the Liberals could very well be on the defensive.
And that's the problem with coming out with specific policy ideas during an election campaign.
Every idea you propose has the potential of alienating voters. Why take that chance?
A much better strategy is to stick to vague promises and emotional appeals.
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15 comments:
If the 1993 Red Book was a person it would be old enough to vote for the 2011 version.
Too bad the Liberals never had a chance to implement Red Book policies in all those intervening years....well other than those 13 years of majority government.
The Liberal Red Book is synonymous with the following items
- no universal daycare program
- the GST still around 17 years later
- Sheila Copps promising to resign if the GST is not scrapped and when she was called on it...argues she never said that and then had to leave her cabinet position kicking and sreaming
in other words
Red Book = Broken Promises
Your last sentence discribes the new conservatism, but you forgot to add contempt and dishonesty.
Thats why I can no longer vote conservative.
So there is a $3-4 billion difference in Iffy's Red Book between spending and savings.
Plus no details on reducing the deficit to balance in 2015.
That smells like the coming of a CARBON TAX, Green Shift, Cap and Tax, enviro 'regulating' (penalties) on the oil sands....
Oh boy, Jack and Gilles are going to love it.
Doesn't seem totally bad although it definitely as a left leaning slant which could help the Tories amongst Blue Liberals. By the same token it could also help the Liberals pick up some soft NDP and Green votes and most polls show the Tory vote is not only firmer than any other party, but most likely to vote so the prospects for growth for the Liberals come more from the NDP and Greens who are less firm in their intentions and also some who stayed home last time around especially younger voters. Don't get me wrong, I still think the odds highly favour the Tories winning and a Tory majority is more likely than a Liberal minority, but there is four weeks to go and a lot can happen so I don't want to make any firm predictions at this early in the stage. After all John Turner in 1984, Kim Campbell in 1993, and Martin in 2005 were all leading at this point in the campaign yet each lost. I realize the circumstances and those three cases were less favourable to the sitting government than now, but my point is campaigns are unpredictable.
I think its going to be families first with the Libs.
It also appears that they are going to contrast their increase in spending against cost cutting measures in other areas.
Hey, the Liberals have saved the economy before and reduced debt.
I think they are protecting families before the pair long shears come out.
Provincial PC leader Tim Hubcap, should take notice too!
It was a bad idea to introduce the platform as a Red Book. Canadians do not remember the Red Book fondly and the Conservatives will be quick to remind them of those broke promises.
However, the platform does not address the issues that Ignatieff claims they would. Oh, there is some money for each but not enough to really solve the problem they claim they are solving.
The real issue will be the carbon tax which is shades of the Green Shift. A tax on everything. Maybe Ignatieff hopes to fund his many promises with the carbon tax. Afterall Dion wanted to do that. Oh by the way he says no personal tax increases. Who is he kidding? The carbon tax will increase the costs of goods for all Canadians, rich and poor.
Miles Lunn said...
12:43 PM
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The old red provinvcial tories of an earlier Ontario will like this one.
Its a vote snatcher!
I was sucked in by Peter Donolo and his book of lies before and that's why I'm NeverAgainLiberal. After 30 years of voting Liberal I voted for Chretien and his book of lies once and that was the last time I voted Liberal. The Liberals think we are stupid and they can say anything even though they have no intention of keeping most of their promises. If you really want those things vote the real thing, the NDP. They won't change their minds as soon as they get voted in like the Liberals will. And you can be sure you will be taxed to death so the Liberals can pass the money on to their friends.
'Hey, the Liberals have saved the economy before and reduced debt.'
By golly they sure did AToryNoMore.
Chretien/Martin Liberals cut Billions and billions and billions in transfers to the Provinces,
created this healthcare and infrastructure crisis we are wrestling with now.
Oh and the dear hearts also cut our military funding down till the only submarines working for Canada, were in the West Edmonton Mall,
demoralized our troops so severely, they call it the Decade of Darkness.
Then there is that $54 Billion Chretien/Martin ILLEGALLY raided from the EI fund from 2001- 2005, put the billions into general revenues and *presto, instant fake surplus',
6 of them, back to back, from 2001 - 2005.
Yah, your Liberals were real heros dude.
And then there is ADSCAM,
still looking for the $40 million missing presumed stolen,
and looking forward to the audit of Chretien's slush funds too!
wilson said... incorrectly
3:57 PM
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Canada has 34 warships
12 Kingston Class patrol ships, 12 Halifax Class, 4 Iroquois Class Destroyers, 2 replensishment ships, 4 subs.
So as a 'true blue believer' it would be most prudent if you got your facts straight. Dont knock our military and their capabilty at a time when our country is involved in not one, two wars at the same time.
@Wilson: if you are against equalization cuts, which were one of the great moves made by Martin the hero, then you are a socialist pure and simple.
What I know is that ignatieff while on foreign soil called our peacekeepers reputation bogus.
Libs should not be telling anyone to not "knock" our military.
The decade of darkness; Indeed.
Its starting to go very, very wrong for the Harper conservative campaign.
Can't say that I'm upset!
'When the truth is found to be lies and all the joy within you dies.'
Jefferson Airplane
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUbMWtUyIIE
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