Omnibus: Conservative Leadership Race

pgs

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I hadn't heard of the guy so I went to look him up.

For me, he's questionable at best, for his Alliance and Reform affiliations.

I don't care that he was from the west itself.

Frankly I wouldn't mind a PM from the West, except that most of the time, the West is more going extreme right than anything, and for me that's not a Canada I want to live in.

Give me a decent, middle of the road Con from IDGAF Alberta and I'd vote for him... or, well, maybe, depends if his MP for my riding is decent as well.

ETA: I'm tired of these fucks from Quebec or Ontario, personally. I wish there was more choice out there.
The west gave us the Reform movement which elected Reform MPs in typically NDP ridings because they appealed to the working man . For some reason we went and merged with the remnants of the Conservative party and allowed them to swallow us , and here we are talking about another blue suited liberal . Charest what a joke . I think Lewis makes the most sense as it might be hard to do the usual misogynistic racist Tories smear with her at the head of the table .
 

Dixie Cup

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Peepee Poolievre is terrified of this guy.


Jean Charest considering Conservative leadership run: sources

Jean Charest, the former Quebec premier and ex-leader of the federal Progressive Conservative Party, is preparing to run for the leadership of the Conservative Party, according to party sources who spoke with Radio-Canada.

Charest is fine-tuning a plan for his leadership bid, according to Conservative sources familiar with his plans.

"We have support in all the provinces. People will be surprised by the support we receive, even in Western Canada," a supporter of Charest's candidacy said.

OMG Charest is a Liberal Lite - Conservatives have already had a few of those so I'm thinking, thanks but no thanks?
 

Tecumsehsbones

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OMG Charest is a Liberal Lite - Conservatives have already had a few of those so I'm thinking, thanks but no thanks?
What do you think Harper was? Liberal Lite or the real deal?

Seriously. I liked him well enough, but I'm mostly looking at it from an American viewpoint. Don't know much about his domestic policies.
 
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pgs

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What do you think Harper was? Liberal Lite or the real deal?

Seriously. I liked him well enough, but I'm mostly looking at it from an American viewpoint. Don't know much about his domestic policies.
He was an effective manager , but failed to do any major initiatives.
 

Nick Danger

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Jean Charest will have to clear the same hurdles that tripped up Erin O'Toole, the social conservative faction within the CPC. The party has to move closer to center to attract enough voters to win, and there is open resistance from within that would see the party move further to the right, the Poilievres and Rempel Garners. This whole Freedom Convoy mess, in it's latter phases of blockades and aggressive occupations, is largely viewed as emanating from the far right and as such has painted a sour face on right wing politics in general, a Trumpism moves north sort of thing. A step to the right for the CPC will drive away a lot of moderates within the party, who will hold their noses and vote Liberal.

An interesting discussion making the rounds right now is whether or not Trudeau can lead the Liberal Party to another victory, and who is waiting in the wings to replace him.

And don't put Jagmeet and the NDP out of the race either. With the CPC plagued by internal discord the NDP can see a shot at forming the official opposition.
 

Tecumsehsbones

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He was an effective manager , but failed to do any major initiatives.
What significant policy initiatives or directions do you think he should have taken during his term?

Again, seriously. I'm frequently a sarcastic son-of-a-bitch, but when my ignorance is impressively comprehensive, I figure asking's the best way to go.

I'm not much better than most Yanks at Canadian issues.
 
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Tecumsehsbones

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Harper was a dedicated slash-and-burn cost cutter, and in true Conservative form saw social and environmental programs as luxuries to be cut from the menu.
Hard to say whether I agree with that or not. I guess if I was Canadian, I'da been voting against, not for.

Either way, I'm of the opinion True Dope was a step down.
 

petros

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Harper was a dedicated slash-and-burn cost cutter, and in true Conservative form saw social and environmental programs as luxuries to be cut from the menu.
Harper gave Canadians the disability tax credit and RDSP. There was home renovation money under Harper that was cut by Trudeau.

Harper stopped Liberals and any other Govt from raiding EI and CPP funds.

What has Trudeau done?
 

Nick Danger

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There is serious doubt as to how long Trudeau will last as leader of the Liberals, but also serisou question about what political direction the Conservatives will adopt when their leadership issue is solved. As far as the freedom protests are concerned, I'm of the mind that the EA was a distasteful but necessary step in bringing a fast conclusion to a nasty situation, and that it was a good choice by the Liberals to cancel it as soon as its purpose was fulfilled. The right all over the world is playing up Trudeau as a dictator and a communist (top entires in the right wing rhetoric manual these days) when the protests had become an anti-democratic exercise in minority rule by bullying. Their cries of freedom were coming at the expense of the freedom of others.
 
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Hoof Hearted

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My riding was a Liberal lock last election so I voted NDP...just as a small protest vote against what I view as the evaporation of the middle class.

I'll vote for neither Charest or Poilievres, Charest farts political dust and Pierre strikes me as a sucky Ned Flanders type. And I'm right-leaning as most of you have probably gathered by now. Rona Ambrose was my horse, but she ain't interested so I'll have to weigh my options next time around.
 

Tecumsehsbones

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I'm gonna stick in my oar here, with the full understanding that I ain't Canadian and don't have a say. But for what it's worth. . .

I think True Dope is a lightweight. I never heard him articulate a serious argument for anything, and he displays an almost Trumpian tendency to characterize contrary opinion as "racist" or otherwise morally wrong.

I think the Liberals would be smart to get a better person and a better politician into the leadership.
 

Tecumsehsbones

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Your American opinion is more than welcome...you're outside the box.

Two bicycle mechanics invented flight doncha know. ;)
Thank you. I also appreciate that I don't have a dog in your internal fights, and I'm usually arguing from general principles rather than the facts on the ground. Every now and then I think it's a good idea to clarify that.
 
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pgs

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Jean Charest will have to clear the same hurdles that tripped up Erin O'Toole, the social conservative faction within the CPC. The party has to move closer to center to attract enough voters to win, and there is open resistance from within that would see the party move further to the right, the Poilievres and Rempel Garners. This whole Freedom Convoy mess, in it's latter phases of blockades and aggressive occupations, is largely viewed as emanating from the far right and as such has painted a sour face on right wing politics in general, a Trumpism moves north sort of thing. A step to the right for the CPC will drive away a lot of moderates within the party, who will hold their noses and vote Liberal.

An interesting discussion making the rounds right now is whether or not Trudeau can lead the Liberal Party to another victory, and who is waiting in the wings to replace him.

And don't put Jagmeet and the NDP out of the race either. With the CPC plagued by internal discord the NDP can see a shot at forming the official opposition.
Yes keep telling conservatives to act like liberals , that worked well for Scheer and O’Toole .
 
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pgs

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What significant policy initiatives or directions do you think he should have taken during his term?

Again, seriously. I'm frequently a sarcastic son-of-a-bitch, but when my ignorance is impressively comprehensive, I figure asking's the best way to go.

I'm not much better than most Yanks at Canadian issues.
For one he could have defunded or outright sold the CBC for a start .
 

Hoof Hearted

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I think a leader who you would like to sit down and have a drink with helps...someone who resonates with Joe Sixpack and Sally Housecoat. That's the demographic that decides elections.

Premier Ford of Ontario is well aware that Canadians vote hard on pocketbook issues. It's why he says he''ll scrap the $120.00 driver's license renewal fee if elected again.
 

pgs

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Harper was a dedicated slash-and-burn cost cutter, and in true Conservative form saw social and environmental programs as luxuries to be cut from the menu.
He trimmed around the edges is all . If he slashed and burnt he might still be PM .
 
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Nick Danger

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I'm gonna stick in my oar here, with the full understanding that I ain't Canadian and don't have a say. But for what it's worth. . .

I think True Dope is a lightweight. I never heard him articulate a serious argument for anything, and he displays an almost Trumpian tendency to characterize contrary opinion as "racist" or otherwise morally wrong.

I think the Liberals would be smart to get a better person and a better politician into the leadership.
Trudeau has always struck me as a pretty-boy idealist. He coasted to power on his father's reputation at a time when Harper's reputation was in the dumpster, and despite Trudeau's steadily declining popularity the Conservatives can't seem to come up with a better solution. The elections have been very close, with Trudeau losing the popular vote the last two times at bat, only winning the seat count because he held onto the seat-rich urban centers, traditionally strong Liberal supporters. The Conservatives couldn't bring much to the table in the last two elections in the way of policy, hoping to cash in on Trudeau's loss of popular support but that didn't pan out. What happens next time around will have a lot to do with the leadership of both parties, whether Trudeau can pull his approval ratings out of the toilet, whether he is replace, and what kind of contender the Conservatives can come up with.

Will that all said, and with the race so close for the last couple of elections, Canada is tearing itself apart along the right/left seam much like the US. A lot of voters don't see either of the two major parties doing much to change that, they choose to play a game of political opportunism instead, pointing fingers and muck-raking. This is playing well for the third place NDP, the Canadian version of Bernie Sanders, who stay out of the cheap fights as best they can and work instead toward making things better for middle and lower classes that haven't seen a lot of progress in decades.