"Tories shrug 'that's Ralph' as Klein predicts another Liberal minority"
On Monday, I made some gloomy predictions about the federal Conservative Party's chances in the upcoming general election. Not long afterwards, Premier Klein made some of the same observations. While I would love to expound some wonderful fantasy that the Premier is an avid reader of my new blog, I'm forced by my natural integrity (and modesty) to confess that it's a simple coincidence caused by us both sharing a characteristic that's rather important in politics: we can both count (now, what 'skills' some of the people around Stephen Harper bring to the table is another question).
Over the years, I have often found that the reaction to some of Premier Klein's comments are more interesting than the comments themselves. And sure enough, out rush the federal conservatives with the usual reactions of shock, indignation and amused condescension. 'That's Ralph' they say and 'he's a character'. Well, here's a thought: WHY DON'T YOU LISTEN TO HIM??!!!
Ralph Klein is the most successful conservative in Canada. In the 25 years since he entered public life, he's not lost an election, not one!! That's three elections as mayor, one as a PC MLA, a cut-throat leadership contest, and four provincial general elections as leader of his party. There isn't another conservative alive in Canada with that kind of winning record. Heck, last year he even won an election with the vaguest platform in Canadian politics since Kim Campbell scrawled hers out on some napkins partway through the 1993 federal election. And yes, I'm aware of the role played by Rod Love in Klein's political success, but let's face it, Ralph Klein's done better without Rod Love than Love's done without Klein...
As any political junkie knows, one of the biggest advantages a government usually enjoys in Canadian politics is the ability to control the timing of an election. But now, for the first time in 25 years, the opposition gets to pull the trigger. Too bad they didn't think to line up their ducks first.
So, onward march the Conservatives showing the most misguided optimism since Field Marshall Haig, and no doubt they'll be shocked when the smoke clears and they find they got their butts handed to them (just like Field Marshall Haig); and at that point some of them will even try to blame Premier Klein for trying to warn them. But the reason the Liberals will be back in power after the next election is because somehow the Conservatives remain more disconnected from the electorate than a Liberal Party that stole our money.
And that's a damn shame...
On Monday, I made some gloomy predictions about the federal Conservative Party's chances in the upcoming general election. Not long afterwards, Premier Klein made some of the same observations. While I would love to expound some wonderful fantasy that the Premier is an avid reader of my new blog, I'm forced by my natural integrity (and modesty) to confess that it's a simple coincidence caused by us both sharing a characteristic that's rather important in politics: we can both count (now, what 'skills' some of the people around Stephen Harper bring to the table is another question).
Over the years, I have often found that the reaction to some of Premier Klein's comments are more interesting than the comments themselves. And sure enough, out rush the federal conservatives with the usual reactions of shock, indignation and amused condescension. 'That's Ralph' they say and 'he's a character'. Well, here's a thought: WHY DON'T YOU LISTEN TO HIM??!!!
Ralph Klein is the most successful conservative in Canada. In the 25 years since he entered public life, he's not lost an election, not one!! That's three elections as mayor, one as a PC MLA, a cut-throat leadership contest, and four provincial general elections as leader of his party. There isn't another conservative alive in Canada with that kind of winning record. Heck, last year he even won an election with the vaguest platform in Canadian politics since Kim Campbell scrawled hers out on some napkins partway through the 1993 federal election. And yes, I'm aware of the role played by Rod Love in Klein's political success, but let's face it, Ralph Klein's done better without Rod Love than Love's done without Klein...
As any political junkie knows, one of the biggest advantages a government usually enjoys in Canadian politics is the ability to control the timing of an election. But now, for the first time in 25 years, the opposition gets to pull the trigger. Too bad they didn't think to line up their ducks first.
So, onward march the Conservatives showing the most misguided optimism since Field Marshall Haig, and no doubt they'll be shocked when the smoke clears and they find they got their butts handed to them (just like Field Marshall Haig); and at that point some of them will even try to blame Premier Klein for trying to warn them. But the reason the Liberals will be back in power after the next election is because somehow the Conservatives remain more disconnected from the electorate than a Liberal Party that stole our money.
And that's a damn shame...
posted by Quynn at 7:36 a.m.
2 Comments:
Excellent job of spelling out the truth - I couldn't agree more. I'm going to link to this if thats ok with you :-)
By all means, please feel free to do so!
:-)
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