28 Replies to “Leadership of the Conservatives”

  1. Harper has to go … for no other reason than the fact that he OWNS the one issue that matters to Ontario… and he and his advisors are too stupid to know it.
    Quebec will likely leave Canada if the Liberals get in again. That is Ontario’s nightmare. Keeping Canada together is the ONLY issue in the minds of most Ontarians. Harper needs to let make Ontario aware that their votes for the Libranos will very likely send Quebec packing.
    Harper holds four aces and he doesn’t know it…. and for that he must go. Or, if he does know it, he is a fool for doing nothing about it. Either way, put a fork in him.
    This is very frustrating to watch.

  2. Harper is a stateman and an ethical man….he is EXACTLY what Canada needs at this point in time…..what has to go is the communications team that can’t seem to get his messaging out past a deeply biased media.
    Sorry, but this voter is a tad more evolved to vote for an “image” created by spin weasels.
    Image over substance netted us the last 10 years of Liberal corruption and the hollow promises for reform from the Muldoom PCs…give me a leader of subsatnce any day and keep your “easily marketable” cooks.

  3. HOw many of you are old enough to remember the hard time the media gave Trudeau. He initially only got a minority government.
    He was being trashed as a fruity lightweight dandy and his connections and membership to the Communist Party was front page…scary stuff. The knives were out on all sides. The fact that he was a member of the wealthy Quebec elite was his main saving grace.
    But, he took his time. He had lots of disention in his ranks. His flamboyance was often scorned. His ego was sneered at. Members of his own party had the knives out.
    But, he stood his ground and surrounded himself with a few loyalists (like Chretien) . It did not happen overnight. We have to be patient and loyal.
    Stephen Harper is the first formidable opponent the Liberals have had in the 12 years they have had to plunder our country and bring it to the brink of breaking it into 3 or 4 splintered regions.
    They have all the ammunition right now because they use our resources against us but, remember, the media are citizens too – they see what kind of future a continued Liberal government under PM would give their children – and it is not a pretty sight.
    One term for SH to do the audits would be the God send we all need. Let’s hang in there.

  4. Excuse me, Harper must not go.
    The Canadian establishment, in all it’s
    small-l liberal glory, including the likes of
    Brian Mulroney and Joe Clarke, are seriously
    threatened by the new CPC. They do not have a
    hold on the party. It didn’t matter if the PCs
    under Mulroney or Clark or Stanfield,
    won because they all espoused the same
    establishment blather. Notice that all
    liberal poltiicians and commentators speak
    highly of Stanfield – because he was a loser!
    All the talk about Harper’s problems is
    the establishment’s attack on a serious threat.
    The prefered candidate would be Bernard Lord
    who would be the establishment candidate.
    Why is the establishment threatened? Because
    we don’t believe in their fundamental shiboleths
    and want to reform the way the country is run:
    Shock! Horror! No more sinecures for the
    mediocre or blandishments for the established.
    Quebec separation is a scare-ontario skeleton
    rattle in the cupboard. If a Westerner isn’t
    allowed to be PM, then the real separation will
    start – from the West. Are we to ever have
    French or Quebec PMs??

  5. I agree gwgm, someone has to put forth a loud and clear platform that resonates with voters like:
    Vote liberal and vote to lose quebec and the west
    The CP should repeal the GST
    The CP should repeal the registry farce and put the revenue into police services
    The CP should tank all redundant liberal spending and put that money directly into health care tranfers.
    funding issues and confederal unity resonate well with thinking voters ( the minority).

  6. To those saying Ontario will never elect a leader from the west.
    The fact that Joe Clark (the Red Tory himself) hailed from Calgary was never an issue with the media or the electorate.
    The issue is that the media (especially the Globe and Star) hates Harper with a passion, and will never endorse a Blue Tory from the Alliance/Reform side of the Conservatives. Labelling someone as “Alliance” or “Reform” is like tarring and feathering in the media. Why do you think the Liberals still call the Cons “The Alliance Conservatives”? What do you think the media would do if Cheryl Gallant were leading the Conservatives (shudder…)?
    When Bernard Lord (another Red Tory) was musing about running for leadership of the PC’s, and then later the merged Conservatives, the media were fawning all over his charisma, speaking ability, native French, experience in gov’t, etc., and basically anointing him as the Conservatives’ only hope. There is no way that the media would be able to perpetrate the character assassination on Bernard Lord that they’ve done to Stephen Harper, Stockwell Day, and Preston Manning. They probably wouldn’t want to.
    IHarper is a victim of a circumstance not entirely of his creation (although he has made mistakes). He is an honest, principled politician who has been unfairly tarnished east of Manitoba, and likely will be forever. It’s painful to suggest that he goes because it means admitting that the MSM has won, but sometimes you must know when to cut your losses.
    I’ve heard it said that Harper would be the first to step down if he perceived himself to be a detriment to the Conservative cause. I think that’s where we are. I hope for the good of the country that if he does step down he remains in federal politics and takes a seat at the cabinet table when the Conservatives finally do break through.

  7. john.g,
    You are basically supporting everything I say
    but then surrendering – admitting that we
    must elect an establishment candidate.
    Look at the big letters:
    IF I WANTED A LIBERAL GOVERNMENT,
    I’D VOTE LIBERAL.

  8. Harper is the right leader for the next election. Changing leaders at this time will only send confusing messages to the electorate and will make little difference to the end result.
    Secondly, Quebec is not going anywhere. The reason the PQ is tying itself into knots is precisely because the separatists know that – even if the Ontario voters have not yet caught on.
    Thirdly – a historical lesson – Trudeau’s first government (1968) was a majority – not a minority.
    But the point is correct. Before they become P.M. party leaders often have problems getting the public to take them seriously. Many Liberals fretted over the fact that they had chosen a dilletante instead of good old fashioned Robert Winters who had more gravitas. Likewise, who doesn’t remember the way the MSM treated Chretien with disdain (as a politician) during the 1993 election campaign.
    Harper reminds me of Stanfield – someone who will make a great P.M. if only he can get himself elected. I believe he still has an excellent chance to win a minority government in the next election. This will give him the chance to shine where he really can – as a leader of a government. He’ll win three elections and eventually be regarded as our best P.M. in the past 50 years.

  9. I think the visciousness of the Liberals and the mainstream media’s attacks on Stephen Harper demonstrate that they realize he is a formidable opponent.
    The Liberals are masters at deceipt and manipulation of the message. The fact that they have comprimised most of the large advertising and public relations and polling firms in this country through the smoke and mirrors type of contracting like AdScam has the added onus on all of them to fight tooth and nail that NOBODY gets a look at the books.
    The primary plank in Stephen Harpers plan is to audit the books. Not just a few- but to track down billions and billions in secret unaudited trust and slush funds, crown corportions, everything….IMHO AdScam is the tip of the iceburg.
    Gomery was thrown a tidbit – only $300 million. He is disallowed from examining a further $800 million in ad contracts and cannot even ask questions about utendered polling contracts.
    So, in my opinion, the louder they shreik, the harder they try to defame the Conservatives and Harper, the more they spin and try to shoot the messengers (like Grewal) the more evidence there is an awful lot to hide.
    Harper is not the problem – he is the solution for Canadians to Clean up Government. He is a HUGE problem for the Liberals because this is the first time in 12 years that they may lose the free rein they have on OUR money.
    I also think ANY budget figures the public has been fed for the past 12 years including our debt are probably bogus.
    I also believe that the 48 billion UIC fund has been plundered to shore up the Liberal over spending and pretend they “balanced the budget”. That is Paul Martin’s only claim to fame and it is my opinion that was all smoke and mirrors.
    The Liberals are fighting tooth and nail right now in the house not to let any changes to how UIC funds are managed go through. Why? Because I believe there is no $48 billion left in the fund.
    They have ripped off our future. Harper I believe has to stay and give us back what was stolen from us and future generations or the plunder and propaganda will continue.

  10. Stephen Harper should absolutely NOT step down.
    I agree with all of the reasons given and add my own: there are too many PO’d westerners that have had it up to their eyes with corrupt federal governments of the old order type. This country needs a blast of fresh air from the Rockies. The rumour is that McKay’s team wants to have a bloodless coup…forget it! Harper for Canada or separation for the West!
    ( lol that felt great)

  12. Wimpy:
    I’m not surrendering, I’m retreating, for now, and thinking longer term because it is clear that this will be Harper’s last election anyways if he doesn’t win…and it’s clear that he won’t.
    Let’s face it, baby steps are needed to overcome years of Liberal brainwashing in the east. Electing Harper as PM is not a baby step; it’s a giant leap that too many brainwashed voters east of Manitoba are not prepared to do…today. Maybe after watching him in Cabinet for 5+ years, it won’t seem like such a leap anymore. And there is plenty that Harper can do to clean up Liberal corruption from a cabinet seat; it’s probably easier than from the big chair.
    And as to electing a different “Liberal” government, there is no way that Lord can establish a government without a healthy dose of Alliance stalwarts in senior cabinet portfolios (Harper would be a great finance minister if he stuck around; Day, Kenney, Solberg, Ablonczy are all guaranteed senior portfolios); he’d have an internal revolt on his hands otherwise, and there just aren’t enough capable “Red” Tories to establish a competent Cabinet.
    The only way eastern canada will begin to ease its apprehension over western conservatism is to allow it to happen in a slow and controlled way under a leader who more closely fits the mold of what they are looking for.

  13. Good Grief!
    We have been had for 12 years with our own money. The biggest hijacking of all time. Bloodless coup exercised with the theft of billions and billions of taxpayer dollars and there is STILL some debate over who should be running the CPC?
    The DOG Catcher should be able to win an election against the liberals considering what we KNOW about them. Even easier when we find out what we DON’T know about them.
    The liberals are scared to death that Stephen Harper WILL win the next election and will pry their grubby mitts off our tax dollars. Tax dollars they use to win elections , keep the power and dole it out to all their buddies. Laws of the country be damned.
    The best argument to get rid of the GST is this: TOO much money in the hands of a corrupt government , which the libs most undoubtedly are, only encourages more crime and corruption.
    Just think what this country and it’s citizens could have done and could do with all the misspent billions the libs have overseen , while pocketing their own little kitty of cash.
    It is HIGH NOON and Stephen Harper is Gary Cooper. The libs know it. Too bad most of US don’t.
    Are we going to be the townspeople hiding behind their doors while the risk is taken by one or a few? Or are we going to stand our ground and take back what is ours and help Stephen and the Conservatives do it?
    Until we mobilize behind the best thing to happen to Canada and get our country back from these despicable , self interested and criminal gang of thieves called the liberal party we have nothing to say of any import.
    Time for talk is over. Time for Action.
    High Noon.

  14. Harper is the right man. The fact that he’s getting trounced right now in the media suggests to me that he is a problem for Paul Martin. Any ideas as to why Bourque would link to a red tory site yesterday and hint that Rick Peterson is after Harpers job? Where the hell did that come from? He’s also linking to Weston’s less than flattering column today. If Bourque thinks Harper is the wrong guy – it’s because he’s a real threat to Paul Martin

  15. Indeed. Leave aside the fact that Harper has a solid grip on the party leadership, and that there is nobody remotely comparable to him in quality waiting to take over. There is one reason and only one reason to want Harper replaced, and that is that you want the Liberals to stay in power. Harper can beat them. They’re afraid of him. If you’re afraid of him, then you simply reveal yourself as one of them.

  16. All your comments are what makes Stephen Harper “SCARY”. The Libs have finally realized that Harper is a real threat and can kick Martin’s ass. The more the media and the Libs twitch, the more you know Harper is getting to them. Harper is the right man!

  17. I hear a lot of compelling defense of Stephen Harper’s leadership. But let’s get away from generic “He can kick Paul Martin’s butt!” comments. I want to know how a Conservative leader who appears to be saying that he will do all the things Paul Martin will do can win.
    He is following Paul Martin instead of leading Canadians.
    Or am I wrong on this? [and please, I’m doing this to generate discussion, and not to denigrate anyone’s opinion]

  18. In my opinion Harper is sitting back quietly while watching the Liberal party attack and eat their own young.
    The Liberal Party is wounded from within and without. There are extreme rifts within the caucus that the code of silence has covered up.
    There are the Chretien loyalists who despise and publicly spit on the Martin loyalists. The Martin inner circle has been ruthless and cruel in sticking the knife in the Chretienites.
    There is a broken and bitter party membership who are disgusted by the goings on from AdScam and other scandals.
    The party is having trouble getting candidates in many ridings in the country.
    Daily we see the lies. Daily we see the Tony Valeri and Volpe’s of the world acting lilke Mafia wise guys.
    Paul Martin is a tired old man – a senior citizen who needs Scott Reid or other Earnscliffe guys to put words in his mouth but caught off guard he can do nothing but mumble and stutter.
    Jack Layton is going to go down in history as the most gullible biggest dupe ever for allowing himself to be bribed and bullied by this mob of dishonourable hoodlums.
    IMHO Harper does not have to do much else as the Liberals come apart at the seams.

  19. Angry,
    You are correct about his apparent strategy of running around the country in PMPM’s trail promising to do just whatever PMPM just promised to do: Dumb strategy I agree.
    I figure they were dumbfounded by the libs just
    blatently running around promising everything to
    everybody; I expect this to be resolved by the
    election call.

  20. It is my understanding that Harper said he would have to honour any SIGNED agreements.
    If you go to http://www.taxpayer.com/pdf/Liberal_Pre-Election_Spending_2005.pdf
    Paul Martin’s 26 Billiion Pre-Election Spending Spree
    There are so many interest groups that were made those Liberal Vote Buying Promises with our money we all know get broken that you will be able to predict exactly which groups are saying Wait for Gomery, we dont need an election now, blah blah…
    It is is a list of the bribed. Very interesting reading

  21. Time for the CPC’s to bypass the MSM and burn CDs/DVDs that contain their entire platform, plus all the parasites getting money from Public Accounts. The MSM will not aid the CPCs; quite the contrary. There are some young CPCs who could goose it up with all sorts of interesting visuals and start sending them out. Hopefully, they’re working on new and incisive, creative ads. Unfortunately, they are going to have to operate in the shadows, and they’ll win their votes on the ground one-on-one. I have to believe Harper knows what he’s doing, even if the rest of us don’t. He’s a loyal guy, that’s quite obvious. But the Tories blew it by sitting on Grewal’s tapes for so long. They ought to be digging for all the dirt they can on the Librano$ donors who are in the same position as Grewal: bought themselves citizenship. Volpe’s talking about deportation. That would Grewal out of reach before he can dish any more dirt.

  22. There is an article from about two weeks ago where Volpe himself was interviewed and he said “200,000 immigrants in Canada are now working in the black market. He was saying they cannot get SIN’s so they are working for cash under the table.
    A Minister of the crown KNOWS this??? 200,000 working in the black market cheating Revenue Canada? Not paying taxes? How about the companies that are paying people under the table?
    Is this not all illegal? And Volpe knows this???
    Where are the RCMP on this. Revenue canada. Immigration.
    Can somebody dig up that story – it was around the same time Volpe was sicing the RCMP on Grewal. The week before the tapes.

  23. GWGRN
    I find it rather strange that you are the first on the posting of above, and you have such a NEGATIVE posting, if your a “plant” then it is explainable, or you could be a very naive young person.
    To Condemn Stephen Harper is the last thing we should do, and the first thing that the Libranos want us to do. I see that the Sun Chain is bringing out the long knives against Stephen, which not surprising , The Sun chain I find have the Libraos loyalist on their pay roll as well, and for the media to jump on Stephen is to be expected, the media are going to try to save Herr Martins ass at all costs, he now is looking at a possible criminal charge for not advising the RCMP about the so-called overtures that Grewall made, I see THAT topic is buried now in the stack of “Get rid of Harper.” Lets talk about what the Librano are guilty of and stop talking about any supposed change in leadership, that is falling right into the trap the MSM and the Libranos are setting us up for. “Get the talk on Harper, and off the Furheror”, it seems to be working because we are aiding and abetting it. We have a leader, we love our leader so get off his back, and get on to the back of the guy that heads now, the Ottawa Mafiosa, surely to God Herr Martin has enough baggage that we should be discussing it in more detail. I see the Ditheror today is saying that there “will be no two tier health care system, LOL LOL when there already is one, and he subscribes heavily into it, we have to keep harping on the Furehors lies, and get off this change of leadership crap.
    ww 2 Stephen

  24. john g: Your ideas have passed the ‘due date’ by months. Like Polly, I am of the opinion that the urban minnions have had their collective brains ‘blown’ by too many ‘liebral drugs’, drugs that cause blindness and stupidity. Some think that it is smug sophistication – think what you want! We, Conservatives elected Stephen Harper with a resounding majority and we will KEEP him, if he will have us, for as long as he will be good enough to stay. Mr. Harper is paule’s worst nightmare – because Mr. Harper sees right through him. If the East want to stick with their dud – do it – if they re-elect the liar, cheater, thief, grafter, billionare on your buck, and his dud outfit – by all means re- elect ‘the duds’ – you get cut off from the trough from the West though. We go home and build a strong firewall and then a stronger border. The game is over, it is time to cash in the chips and go home.
    If you were , john g, like Angry, just being the Devil’s avocate, I apologize for the rant in advance.

  25. Stephen Harper is an honest man who has been branded as a bad product by the MSM. It would be a serious mistake to dump him just because of the false characterizations coming out of the Liberal sewer pipe. It’s disheartening to read comments of conservative voters who buy into such crap.
    Here’s the end of yesterday’s editorial in the Edmonton Sun:
    “It’s yet another example of the very different ways our pro-Liberal media treat Harper, who, we’re assured by all the pundits, even scares little kids, based on absolutely no evidence at all, as opposed to Martin, who, no matter how demonstrably corrupt and incompetent his Liberals become, is always to be preferred to the ‘angry’ Harper.”
    We are seeing more and more acknowledgements of this kind. People are starting to realize that, in effect, all the evidence is being tampered with on a massive scale, coast to coast. It’s pure propaganda.
    The Liberal crows, starting with the CBC, should be in people’s crosshairs, not Stephen Harper. They have been playing Canadians for fools, to great effect.

  26. If those who want Stephen Harper to step down, are not careful you might get what you wish for.
    Because after that we are gonna recruit him to be the Premier of Alberta and lead Alberta out of this schmozzle. Got it!! (Tongue now out of cheek.)

  27. I have watching with interest as this post and others consider the topic of dumping Harper. Please consider the following:
    – How was Manning, Day, etc treated by the media & in eastern Canada?
    – Who is a viable alternative leader?
    – Could he / she expect any different treatment than that normally accorded a con / alliance leader by the media?
    – If not, why is a leadership change being proposed?
    I have been reading the blogs for a while now and every time the Con’s numbers go down in the polls, there are suggestions that we need to dump Harper. I’m suggesting that there is a trend here. Con / Alliance leaders have been dumped in past and did it actually change the fortunes of the party? It’s been done and it didn’t work appreciably before – why should it work now? If Harper does step down, I suggest that it will change very little, because it doesn’t address the real problem – the problem of perception in the media the eastern electorate. In fact, if a strong leader is lost, there may be more negative fall-out than anything. Let’s focus on dealing with the real problem here, instead of panicing.
    As others have said, what do the Liberals do when their leader gets into “do-do” in the public eye? They support him and come up with a different strategy. Forming a winning team is all about teamwork – thus far, I am seeing a better teamwork ethic in the Liberal party than in the CPC demonstrated. In order to succeed, you need to stick together and give the organization the time it needs to get some experience under their belts, adjust strategy and stay around til opportunity comes.
    Harper has really built this organization up in a few short years. He has gotten the party closer to taking power than it has been for some years. The Liberals know this and that’s why they hate him so much – that’s part of what you are seeing in the media when they go after him with a vindictive vengence. If they know it, why don’t we?
    True, changes need to be made, but don’t think that the CPC isn’t also aware of this. I understand there were changes in the communications staff recently – I wonder if this means some different strategy.
    The morale of this story is don’t be so impatient for change that you throw the baby out with the bath water. Some things take time and there is no majic wand.

  28. Oh boy Volpie’s mouth is dripping Grewall blood, he wants Grewall so bad he is trying to “eat him alive.” Supposedly Grewall ivested 50 grand to get into the country, and then supposedly took it back soon after. Now that will surely authenticate the tapes, that Murphy and Dosangh are innocent of the charges and Martin should not be charged with not informing the RCMP or any wrong doing by the Fuehor. If this has any basis to it, where I see Grewall making his mistake is instead of kicking out 50 grand to get into the country, he should have just thrown all his documents down the toilet of the plane that he came over on and claimed “immigrant” status, amazing how Volpe jumps on the “illegal immigrant card”, when Kanada is infamous for allowing ill legal immigrants into the country, not a word from Volpe about that, his vendetta with Grewal could cause him a cardiac,and unless he can wipe Grewalls blood out of his mouth long enough to call for help, he might die. LOL LOL Stephen ww 2 vet.

Proudly powered by WordPress & Skyrocket Themes

MENU

Navigation