So here's a quandary.
You're a fiscal conservative. You may have even been a Paul Martin (or even Chretien) Liberal, who happened to decide the Harper band-wagon was better for your personal interests (maybe you wanted to increase your debt with a new home purchase, or perhaps you needed more temp foreign workers for your plant). At any rate, you're more center than right. You still have a social conscience.
Today, as you look at polls, you see Harper's projected seat count and raw vote drop like a lead weight, and that Jack Layton could win up to 100 seats - perhaps more if his momentum holds.
After the "holy crap!", just what do you do?
If you hold your vote for the robotic Harper drone, you may see the Harper seat count fall to 130 or less, while the NDP holds 100. That translates to...
... Prime Minister Layton...
If you look carefully at the numbers, Layton - with that many seats - could easily lead the charge for a coalition. And he could do it - or he could even defeat the government and ask the GG if he could govern on a vote-by-vote basis agreement with the other parties (Liberals, Bloc, Greens). He may not need either the Libs or the Bloc. Imagine a cabinet dominated by Dippers like Libby Davies, or Thomas Mulcair.
Think about it.
Now we're talking about a potential government headed by Jack Layton. You know... the guy that bikes to work with his wife. How does THAT square with your SUV-driving, gas-guzzling, Timmy's, hockey-arena lifestyle?
Do you not think a vote strategically placed - for the Liberals - would ensure that scenario doesn't occur? Your guy would probably still be on top (although his declining poll numbers say the opposite), but at least you'll have a more fiscally conservative PM - not Jack.
It's time for center-right Conservatives to seriously consider a strategic ballot. It ain't about party lines anymore. It's about your ideals. While centrists like me are just fine with a Layton PMO, it doesn't seem to by your piece of pie - no matter how nice you guys have been to each other the past few years.
A strategic vote FOR Ignatieff will help ensure that any defeated Harper Conservative government is replaced by a fiscally conservative-led one - not by that granola-munching, birkenstock-wearing radical you guys love to make fun of.
Ralph Goodale as Finance Minister would make a lot more sense, wouldn't it (not to mention an upgrade from that spendthrift, Flaherty)?
8 comments:
Love it.
Actually, the reverse makes more sense. That is a Lib voter who now knows that they will not win would switch to the Conservatives in order to react to Layton's popularity.
That being said the 100 seat numbers are not credible.
Harper scares me. He's a politician who is out for himself and not for Canadians. And he sure seems to be a liar, someone you can not trust. And then we have Iggy, with strong ties to the USA oil folks who are helping to fund his drive, and you wonder whats up with that? Iggy waddles up to the Quebec trough and says "hell ya, we will give you arena money!". Clearly he wants to buy votes.
Yes, even Layton scares me a bit, but I *think*... he will at least do a better job of listening. As with any of the parties, they all have policies and agendas that are out of wack. And for the ones that belong to Layton... he is the only one that SEEMS to want to listen. I really hate the thought of vote splitting, that will lead to Iggy having a majority... *sigh*
Anon @ 10:01 - you sound worried. Lol.
I'm lovin' this!
Even if Jack simply has more seats than the Liberals, it wouldn't bode well for the Conservatives. Jack could be Prime Minister - as he would get the first opportunity to do so - after Harper. Does ANYONE think any of the opposition parties would support a Harper budget after just defeating one - and defeating the government on non-confidence due to CONTEMPT?
And that fleeting Harper majority??? Gone. Just look at today's headlines, see Harper dropping in all the polls, and see the veritable book of Harper quotes just leaked by someone INSIDE the Harper campaign.
Things are not going well in Harperland.
"If you look carefully at the numbers, Layton - with that many seats - could easily lead the charge for a coalition. ... He may not need either the Libs or the Bloc. Imagine a cabinet dominated by Dippers like Libby Davies, or Thomas Mulcair."
Please, don't stop now.
"Think about it."
I just did, and it was great. Was it good for you, too?
So Liberals are fiscal conservatives, and the natural choice for those in the Tory camp? If so, why would real conservatives think about switching at this point in the campaign, and do you think that there is any soft conservative vote remaining to push to the Liberal camp? It certainly hasn't been evident for the last five weeks.
And doesn't this just play into the NDP narrative of "a vote for the Liberals is a vote for Harper", "Liberals campaign from the left and govern from the right", and "Liberal-Tory, same old story"?
Yes, there could very well be some conservative supporters who are sick of Harper's deliberate, unconstitutional and even criminal shenanigans, but comparing the Liberal party favourably with any aspect of the Harper government seems like suicide or desperation at this stage of the campaign.
I bet there are a lot of more "moderate" conservatives who are sick of Harper's contempt for Canada, and would vote Liberal. These are voters with a social conscience, who want to be in a "big tent' where a balance of moderate voices can be heard.
We'll welcome folks from both sides into the "big red tent". We always have. It's the perfect resting place if you don't like either extreme.
With Harper you'll get a ruined economy and the destruction of the social programs which make Canada Canada.
With Layton you get a big question mark. How will he pay for his promises? He'll shrug. How will he be for Canadian identity - I say he'll be great (like I've stated, I'M not the one worried about an NDP-led government - most moderate centrists aren't - it's the polar extremes who aren't at all trusting of each other).
Every soft Conservative supporter ought to read this BEFORE they cast their ballot. Hell, even the hardcore supports should read and digest this.
http://thetyee.ca/News/2011/04/27/CarsonOilSands/
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