First things first. How dare I paint the Harper Regime as being desperate? Its simple really. In the ocean that is politics in Canada, they are but a small but decent sized island. And that island is shrinking, with waves of scandal, poor judgement and arrogance threatening to wash away what once looked like solid ground.
Yes, most recent polls put the Tories well out in front, with what looked to be a fair possibility of forming a majority. Not bad for a party that formed a government with just 35% of the votes in our last election.
And that's why they're desperate. Desperate to do anything and everything they can to heap scorn on their only true rivals, Michael Ignatieff and the Liberal Party.
Think about it, with just their evangelical and socially conservative base, Harper's gang can't aspire to much more than their Reform predecessors. Its a good start, but its not enough to form even a minority government let alone to dream about a majority.
Hence the politics of anything goes, huge sums of money on media buys designed to convince casual observers that voting for the Liberals is the worst thing imaginable. Better to vote NDP, Green or not at all rather than mark an X next to the very embodiment of the devil himself.
So far, its worked.....not perfectly, if it had Harper would be sitting in the PMO with a majority of the seats and no worries about defending an abysmal record for another two years or so.
Its worked in another way too.
If you're Stephen Harper wouldn't you prefer having your media attack dogs discussing Michael Ignatieff's long dead ancestors. It sure beats having to explain how Canada's Prime Minister hired a disbarred lawyer as a "TOP" advisor. Bruce Carson, a man who lost his license to practise law because he was disbarred for forging cheques and stealing $23,900 from a corporation and two individual clients he represented.
I've long been of the opinion that Stephen Harper's membership in the Christian and Missionary Alliance church is motivated more by politics than by faith, and this puts that opinion in cement. Like George Bush I think our Prime Minister was simply looking to cultivate a devoted and trusting base of support. Something about sheep's clothing comes to mind.
Harper and the Conservatives can wash all they want, but this odour is going to be around for while.
And this presents a problem for Canadians who've imbibed too heavily on the Harper Kool-Ade. Its been drilled into their subconscious that Ignatieff's Liberals are nothing short of the Anti Christs of politics. And with Harper's Conservatives looking no better and probably worse....
Where's are conservatives to turn? I guess if there's no Christian Heritage candidate running locally they might just decide to stay home.
Desperate times, desperate measures. Wouldn't want to lose the ability to hire disbarred lawyers and to appoint judges like that guy Dewar in Manitoba who let a convicted rapist walk the streets. And big business really wants those tax cuts.
Bring on the heavy artillery, load it with mud and aim low....very low.
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