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BloggingTories (110 unread)

Christian Conservative

"Know your enemy"

Posted: July 10th, 2014, 7:17am MST

Tags: Ops Photo [edit]

"Know your enemy"

the blog quebecois

Nowhere Man

Posted: September 7th, 2008, 10:05pm MST

Tags: politics [edit]

Nowhere Man

Currents

CityView: Vote on How to Make Vancouver a Civil City

Posted: September 7th, 2008, 9:13pm MST by jnarvey

Tags: Uncategorized [edit]

Vancouver Election 2008 is right around the corner — fun times for political junkies like myself. As Raul would say, it’s time to put the public back in public policy.

Our city is in worse shape than it was before the last election. To its credit, the city is developing more social housing and devoting more resources to quelling the public disorder that shocks and awes tourists as well as longtime residents who remember happier times. But on the whole, it’s clear that a lot more work needs to be done to tackle poverty, homelessness, the drug trade, crime and related social ills to make this city livable for all citizens.

Vancouver doesn’t have the resources to take on all these problems on its own, but the city does need to provide direction. What’s the next step? You decide. Take a PollDaddy poll or comment below.

How can Vancouver’s politicians help create a civil city?
( surveys)

The Spirit of Man

Threatened

Posted: September 7th, 2008, 9:07pm MST

Tags: [edit]

The Iranian regime would not stage war games if it didn't feel threatened. The Mullahs feel nervous and they know the civilized world won't put up with their crap any more.

The Phantom Observer

So What Can We Learn From the Palin Press Pummeling?

Posted: September 7th, 2008, 8:46pm MST by PhantomObserver

Tags: watch Media [edit]

Plenty, according to the Guardian’s Nick Cohen. His thesis is that the American liberal media are solely responsible for turning a Barack Obama coronation into an Obama-McCain horse race — solely because of their negative reporting on Governor Sarah Palin’s family.

It’s important to note that, as a British pundit, Cohen takes the existence of liberal media bias for granted. And the Guardian isn’t exactly known for having right-wing sympathies. So his analysis is definitely worth paying some attention to.

I think you’ll find that this particular passage will have some resonance for the just-started Canadian campaign:

American liberals are no different from the politically committed the world over. David Cameron knew that he would never be Prime Minister until he had killed the urgent hatred of the Conservative party in liberal England. A measure of his success is that hardly anyone now is caught up by the once ubiquitous feeling that no compromise is too great if it stops the Tories regaining power. Hate can sell better than hope.

When a hate campaign goes wrong, however, disaster follows. And everything that could go wrong with the campaign against Palin did. American liberals forgot that the public did not know her. By the time she spoke at the Republican convention, journalists had so lowered expectations that a run-of-the-mill speech would have been enough to win the evening.

Presumably there are some Liberal Party strategists who read the Guardian. And if they do, I hope and trust that they read Nick Cohen’s place, and realize that “Harper is scary / Hidden Agenda” as a political strategy is more likely to backfire on them than not.

The Langhjelm Letter

Yeah baby!

Posted: September 7th, 2008, 8:35pm MST

Tags: [edit]

McCain's up by 10 (yes that's right, 10!) among likely voters according to the latest USA today Gallup poll, and the Real Clear Politics trend line looks like this:

No poll has made me feel this good since this one.

Hat tip to the Tiger.
Yeah baby!

Posted: September 7th, 2008, 8:35pm MST

Tags: [edit]

McCain's up by 10 (yes that's right, 10!) among likely voters according to the latest USA today Gallup poll, and the Real Clear Politics trend line looks like this:

No poll has made me feel this good since this one.

Hat tip to the Tiger.

The Spirit of Man

Brian May

Posted: September 7th, 2008, 8:21pm MST

Tags: [edit]

I just couldn't resit not sharing this one with you.

The Langhjelm Letter

Just when you thought Obamamania couldn't get any more cult like

Posted: September 7th, 2008, 7:55pm MST

Tags: [edit]

Apparently this line literally made it's way to Rick Sanchez and CNN:

They are literally comparing Obama to Christ Himself, and Palin to the man who condemned Him to the Cross.

Can these people get any more insane?!!!
Just when you thought Obamamania couldn't get any more cult like

Posted: September 7th, 2008, 7:55pm MST

Tags: [edit]

Apparently this line literally made it's way to Rick Sanchez and CNN:

They are literally comparing Obama to Christ Himself, and Palin to the man who condemned Him to the Cross.

Can these people get any more insane?!!!

Le Politico

Unsolicited Advice: Mke sure your campaign plane is ready to go on election call-day

Posted: September 7th, 2008, 7:49pm MST

Tags: Advice Unsolicited [edit]

Media is reporting that the Liberal Party was caught unaware by the Conservative's surprise election call. After a quick search for a jet resource, the party has now leased a thirty year old Boeing, from Inuit Airlines.
They also report that the plane likely won't be ready to fly until the end of the week..7 whole days into the election campaign.

Unacceptable. You need to have your plane on the tarmac, and jet off somewhere on the first day of a campaign. Why?
Both Harper and Layton went from Quebec to the West..today. Both parties will have fresh footage of local rallies in Vancouver and Calgary for the nightly local news out west. By that time, Dion's dated Ottawa presser will be a foot-note.
Knowing their media brethren are jetting across Canada on a daily basis, in a modern jet with seat-back entertainment consoles..how friendly do you think the Liberal bus-ensconced media feel?
People are starting to think of the Liberals as broke and unorganized..why start an election with a move that will reinforce that?
The plane had to be ready, if not for anything other than optics..evidenced from the current, less than flattering, media coverage.
So..at election call time..always have a plane ready, and take your leader from coast to coast (to coast?) on the first day.

.-- LePolitico.BlogSpot.com
Unsolicited Advice: Mke sure your campaign plane is ready to go on election call-day

Posted: September 7th, 2008, 7:49pm MST

Tags: Advice Unsolicited [edit]

Media is reporting that the Liberal Party was caught unaware by the Conservative's surprise election call. After a quick search for a jet resource, the party has now leased a thirty year old Boeing, from Inuit Airlines.
They also report that the plane likely won't be ready to fly until the end of the week..7 whole days into the election campaign.

Unacceptable. You need to have your plane on the tarmac, and jet off somewhere on the first day of a campaign. Why?
Both Harper and Layton went from Quebec to the West..today. Both parties will have fresh footage of local rallies in Vancouver and Calgary for the nightly local news out west. By that time, Dion's dated Ottawa presser will be a foot-note.
Knowing their media brethren are jetting across Canada on a daily basis, in a modern jet with seat-back entertainment consoles..how friendly do you think the Liberal bus-ensconced media feel?
People are starting to think of the Liberals as broke and unorganized..why start an election with a move that will reinforce that?
The plane had to be ready, if not for anything other than optics..evidenced from the current, less than flattering, media coverage.
So..at election call time..always have a plane ready, and take your leader from coast to coast (to coast?) on the first day.

.-- LePolitico.BlogSpot.com
Unsolicited Advice: Mke sure your campaign plane is ready to go on election call-day

Posted: September 7th, 2008, 7:49pm MST

Tags: Advice Unsolicited [edit]

Media is reporting that the Liberal Party was caught unaware by the Conservative's surprise election call. After a quick search for a jet resource, the party has now leased a thirty year old Boeing, from Inuit Airlines.

They also report that the plane won't be ready to fly by Sunday, the day of the election call. It won't be ready until the middle of the week.

Daniel Lauzon, a spokesman for the Liberal Party, confirmed that its jet, rented from Montreal-based Air Inuit, won’t be ready until Wednesday. Mr. Dion will meanwhile travel with journalists by bus to campaign events in central Ontario and Quebec.
Unacceptable. You need to have your plane on the tarmac, and jet off somewhere on the first day of a campaign. Why?

Both Harper and Layton went from Quebec to the West..today. Both parties will have fresh footage of local rallies in Vancouver and Calgary for nightly local news election coverage out west. By that time, Dion's dated Ottawa presser will be a foot-note.

Knowing their media brethren are jetting across Canada on a daily basis, in a modern jet with seat-back entertainment consoles..how friendly do you think the Liberal bus-ensconced media feel?

People are starting to think of the Liberals as broke and unorganized..why start an election with a move that will reinforce that?

The plane had to be ready, if not for anything other than optics..evidenced from the current, less than flattering, media coverage.

So..at election call time..always have a plane ready, and take your leader from coast to coast on the first day.

.
-- LePolitico.BlogSpot.com

The Phantom Observer

What The Rest of the World Thinks of Canada’s Election (Or, Yawwwwwwwn)

Posted: September 7th, 2008, 7:45pm MST by PhantomObserver

Tags: watch Media [edit]

It never hurts to get an outsider’s perspective, and so I figured it might be a good idea to see if the PM’s election announcement made some waves in the international press. As it turns out, there’s coverage in the New York Times, CNN, and the BBC. Not surprisingly, however, there’s no mention of the election call in the online versions of the Times of London, the Daily Telegraph, or the Guardian (at least, none that I can find). Such is the prominence of Canada on the world scene, I’m afraid.

For the most part, the three news stories I’ve linked to have been pretty fair about the three party leaders, although the BBC still gets the bit about the fixed-date election law wrong. (They can be forgiven for this, since if you had to put something together in a hurry, you’d have gotten the same impression from the way the election law was covered.) The Times piece is especially a fair job. Let me quote:

Mr. Harper is not charismatic and often appears irritated, particularly when he is challenged. But his personal approval ratings in pre-election polls are significantly higher than those of Stéphane Dion, the Liberal leader. Mr. Harper was named potentially “the best prime minister” by 50 percent, compared with 20 percent for Mr. Dion.

Mr. Dion, a former academic, is entering his first election as party leader. He speaks English awkwardly, and even in French, his first language, Mr. Dion at a podium can sound as if he were still lecturing dryly on public administration and political science at the Université de Montréal.

Well, let’s face it: if the New York Times (one of the largest circulation newspapers in the world) describes you as either “not charismatic” or “irritated” or “speaking English awkwardly,” you can’t exactly say that your career as a statesman has set the world on fire, now can you?

Daimnation!

Have you seen this Dear Leader? (II)

Posted: September 7th, 2008, 7:40pm MST by damian

Tags: [edit]

The Times says he might be dead. Who knows?

Damian P.

The Doggerel Party of Canada

And They're Off....

Posted: September 7th, 2008, 7:33pm MST

Tags: [edit]

Into the election we go. Things have been quiet around here for a while, as I have been very busy at the day job of late and generally too tired at the end of the working day (1am-ish) to be blogging before the new one begins (generally around 7am). Still, an election is an election and so I'll try to get some stuff out there as we go along. One thing I did come across was this gem from Lulu and

Unambiguously Ambidextrous

I Get Mail

Posted: September 7th, 2008, 7:25pm MST

Tags: Lefties lunatic Internet crazy [edit]

My first blog related hate mail! I feel like I've finally made it, like Mary Tyler Moore. Dr.Frink Frank is an aggressive progressive [hey, I like that], who attacks me on instinct alone. I think he literally has a kind of pavlovian response to conservatives, in that he starts writing inanities as soon as he notices me on a left-of-centre blog. It's sad, in a way, that people become so obsessive with what is really little more than a sideshow, a distraction, a game. Blogging is fun for me, but it really doesn't warrant the kind of commentary Frank... well, I'll let you evaluate for yourselves:

From: "Docter Frinkster"
To: rphl_lxndr@yahoo.ca
Subject: You can run but you won't be able to hide

Unfortunately the Wordpress will not be allowing my last reply to you in that thread at Red Tory's.

Shame, because it thoroughly demolishes your faux sense of 'reasonableness', 'propriety' and 'civility'. Not to mention exposes your utter hypocrisy. It's actually much milder than my previous two replies.

As I did save it in anticipation that it would not be posted, I'll reproduce it here for you.

Be aware of two things (if you actually do read this and don't summarily delete upon receipt)
1) That reply has already been circulated among many blogging on the left side of the aisle. Not that they really needed any reminder that you are an utter, contemptible fraud.

and

2) I'll reproduce this comment where I see you posting your usual passive-aggresive 'who me?' comments on left-leaning blogs. I don't bluff, by the way.

Here it is...

Raph, clue phone is still ringing.

I'm not 'debating' you. There's never any 'debate' with you.

I'm mocking you.

If you care to attack my grasp on reality, try doing this.

Now, since you currently live in North Vancouver you have three Squamish
Band reserves within spitting distance. Pick one, any one. Then walk
into the community centre or council office and recite this,
in as loud a voice as you can muster, for them. Then also recite this.
Then come back here and tell us all about how those particular brown
people praised you for your deep, abiding, overly precious love for, and
understanding them. Not to mention how they appreciate, deeply and
profoundly, you make no notice of skin colour.

That pain you feel afterward? That's reality thoroughly kicking you in
your fraudulent, hypocritical, '5th generation Canadian' nutsack.

Heh. Fuck you three times, bay-by.

So, keep this in mind... don't tempt me.
Dr. Frink

There are sure a lot of crazy people on the internet. Be careful out there, kids.

addthis_url=''; addthis_title=''; addthis_pub='raphaelalexander';

Daimnation!

Brady's hurt

Posted: September 7th, 2008, 7:21pm MST by damian

Tags: [edit]

I missed the first few rounds of my fantasy football draft, and the auto-draft gave me Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. One of them had to go if I wanted a top running back, so I traded Brady. Looks like I dodged a bullet:

Reigning NFL MVP Tom Brady left Sunday's game against Kansas City after being hit on the left leg, depriving the New England Patriots of the quarterback who last season led them to a 16-0 regular season and their fourth Super Bowl appearance in eight years.
The fear now is that Brady suffered damage to his ACL and MCL in his left knee, which would mean the Patriots quarterback would be sidelined eight months, reports NFL Network's Adam Schefter. More medical tests are pending Monday.

"It's not good," said a Patriots team source.

The NFL Network was reporting he was out for the season, but that apparently hasn't been confirmed. Patriot fans must be crying in their beer - looks good on 'em, doesn't it? - but don't forget what happened the last time the Pats' longtime starter went down:

A former fourth-stringer who was the 199th overall selection in the 2000 draft, Brady himself took over at quarterback when longtime starter Drew Bledsoe sustained a life-threatening chest injury in a 2001 game against the New York Jets. Brady led the Patriots to their first NFL title that year, another in 2003 and another in 2004.

Damian P.

OfficiallyScrewed.com

Ottawa’s Classic Rock Station Offends Republicans

Posted: September 7th, 2008, 7:06pm MST by TrustOnlyMulder

Tags: PoliticsFederal [edit]
I will let my letter to the station speak for itself.

Christian Conservative

"BT Site of the Week - Sept. 7, 2008"

Posted: September 7th, 2008, 5:47pm MST

Tags: Blogging [edit]

"BT Site of the Week - Sept. 7, 2008"
"BT Site of the Week - Sept. 7, 2008"

Posted: September 7th, 2008, 5:47pm MST

Tags: Blogging [edit]

"BT Site of the Week - Sept. 7, 2008"

Darryl Wolk Blog

Campaign Update Day 1 - Newmarket-Aurora

Posted: September 7th, 2008, 5:46pm MST

Tags: Campaign Election federal [edit]

Campaign Update Day 1 - Newmarket-Aurora

Today the election was finally called. Like all other ridings, Newmarket-Aurora has really been in a state of election readiness since the Progressive Conservative Party and Canadian Alliance Parties merged prior to the 2004 election. The 2004 and 2006 elections both gave us minority governments and one of the drawbacks of that is that an election can be called at any time. Basically since the day after the 2006 election, the Lois Brown campaign and Newmarket-Aurora Conservative riding association have been working hard to prepare for this day. We have been raising money, recruiting volunteers, identifying supports and lawn sign locations, putting together a campaign team and preparing the strategy that will now be executed during this campaign. The situation with Belinda Stronach had us on high alert for a by-election. That turned out to be an advantage as for months our team has been ready for the election in our riding.

As the Labour Day concluded, the election came up on us fast. We were prepared for the potential of Harper visiting the Governor General Tuesday, Friday or today. Over the long weekend, our sign team painted our stakes blue as a way of team building and ensuring maximum impact with our signs. We then spent the week organizing our sign team volunteers, dividing the riding into zones and held a special meeting on Friday night. At first we thought it would be a meeting and an overnight sign blitz until Saturday morning. Friday afternoon we were sure that the election was going to be called sometime around 8am on Sunday. As a result we organized our volunteers to be ready to paint the town blue the second the PM visited the Governor General. Earlier this morning the election was called and up until about 9pm several sign crews were going out hitting every major road, GO Train Station, and strategic location in the Newmarket-Aurora riding. Everyone worked hard and achieved our goals for the day. We put up hundreds of signs, hammered our stakes with pounders and used power drills to screw in the signs (note: I prefer using the twist ties but our campaign manager is a fan of drills and screws). It was a Sunday and it was raining. I was happy that the weather or the date did not deter our volunteers from coming out today.

Thanks to the efforts of our dedicated volunteers, tomorrow when residents of Newmarket & Aurora wake up and begin their commute to work; it will be impossible not to see several of the signs pictured above. Currently we have the Liberals and Tim Jones outnumbered at least 10-1 in signs. They will eventually catch up, but today a message was sent. Our campaign team is organized, enthusiastic and willing to work hard to get Lois Brown elected as our federal MP. This effort will continue and we will also begin fulfilling lawn sign requests. I look forward to working out the remainder of this campaign and doing everything we can to return Newmarket-Aurora to the blue column.

I also instructed the Lois Brown sign team to respect Liberal and other opposition signs. We will not block or knock down any of our opponent's signs and hope the same courtesy will be extended to us. Based on past campaigns I see no reason why that should be a concern. A sign war just means more work for all of us.

I will continue attempting to update the Blogging Tories and local residents about our efforts in Newmarket-Aurora. As the Conservatives and Stephen Harper look for a majority, this crucial swing riding in the 905 outside of Toronto will be crucial to those efforts. Obviously I will have to use common sense and reveal only what I can from a grass roots perspective. I hope you enjoy these updates and I wish other Conservative supporters the best of luck in their local campaigns.

Thanks for reading...

Darryl

The Langhjelm Letter

An early prediction

Posted: September 7th, 2008, 5:15pm MST

Tags: [edit]

On the question of seats and which leaders survive:

CPC: 142
LPC: 94
BQ: 41
NDP: 30
Ind. 1
Harper and Layton survive, but Harper is on shakier ground with his party than before.

He was in majority territory in the final public polls taken, but undecideds and Tory leaners broke heavily for the Liberals once again. Some Tory insiders begin to anonymously raise the question of whether Harper is what stands between the party and a majority government.
*****
This of course is not what I hope for or am certain will happen, just my best shot in the dark at present. I've been left stunned on both of the last two election nights at how resilient the Liberals have proven to be, so I won't be surprised this time if they outperform the polls yet again.

Anything between a Liberal minority and a Tory majority is in the realm of possibilities. And if the PM can pull off the big M this time, he'll be regarded by virtually everyone as a strategic master who knew precisely when to strike.
An early prediction

Posted: September 7th, 2008, 5:15pm MST

Tags: [edit]

On the question of seats and which leaders survive:

CPC: 142
LPC: 94
BQ: 41
NDP: 30
Ind. 1
Harper and Layton survive, but Harper is on shakier ground with his party than before.

He was in majority territory in the final public polls taken, but undecideds and Tory leaners broke heavily for the Liberals once again. Some Tory insiders begin to anonymously raise the question of whether Harper is what stands between the party and a majority government.
*****
This of course is not what I hope for or am certain will happen, just my best shot in the dark at present. I've been left stunned on both of the last two election nights at how resilient the Liberals have proven to be, so I won't be surprised this time if they outperform the polls yet again.

Anything between a Liberal minority and a Tory majority is in the realm of possibilities. And if the PM can pull off the big M this time, he'll be regarded by virtually everyone as a strategic master who knew precisely when to strike.

A Step To The Right

Stop the Carbon Tax

Posted: September 7th, 2008, 5:13pm MST by Matt

Tags: Canadian politics [edit]

A new website has popped up recently whose sole mission is to literally stop the carbon tax. Read the content. Send the ecards to your friends. Email every Liberal MP in the country to tell them this is bad policy. Sign the petition. You can even become a fan on Facebook.

But whatever you do, above all else, tell your friends.

Christian Conservative

Dion can't even get Liberal campaign off the ground

Posted: September 7th, 2008, 5:10pm MST

Tags: YouTube [edit]

Dion can't even get Liberal campaign off the ground
Dion can't even get Liberal campaign off the ground

Posted: September 7th, 2008, 5:10pm MST

Tags: YouTube [edit]

Dion can't even get Liberal campaign off the ground

Celestial Junk

Michael Yon: Canadians in Secret Mission

Posted: September 7th, 2008, 5:04pm MST

Tags: afghanistan [edit]

Michael Yon:
The mission was a brilliant success against substantial odds. The British press was justifiably proud of what has been called their largest logistics operation since World War II. These are precisely the sort of large-scale civil affairs/information operations, backed up with military strength and tactical ingenuity, that are required to turn this war around. Digging wells is nice, but pushing electricity to over a million people is even more effective. Yet as impressive as Operation Eagle Summit was, it will take more than just one civil affairs project, however dramatic, to defeat the Taliban, as The Economist notes in this editorial. I found the editorial a bit downbeat considering the unchallenged success of the mission, but we must be realistic that we are in for a long war.

Canadians figure large in this one ... click.

Reconstruction with an iron fist ... the New Canadian CF.Celestial Junk Blog
Michael Yon: Canadians in Secret Mission

Posted: September 7th, 2008, 5:04pm MST

Tags: afghanistan [edit]

Michael Yon:
The mission was a brilliant success against substantial odds. The British press was justifiably proud of what has been called their largest logistics operation since World War II. These are precisely the sort of large-scale civil affairs/information operations, backed up with military strength and tactical ingenuity, that are required to turn this war around. Digging wells is nice, but pushing electricity to over a million people is even more effective. Yet as impressive as Operation Eagle Summit was, it will take more than just one civil affairs project, however dramatic, to defeat the Taliban, as The Economist notes in this editorial. I found the editorial a bit downbeat considering the unchallenged success of the mission, but we must be realistic that we are in for a long war.

Canadians figure large in this one ... click.Celestial Junk Blog

Darryl Wolk Blog

Frank Klees not running federally

Posted: September 7th, 2008, 5:01pm MST

Tags: Campaign Election federal [edit]

Frank Klees not running federally

“There is absolutely no truth to that story and I have made it very clear that I am committed to serving my constituents and that I am committed to the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario and its leader, John Tory,” he said.

“I have no intention, whatsoever, of running federally in the next election.”

[www.yorkregion.com]
PM At The Brier

Posted: September 7th, 2008, 4:52pm MST

Tags: Campaign Election federal [edit]

PM At The Brier

I like when Harper comments on hockey and curling. I appreciate him starting off the campaign demonstrating his family life and also his interests outside of politics.
-Darryl
Huffington Post picks up my comments on Sarah Palin's speech

Posted: September 7th, 2008, 4:46pm MST

Tags: Obama Barack [edit]

Huffington Post picks up my comments on Sarah Palin's speech

To read the full article click here.
-Darryl
Back in Canada, Darryl Wolk, runs the headline: Sarah Palin was awesome! He adds:

After all the unfair media attacks, witch hunts in Alaska and criticism about her experience, Sarah Palin came out strong and confident yesterday, delivering the best speech at the Republican convention last night. I have to say she is impressive. Solid speaker (perhaps the female Obama on the teleprompter), ultra-Conservative and clearly a mom who puts family first. I think she has become a star and is a role model for females looking to enter politics. As a Conservative in Canada, I would love to see her hit the campaign trail with Harper for a couple days! Convention organizers for November should be trying to recruit her as the keynote speaker. I am still supporting Obama, but for the first time in this campaign, I think there is reason to get excited about the Republican ticket. Congratulations to Palin for delivering such a powerful and well executed speech under the circumstances she faced going into it. Awesome is all I have to say.
Huffington Post picks up my comments on Sarah Palin's speech

Posted: September 7th, 2008, 4:46pm MST

Tags: Obama Barack [edit]

Huffington Post picks up my comments on Sarah Palin's speech

To read the full article click here.
-Darryl
Back in Canada, Darryl Wolk, runs the headline: Sarah Palin was awesome! He adds:

After all the unfair media attacks, witch hunts in Alaska and criticism about her experience, Sarah Palin came out strong and confident yesterday, delivering the best speech at the Republican convention last night. I have to say she is impressive. Solid speaker (perhaps the female Obama on the teleprompter), ultra-Conservative and clearly a mom who puts family first. I think she has become a star and is a role model for females looking to enter politics. As a Conservative in Canada, I would love to see her hit the campaign trail with Harper for a couple days! Convention organizers for November should be trying to recruit her as the keynote speaker. I am still supporting Obama, but for the first time in this campaign, I think there is reason to get excited about the Republican ticket. Congratulations to Palin for delivering such a powerful and well executed speech under the circumstances she faced going into it. Awesome is all I have to say.
Democrat Obama has edge in race for White House: Harper

Posted: September 7th, 2008, 4:45pm MST

Tags: Campaign Election federal [edit]

Democrat Obama has edge in race for White House: Harper

Interesting comments from Harper on the US election race. I have got news for the opposition parties...don't expect the George Bush stuff to stick this time. Canadians have seen Prime Minister Stephen Harper since 2006 and realize they have no reason to fear the usual "hidden agenda" smears that have become too predictable and are no longer credible. It will be interesting to see how this Canadian race takes shape with an election campaign going on at the same time South of the Border.
-Darryl

Democrat Obama has edge in race for White House: Harper
2 hours ago

OTTAWA — Stephen Harper has let the world in on a little secret - he thinks Democrat Barack Obama has the edge in the race for the White House.
"I've been following it very closely," the prime minister observed Sunday as he bantered with reporters just before his own campaign plane took off for Quebec City.
Pressed for a personal prediction on the outcome of the U.S. presidential race, Harper at first demurred, suggesting anything he said would be misinterpreted.
After a pause, however, he went on to admit: "I've always said it's the Democrats' to lose."
He was even less reticent about control of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, which are also up for grabs in the campaign south of the border.
"I still say it's the Democrats in a walk in Congress," he said.
Harper and his Conservative government were embarrassed last spring when a leaked Canadian diplomatic memo raised questions about Obama's stand on North American free trade.
The memo, purportedly based on a confidential conversation with an Obama aide, informed Ottawa that the Democratic candidate's past criticism of NAFTA was merely for U.S. political consumption and shouldn't be taken too literally.
The leak was widely seen as costing Obama the Ohio presidential primary then under way and sparked allegations that the Harper government was deliberately trying to undermine his candidacy.
The prime minister, who denied those assertions and later apologized to Obama over the affair, was more circumspect when Republican John McCain visited Ottawa in June.
Harper took care to be out of town at the time, as McCain painted himself as a free-trading ally of Canada in a speech to the Economic Club of Canada.
The prime minister said then that he'd held "good discussions" with both Obama and McCain in the past and considered them both friends of Canada.
He also said that although he was watching U.S. electoral developments with "great interest" he was also watching them with "great neutrality."
It now appears there are limits to his interest.
Asked Sunday whether he'd seen the Republican convention speech of vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin, Harper replied in the negative.
"I went to bed," he said. "I had a campaign to prepare."

The Lotusland Soapbox

It Begins

Posted: September 7th, 2008, 4:42pm MST

Tags: [edit]

OTTAWA - Canada's federal leaders have fanned out across the country after the nation was plunged into its third general election in little more than four years Sunday.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper pulled the plug on his minority government to ask voters for a fresh mandate as Canadians face growing global economic turbulence, a move that opened the political floodgates for an Oct. 14 vote. Harper's political opponents say the campaign will be a referendum on his leadership and the direction he has taken the country since the Conservatives won power in 2006.
And here we go. Let the games begin.
UPDATE: For the record, my initial prediction.
CONSERVATIVE: 131
LIBERAL: 96
BLOC QUEBECOIS: 50
NDP: 30
INDEPENDENT: 1

This is a basic prediction, though. I'll have a more detailed one in a few weeks, once we really see the direction of this campaign.
Either way, I agree with Jarrett on this one. Harper may have angered those who voted for him on a single issue (in my case, for example, Bill C-61), but it's not enough to make them park their vote elsewhere for the most part. At the same time, those who have shown the outrage of Harper being some secretive ideologue are people who wouldn't even vote Conservative if hell froze over, so their input has no real effect.
In the end, though, it will be a minority, not a majority, because, while Harper has been a competent PM, he hasn't dazzled. That will keep him from the magic number of 155 seats.
That said, if a Conservative majority happens- and I don't think it will- I predict that would be the product of Layton and/or May running strong campaigns moreso than Harper, effectively splitting the left into three different camps that are much, much closer in numbers, and much more fractured than they've ever been. In other words, for it to happen, Harper would need what Chretien had in the 1990s.

The Langhjelm Letter

At the risk of provoking vast right wing conspiracy theories

Posted: September 7th, 2008, 4:34pm MST

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Ben's right.

This

is reminiscent of this:

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