Keith, your messages have less and less meaning over time. The United States has more party disloyalty than Canada, so your lectures of "how it is up here in Canada" are rather annoying at best.
Unless you forget, I already know how it is in Canada.
Until you take up residency here, I doubt you have more invested in or know more about the country than I do, so I suggest you quit while you're ahead on this line of attack. I would not be so arrogant as to suggest to a yank that I know more about the states than him....
You are aware that many members of the two major US parties hardly follow their party leadership, whereas in Canada its tantamount to being kicked out of the party when you question the top.
And I for one, despise the rigidity of our parties here because it leads to such hard, doctrinaire positions.....
I prefer the responsible party system in Canada, for what its worth.
Ever observed the English parliamentary system? That's what Canada should have had. Instead we have American politicians living under a British model.
Beyond this, you apparently think its un-Canadian to have an ideals based system where you believe in certain planks or platforms.
I think its un-Canadian to be close-minded and rigid....
I think its good to have a cohesion behind a specific group or cause. Its not called blind ideology, but its called cooperation and working with others to get something done.
Fair enough...but what happens when the group fails, is it worthwhile to stick to them as they fail to learn the lessons they need?
I don't agree with everything the Liberals have done, but its worth standing for against the Conservatives. I also fail to see how they are as bad as you claim...
The wound is smaller for you because you weren't voting for them and donating money to them....
You keep saying you'd "like to vote Liberal" but your reasons tend to be that you want the Liberals to stop being Liberal.
Nein, I just want them to be the Libs of the 90s, not some blue version of the NDP.
I don't think you really paid attention to the Green Shift plan based on how you talk of it. It was revenue neutral, it was not a radical plan.
Nope, it was a radical plan. It stopped being revenue neutral when it took in more than it paid out on the tax balance...to fund social programs. What's more it left middle income earners (a real clue to why this didn't sell) and the business sector with the short end of the stick. It was less a carbon tax then a plan to use the green schtick to fund various social causes. WTF does child care have to do with the environment? Had it been a strict carbon tax and real revenue neutrality I would have voted for it.
If that's the only reason you dislike the Liberals under Dion, okay, but I have heard you say one thing and do another before.
I didn't accuse Dion of waffling. I accused him of being a weak leader for a turbulent time. Proof: sticking to the green shift as the economy tanked. Kinda like McCain selling a national security agenda during a recession.
My opinion is simple: I thought Dion led a misinterpreted, miscalculated campaign where he focused on a Green Shift plan that most people didn't care about. I agreed with his policy, but he had poor communication and did not connect with voters.
On this perhaps, we can agree....he did a poor job of selling what he had on the table.
Don't lecture me about how I can't think for myself, its really unbecoming of you Keithz.
If you are going to insinuate that I am less than the sincere in my views, I will be equally forthcoming on my prognostications on yours.....
I wouldn't rely on your opinion if I were a Liberal leader looking to reshape the party so it could win a majority. Your opinions don't seem to be that pro-Liberal.
I call it how I see it. The way I see it, their leftward turn cost them rural and suburban ridings, making them actually lose ground. Your suggestion is to turn even more leftward. I say it's better to take the Conservatives on in the centre than to fight with the NDP, Green Party and Bloc on the left. I guess we can agree to disagree on what's the better game plan.
Maybe I'm old fashioned, but in order to want a party to win you have to believe in it somewhat. You don't.
Just because I didn't vote for them this election does not mean I don't believe in them or would not want to see them be a strong alternative to the Conservatives. It is statements like this, why I have suggested that you don't get Canadians. In your view, if I don't support the Liberals once, that makes me a pariah who has no right to contribute thoughts or views on the Liberal party. That's not how I or most Canadians think.
