Conservatives can win minority by Liberal shift to left, says MacKay

[Socialist Christian]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1845&ncid=721&e=11&u=/cpress/20031120/ca_pr_on_na/unite_the_right


MONTREAL (CP) - As Liberal Leader Paul Martin moves to the political left, a united Conservative party will be able to form a minority government, Tory Leader Peter MacKay said Thursday.



"I think a minority government is within reach but it's going to take a lot of work," MacKay told reporters after meeting with about 60 supporters of a union between the Progressive Conservative and Canadian Alliance parties.


"There's no shortcuts to this. We are going to have to earn it the old fashioned way that's with good candidates, good policy and just hard work."


A new Conservative Party will be able to attract moderate voters because Martin will focus on liberal social values to thwart the resurgence of the New Democrats, he said.

[La_Serpiente]

1. To the Canadians out there

do you think it will work? I hope not...the last thing we need is a conservative government to the North.

[Darth_Kitten]

21. nah!!!

I know moderate PC'ers will sooner vote Liberal than move to the right.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

2. Prediction: Martin Landslide 180-200 seats.

This smells of desperation. A Canadian Alliance dominated Conservative Party will most definitely not attract moderate voters. Many former PC voters will go to Martin, who will run centrist, certainly not left. Martin wants to win seats in the West, so he will be as centrist as he can.

[Hand]

3. In your dreams, Petey boy...

MacKay is nothing more than Stephen Harper's bitch at this point (shudder--not a pretty thought); he's handed his party over to the right-wing yahoos and is clutching at straws to try to save his own sorry political ass. That's just not going to happen and he knows it.

The fun part will be when the spanking new Conservative party tries to select a leader. The knives will be out and MacKay's back will be the first to get stabbed. And it'll serve him right, the witless rube.

Kiss your political ambitions good-bye, you all-day sucker. What made you think that a western-based party would ever in a jillion years make an Atlantic Canadian leader?

Oh, of course--you have shit for brains. Sorry, forgot.

OH, YEAH--This is Canadian politics we're talking about here, folks. Must have sounded like an alternate universe.
:wtf: Hmm, perhaps it is.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

4. There will be no united right because the right is already united

It's the Canadian Alliance. This will be another failed attempt for Harper et al. Harper will win leadership of the new party and will find himself back in charge of the Reform Party. Nothing changes. Canada will keep rejecting these extremists under whatever guise they choose.

[Spazito]

5. Martin has the next election sewed up

Harper is blowing smoke, the reality is that Martin will capture the disaffected Conservatives that are smart enough not to buy into the take over of their party by the Alliance.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

6. I predict Martin makes big gains in the West. 2000 was the CA high tide

Martin likely to take -
One Calgary seat (either North-Central or South-Central)
One or two of Edmonton Centre-East, Edmonton Strathcona or Edmonton North
Richmond, plus one other Vancouver area seat.
Plus five to ten Quebec seats
NDP to take Blackstrap SK, Regina-Lumsden, Saskatoon-Rosetown, maybe Ottawa Central from Libs.

[Spazito]

7. Yes, I see it that way as well...

Martin, as a fiscal "conservative", will be perceived as more middle of the road than Chretien was perceived to be, with perception being the key word. I live in the interior of B.C., Alliance haven, and there are 4 people vieing to become the Lib nominee, that hasn't happened for a very long time!

[Screaming Lord Byron]

8. What riding are you in?

I'm in Calgary Nose Hill - hell freezes over territory for the grits.

[Spazito]

9. Kootenay-Boundry-Okanagan (Jim Gouk-ewww)

I want that man out, he is sooooooo disgusting!

Edited to change the riding name - used the old one lol

[Screaming Lord Byron]

10. That's gonna take a couple of elections. Went NDP in 1988, right?

So there's some hope, once this whole Western Alienation business is out of the way.

[Spazito]

14. It used to be a swing riding but, has been Alliance the last two

elections but, then again, we had very poor candidates running against Gouk, imo. This time, we have at least one with good credentials and political experience.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

15. Personally I think the reason for the high CA majorities is this whole

ill defined 'Western Alienation' business. If Martin is as good as his word, he will neutralise a lot of that and many seats that were previously locked up by the alliance will be in play.

[Spazito]

17. Yep, no argument there

There is no question making inroads in the west is a priority with Martin. I will be interested, though, in how exactly he is going to do that unless it is with cash.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

18. Kyoto perhaps? Wheat board reform? Department of the Regions?

[Maple]

11. They said the same thing last time

Their new leader Stockwell Day was on a 'freedom train'... he was the 'new sherriff in town' and he was going to form the govt, and throw the Liberals out.

However the Liberals under Chretien won a landslide victory, and Stockwell got tossed out by his own party.

They are 'whistling past the graveyard' here is all. Trying to bolster spirits in the face of the massive Liberal majority they are again facing...under Martin this time.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

12. Ah. Stockwell Day, wetsuit and all.

Y'know he's considering standing for leadership of the new party. I'd love him to win!

[Maple]

13. Well they haven't many other

contenders. Every time they mention a possibility, the person named denies it! :D

I think it will likely be Harper by default.

No 'new party'... just the same old CA party doing their annual name change thingy.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

16. Harper will win, and nothing will change.

I'm feeling pretty good about the May 2004 election.

[TrogL]

19. They've already admitted that the curren t election is toast.

They simply aren't ready.

• They don't have a leader.
  
• They don't have a platform.
  
• They don't even have a membership list.
  
• They're already infighting.
  

At worst, they can cobble together to run a single candidate in each riding. Their one, single, goal is to oust Anne McLellan - my MP.

Lovely.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

22. They're obsessed with Anne McLellan

How dare she be a Liberal MP in Alliance Country. It's hilarious how each time they almost but not quite beat her. If they couldn't beat her in 2000, they sure as hell won't in 2004.

[Frederic Bastiat]

20. Martin is centrist

Look for him to pick up more seats out West as former Tories are weary of sharing the same bed as the Alliance.

[goforit]

23. Ya win the minority that never shows up to vote!

I guess this is a threat?