The media has just made it so easy now for Harper to sail to a majority. It'll be like taking candy from a baby.
The CBC is wondering where the NDP's constitution is:
Now that the NDP is within shouting distance - maybe- of forming government, a lot of people might want to take a closer look at the party, at its founding goals and principles. Questions to the NDP's media hotline yield the response that the NDP constitution is "an internal document", available to members only, and that the NDP is running on its platform, not on its constitution. And yet, anyone who wants to join the NDP has to first agree to abide by its constitution, presumably without getting a chance to read it.And of course the gloating Conservatives who won't post a comment, but email me regularly are absolutely delirious.
The NDP's constitution is hard to ferret out, but there are copies to be found on the internet, dating from 2001 and 2003, and of course there's no way of telling if the ideas expressed in them still represent the NDP's thinking. But, crucially, there are fundamental and seminal ideals expressed, and they are potentially explosive. The principles of "democratic socialism" are laid out, and they might prove troublesome for the party as it heads towards what may be the official Opposition or even more.
I got this wonderful attack from Sun Media:
And another reader couldn't wait to send me a link to this. It will fry the NDP and Harper's smug face will be with us for decades. And with him goes our democracy.
These are the "Socialist Caucus Resolutions for the Federal NDP Convention in 2011"
The first two are fine with me but then they get dicey: 3. Nationalize U.S. Steel. 4. Close the Alberta Tar Sands
Save the jobs of the steel industry but throw oil workers out of a job?
7. Legalize Cannabis is good. 8. Canada out of NATO, NATO out of Afghanistan. Fine with me but I can hear the Cons now. In fact, the National Citizens coalition ran a complete campaign when Broadbent suggested that we get out of NATO.
Skip to 10. Justice for Palestinians, Boycott apartheid Israel. I agree but they gave Libby Davies a dressing down for suggesting the same thing.
Here comes the whoppers: 11. Nationalize the Auto Industry 12. Nationalize the Big Banks and Insurance companies 13. Nationalize Big Oil and Gas
And: 14. No NDP coalition with Business Class Political Parties. And yet Layton was ready to form a coalition with Harper.
It was a Harper supporter who sent me this so I imagine they are drafting attacks around it already.
Sometimes idealism can be just as damaging as ideology. Much of this won't play out well with moderates.
Normally, I would have dismissed this, but with Harper now poised for a majority, I have to do what I have to do. There has never been a more challenging time in this nation's history.
I've spent two years exposing Harper and neoconservatism and I feel like it's been for nothing. He's going to win.
Don't give up so quick. It ain't over till its over.
ReplyDeleteNo credence in the polls.
pshaw. Red baiting at its worst. Don't get sucked in by the panicking CONS
ReplyDeleteDon't say it until it's true. We can't give up now. Polls are fluff and nonsense, they're as reliable as the stock brokers who decide the price of oil, with similar effect on our elections. Come election day, things could be completely different from anything any poll might have projected.
ReplyDeleteHere's the current reality: About 500,000 more voters have gone to advanced polls than in the last election. I don't know who will form the next government, but hopefully this will help translate into a serious loss for the Conservatives.
OMG, I think you might be right, Emily.
ReplyDeleteWe can only hope, if they win again, the Cons will screw up big-time this time, so everyone in the country can see who really is a dictator.
Then, perhaps, if he is willing to stick around as leader of the Liberals, Michael Ignatieff can form a government to bring Canada back to being Canada again.
Your two years were NOT for naught, Emily. I hope you're willing to stick around, too.
Scanner, I'm only predicting what the Cons will use for ammunition. The guy who sent me this works on one of the Conservative campaigns. He was gloating. They will use it now or later. But they will use it.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm not giving up. Rough day today but I'll be back tomorrow, pumped and ready to go.
PS: I'M NOT QUITTING!
ReplyDeleteI just finished an evening of phone canvassing in Montreal and in my calling group, the Liberals are ahead, Cons second and NDP not on the radar screen. Not that it means anything, but perhaps the polls are full of it and we are panicking for nothing. We just have to keep on working and trying to encourage strategic voting. The NDP constitution may push some of their new-found supporters back into the Liberal camp.
ReplyDeleteDid the Socialist Caucus resolutions pass?
ReplyDeleteEr, no.
But don't let that stand in the way of a good panic.
There is no chance Harper will get even a minority.
ReplyDeleteWe remember.
33,000+ Canadians Marched in the Streets for Democracy
on January 23rd, 2010 in 60+ Rallies
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qcgqSVLhec
What the hell does the fact that the Socialist Caucus (a far leftwing pressure group in the party that does not dictate party policy and has influence only so much as it's members can beat out he more moderate social democratic majority of the party - which is never) have ANYTHING to do with official Dipper policy? This is beyond stupid red-baiting.
ReplyDeleteDawg and Analyst. The point is not that the NDP would adopt any of those measures. Of course they won't. However, they will factor into a campaign if this becomes about Conservatives vs NDP. You can bet on it.
ReplyDeleteWhy else would a gloating Conservative operative send it to me? Like ha, ha ... see our ammunition.
If Harper gets a minority and the opposition want to make Layton PM, assuming he gets more seats, Harper will create a consitutional crisis saying we can't have a prime minister who wants to close down the Tar Sands and nationalize the auto industry, banks, insurance companies and Big Oil.
Harper's flock will rally and it could be a mess.
And why is the MSM suddenly asking if we've seen their constitution? Even calling the NDP HQ looking for it? No one questioned it before.
We have to get inside the Conservative mind. Remember the "Separist" "Socialist" nonsense in 2008? They will use this to amplify the situation.
It could get very ugly.
Alison I still think the Liberal candidate still has a good chance in Kington though the Conservatives are moving up. The NDP is a distant third. The problem here is that we've always had cabinet ministers.
ReplyDeleteLiberal or Conservative candidate are cabinet material. NDP is not, so that could factor in.
We're also a rather conservative town, home of John A. MacDonald. A couple of elections ago we had a very high profile NDP candidate. Likable, popular. I voted for him thinking he had a real chance. He finished a distant third.
In all the confusion many in Kingston are now going to the Conservatives.
I haven't given up hope of a progressive gov't, NDP or Liberal, but am more worried now about a Harper majority than I have been throughout the campaign.
I just stumbled on to your blog. What the hell are you guys smoking?
ReplyDeleteJust me. No guys. Don't smoke.
ReplyDelete