Has anybody seen that commercial about Ignatieff, the leader of the Liberal Party? Its paid for by the Conservatives but I am confused as to why. Are there plans for an election? Why do the Conservatives seem so determined to see him out?
Ignatieff is threatening an election if Harper and the Conservatives don’t bring about EI reform, and they are currently behind the Liberals in public opinion polls. I hope Ignatieff does bring about another election soon, it’s time to get the conservatives out of power.
Hmm you want to get the Conservatives out of power in Ottawa, yet find no apparent problem with the Liberals (who aren’t really Liberal) in Victoria (see other thread).
Interesting viewpoints there.
Perhaps Krissy is a centrist (though of course I don’t know), therefore the federal and provincial NDP would never appeal to her (or him, as you are never sure).
I think we could be heading for yet another election very soon.
Ideologically, the provincial NDP is probably closer to the federal Liberals than the federal NDP. That’s probably why you have a prominent former NDP MLA (and MPP) in the Federal Liberal party now. Both of them former NDP premiers as well.
I’d say the Federal Conservatives (especially the Reformers) are closer to the BC Liberals than anyone else.
I suspect that as with their attack campaign again Dion, and regardless of how soon an election may be called, the Conservative strategy is to define Iggy in negative terms before the Liberals have a chance to define or ‘brand’ Iggy in their own terms - first impressions are the most lasting and all that. That worked with Dion quite successfully but I think that Iggy is a much tougher guy - “If Mr Harper wants to mess with me I’ll mess with him” - and also too complex and enigmatic a character to easily portray in the trite or simplistic terms that the Conservative favour or are incapable of moving beyond.
I also don’t think that emphasizing how much time Iggy spent out of the country as an academic and journalist will strike much of a chord. A large part of the urban population especially has spent time out this country, in many cases because of having immigrated here, or have generational ties elsewhere. To me the Conservatives are simply catering to their own hard core supporters who care about such things rather than appealing to more pragmatic centrist voters who will disproportionately affect the outcome of the next election. I suspect that Harper et al will be gone next election.
To be fair, the Tories should also be disowning Wayne Gretzky and Neil Young.
That’s exactly what I would consider myself. I would prefer if the BC liberals were a bit more towards the center on some issues but prefer them over the NDP. Federally, I can’t stand the conservatives and like the fact that there is a more centrist party, compared to BC where it’s either left or right.
Here’s Iggy’s reply
Last time I heard this calm sensible approach, it was Gordon Wilson spelling the end of Social Credit.
Not sure if you can call yourself a centrist if you are following the Campbell agenda for policies.
More of a right to centre I would think… The Campbell Liberals are just Socreds with a friendly name… and even then, some of their privatization plans would have ole WAC Bennet thinking about a comeback from the hereafter…
He pretty clearly said that he’d rather have the BCL be closer to the center. 
I agree completely, ThePodunkian. The Campbell government is “Liberal” in name only.
See how easy it is to put dumb attack ads in their place. That is messaging done right.
Politicians use attack ads because they work:
Or you could just have your buddies at the Globe and Mail.
[quote]
Tracing the Prime Minister’s family tree by Roy MacGregor
We know everything there is to know about the lifelines that flow through Michael Ignatieff, but not a thing about the blood – ice water, the cruel will say – that flows through the veins of Stephen Harper.
Christopher Harper.
The original Canadian Harper – born in a small village in Yorkshire in 1730 – emigrated to Nova Scotia in 1774 and moved into a house near Fort Cumberland, only to have the home burned to the ground two years later by rebels. He spent years taking revenge in the courts and slowly rising through the political system.
Harper had risen to the post of justice-of-the-peace by the time a judicial enquiry found him guilty of, as one historian put it, “violent and oppressive measuresâ€[/quote]
You have a difficulty with Mr. MacGregors work I gather.
I actually laughed with it. I thought it was a funny take. But honest being honest, it looks like an attack on Harper, quite frankly.