Beyond The Commons

Aaron Wherry covers all the goings-on in and around Parliament Hill. Follow Aaron on Twitter: @aaronwherry

Categories: Beyond The Commons, Capital Read

The new drinking game

by Aaron Wherry on Thursday, September 2, 2010 1:12pm - 0 Comments

The Prime Minister’s pitch to Quebec sounds a lot like his pitch to Ajax, which sounds a lot like his pitch to southern Ontario. In the last case, the “coalition” apparently has to explain why the Bloc doesn’t like national parks.

“When we get to the day that the opposition coalition forces an election, which I hope, as I say, is not in the immediate future because I think we should be focusing on the economy, I think the Liberals and NDP are going to have a lot of explaining to do,” he said, including “why they want to be a coalition partner with a party that thinks things like the national parks are a federalist plot. I think it’s just bizarre.”

Tags: coalition, coalition government, Stephen Harper

More by Aaron Wherry

L.Lea

Harper's bizarre.

DerekPearce

"OMG, I used the word "sh*te" (with an "i" but also and "e" on the end for god sake) and it automatically deleted. Well, I won't go over it all again but just want to say thanks for the excellent pun, and according to somebody or other this is one of the best mag covers of the 1990s, staring St. Catherine's own Linda: when they relaunched: http://media.onsugar.com/files/ons1/273/2738962/0…

DerekPearce

and as a good fashion boy back in the day I still have that issue moldering in my basement

Emily

Good luck on finding any 'coalition'.

Olaf

It exists in our hearts, Emily. In our hearts.

Mike T.

And under the bed and in the closet!

Dave

I saw a coalition on the bus this afternoon.

David_M.

I cannot believe he expects the electorate to swallow such a load.
This is our PM shovelling this tripe?
Shouldn't we be expecting something more/better from our Prime Minister?
Totally disheartening.

Jan

Some of us are way past expecting something better.
RunningGag

I cannot believe he expects the electorate to swallow such a load.

Seriously? Rewind your brain 18 months.

gottabesaid

If Harper is going to use the term 'coalition' this (no pun intended) liberally, I'm not sure anyone's liver could survive this particular drinking game.
John D

I'm no political genius, but in order to get a majority don't you need to convince some voters to move from another party to your party? Is demonizing and insulting all the opposition parties the best way to do it? "Well Joe from Cambridge, you must feel pretty bad for supporting the Canada-hating, Taliban-loving coalition in the last election. Maybe you should be less of a douche and vote for us next time."

gottabesaid

Geez… since you put it that way… I do kinda feel like a douche… I'd better vote Conservative next time 'round. I want to be able to sleep at night.

John D

"I think we should be focusing on the economy"

So…why aren't you?…

tedbetts

Veeeerrry good question.

ColdStanding

Well, how the heck can he spend anytime focusing on the economy when he has to keep his eyes on the horizon for the signs that the opposition will actually start to oppose him?

It is a cunning plan on the part of the opposition in which they plan to make him completely paranoid as to when they will strike by showing absolutely no intention as to actually wanting to challenge him. Devious. Absolutely devious. Nobody expects the Spanish Inquition.

http://www.jesserosenberg.com Jesse_Rosenberg

But when you accuse your opponents of plotting, you don't have to point to any evidence.

Or be bothered by facts, like that you were the only ones who failed to see the recession coming, or that you were the biggest spending government in history before the recession you didn't see coming…

Mike T.

Actually, they got two years of unconditional support from the Bloc – WITHOUT EVEN HAVING THE BLOC IN THE COALITION!

It's harper that would have to constantly trying to get Gilles onside. Each and every time. Concession after concession.

Scared? You should be.

BWAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA!!!!

Olaf

Can somebody check in on Mike? I feel like he's finally gone of the deep end. Another of Harper's victims.

danby

He'll be okay. But the bottle of Yukon Jack he uncorked to play the "coalition" drinking game? Another one of Harper's victims

Jonathan McKinnell

Hah, Brilliant

danby

This should help to burn every bridge Mr Harper tried to build in Quebec.
Desperation does not strike me as a quality that enhances leadership.

Charles H.

They're almost in the single digits in that province, according to the latest polls — which leads me to believe that there aren't many bridges left standing.

Canuck237503

As someone from Ajax, I'd like to point out that its name is similar to that of Yukon . . .
Wascally Wabbit

Coalition is just a code word for the 65% of Canadians who didn’t vote for Harper – isn’t it?

Olaf

I'm terrified of about 65% of Canadians, so the math would seem to work out.

wascally wabbit

Ah – circle around guys and gals – Olaf needs a group hug!

AT1

You are suspiciously close to the definition accepted by the coalition members themselves.
Coincidence?

tedbetts

ACME Simplified Election Campaign Platform (TM): “Blah, blah, blah, blah, OPPOSITION COALITION, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, OPPOSITION COALITION, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, COALITION, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, COALITION, blah, GUN REGISTRY, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, COALITION, , blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, GUN REGISTRY, blah, blah, blah, blah, COALITION, blah, blah, blah, blah, TOUGH ON CRIME, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, COALITION.”

David_M.

Gary Larson as CPC campaign manager.
Could happen.
danby

Feschuk Reid it ain't…..

TJCook

"I think the Liberals and NDP are going to have a lot of explaining to do…"

"Shut up," he explained…
Blues Clair

It seems that there's a strong possibility that the next election could produce similar results as Australia's recent election. That would be interesting.

tedbetts

Interesting, even if clearer how it would play out.
danby

Especially if the conservatives could only form a government with the help of the Bloc

Out There

It's been obvious for some time what Harper's strategy is going to be: to attempt to frame the election as a choice between a Conservative majority and a "coalition of the socialists and separatists".

If I were running a political campaign, I would be tempted to use Harper's tactic against him. I would announce, as loudly as possible, that the choice is between "free, representative, open government" and a "Harper dictatorship".

Whenever possible, I would use the words "Harper" and "dictatorship" in close proximity – employing the principle that the Conservatives seem to be trying to employ: if you repeat an untruth often enough, it will begin to seem like a truth.

Olaf

I agree that a rhetorical race to the bottom would be a good time. Political discourse has been a bit too sophisticated and polite lately.

Out There

We're already having a race to the bottom – it's just that only one of the competitors realizes that it's a race.

I'd strongly prefer it if the Liberals, NDP and Greens were to gain ground through appeal to our better natures. But I fear that the Harper approach may be effective. I hope that I am wrong.

Blacktop

No, there are still enough people who think that a combination of the Liberals and the NDP is quite bizarre, let alone a quiet unspoken alliance of both of them with the Bloc.. Imagine, a party whose objective is the breakup of the country actually being given a voice in Parliament for the causes they espouse, let alone to be allied in power with such a starved, outfit as the NDP (which could never see power on its own,). How are they going to decide who will tax and who will spend? A constitutionalist from anywhere else woould goggle.

You guys should get a grip. There isn't a leader, new or old, in that bunch. Duceppe is the only one and I'd watch hime that he doesn't copme to dinner and steal the silverware.

Harper reminds me in a way of MacKenzie KIng, (pre-war, during and after) . Everybody hated him; everybody reviled him; the troops in the field had nothing but opprobrium when he visited overseas. He waffled about this and that but eventually the people selected him – then (it Liberal was not yet a bad word). As the saying goes, he may have been an awful selection and he was politically crafty – but he was their politicall crafty! The CCF (precursor to the NDP) were facing the end of the war with a vague possibility of power -or at the least a ignificant opposition power. . Did MacKenzie King consider a "coalition?" He did not . He merely stole the planks from their (CCF) platform and mumbled ""socialists" in Canada? " Humph! Of course he already had Quebec safely on his side, perhaps because of his mumbo jumbo about "Conscription but not necessarily conscription" – which everybody thought was sleazy as it meant the conscripts wouldn't be sent into battle – which nicely muddied the situation. Troops were conscripted but they were not sent to Erurope
but to chill their bums in the Alleutians. Others were bombarded by a powerful PR campaign that they should volunteer for Europe – and many did.

My point is that Harper has that same ability to hide, obfuscate and in the end get something like what he wanted.

Crit_Reasoning

If I were running a political campaign, I would be tempted to use Harper's tactic against him. I would announce, as loudly as possible, that the choice is between "free, representative, open government" and a "Harper dictatorship".

Good thing you're not running a political campaign, if you think accusing your opponent of "dictatorship" is some kind of brilliant strategy.

Out There

I agree that it's not a particularly brilliant strategy – I'd be tempted to try it, but I would probably reject it. (If I were running a real campaign, I would have access to all sorts of focus groups and other data that would help me come up with an effective strategy. Why the Liberals are not being more effective campaigners is an open question – presumably, money is a factor.)

But there is no qualitative difference between accusing one's opponent of being a dictator and accusing one's opponents of planning a coup; Harper has done the latter.
madeyoulook

Hey, they accused the Tories of having some bible-thumping extreme right-wing neo-conservative agenda that bubbled up from — shudder — the USA. Dumb lies seem to make their way into campaign strategies from time to time, it seems.

Holly Stick

What lies would those be?

madeyoulook

I guess you missed the last couple of budgets.

http://dredtory.blogspot.com/ Sir_Francis

Yeah, Kory Teneycke and Co. have been in no way influenced by the right-wing of the GOP in theory and practice. All this talk of striving to import a FOX News discourse and Tea Party ethos into the Canadian mainstream is just your typical Maoist-media blather. And Ari Fleischer worked for Harper because Harper is totally anti-GOP, not because he's remotely ideologically allied to the U.S. right.

http://dredtory.blogspot.com/ Sir_Francis

… if you think accusing your opponent of "dictatorship" is some kind of brilliant strategy.

Aside from the question of its doubtful brilliance, would such a strategy be premised on a valid perception?

What's the name of the only minister of the Canadian Crown who is on record stating that his government would "go over the head of the Governor General" (and thus by-pass the constitution) if she refused a cabinet request for prorogation? Is it "John Baird"?

And what is the only reason we cannot, on that basis, accuse the government of fascist longings? Is it because we've learned not to take anything this government says seriously (and to take anything Baird says even less seriously)?

Why, yes it is.
Blacktop

That one would backfire for sure. like, "We finally have a great leader and is not afraid to speak up.!"

(Faint echoes of the roar of crowds in the background. And it is hard at that junctuire who is for and who is against. A strong leader is good if you think he supports your view, bad if you revile him.

tedbetts

Hmmm.

Let's see.

Liberals take the position that Harper is making stuff up, fearmongering with bogeymen, just throwing mud at duly elected represenatives of fellow Canadians and insulting voters in the middle who might have supported the Conservatives but could be supporting the Liberals…

… AND, at the same time, they go out on the hustings calling a democratically elected government a full-on dictatorship, and that supporters of that government are supporting a dictatorship.

Brilliant. I say.

I really can't see how that could go wrong.

Or backfire.

Or undermine their primary message.

Or make the Liberal message look even sillier than the Conservative message.

Out There

You (and others) have convinced me – it's a poor campaign strategy. I was just intrigued by the idea of somebody using the Conservatives' weapons against them?

But I wonder: what is the best tactic for the Liberals to use, given that it seems likely that the Conservatives are going to base their campaign strategy on an untruth? (The untruth being, to reiterate, that the choice is between a Conservative majority and a coalition.) What is the best way to fight when your opponent's principal strategy is to hit below the belt early and often?

James Connors

What is the best way to fight when your opponent's principal strategy is to hit below the belt early and often?

This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.

A_logician

Don't hide behind the arras, James.
James Connors

I'd like to be able to parry your quip, at least.

The nearest I can come is l’esprit de l’escalier.

ex-canuck

This is bizarre, as is the whole anti-Harper gaggle in this magazine. The word, "sophomore", pops up all the time when reading the posts.

Holly Stick

Try "young at heart".

Blacktop

No, "stupid". Anyone who follows any party on the basis of PR is stupid. "Young at heart " means "hit me right here."

Anyone who follows these posts iseven worse off.

Mike T.

I'd also use "Harper has promised he'll resign if he doesn't get a majority, but I don't believe him."

NiceGuy

Really? I am still embarrassed that Cretin was ever PM.

Shudder…

Blacktop

Or the worst case, Trudeau, Between the two they spread rot through the whole land.

http://intensedebate.com/people/Ottawa_Centrist Ottawa_Centrist

The main problem with Chretien and Trudeau was their obsessive attacking of straw bogeymen and calling into question the loyalty of the majority of Canada's MPs rather than debating policy, highlighting successes, conveying vision…

… wait a sec…