Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Victory
The Ontario vote did collapse, just as I'd feared, but thanks to Quebec--QUEBEC!!--the Tories still win.
Razor thin, yes, but a victory nonetheless.
Kinsella notes that the Tories ran an almost perfect campaign, and the Liberals an almost impossibly bad campaign, and that Canadians still were only willing to grant Harper the tiniest of wins. But I think this is failing to see the forest, or looking a gift horse in the mossy stones, or something. A mildly right-wing government has won, led by a mildly libertarian candidate, who actually advocated adding property rights to the constitution in the middle of a televised debate. In Canada. In our cities! And despite the fact that Harper was running against 3 other parties, all of whom made him out to be some unholy product of a union between Chimpy W. Bushitler and Satan Himself... And despite the fact that the Tories were opposed not only by the incumbent, who came to office only 2 years ago trailing clouds of glory, but also opposed by the public broadcaster and by the largest-circulation newspaper in the country... And despite the fact that Harper was himself widely perceived as such an electoral albatross only 6 months ago that he was seen as his opponent's biggest asset.
It is an historic achievement.
And to all those who are whingeing (this means you, Robert Fife!) that Harper will have a difficult time working with this tiny minority, I say: suck it. It is, parliamentarily speaking, no more difficult working with a 21 seat lead than a 41 seat lead. A minority is a minority. Just like Martin's minority in 2004, Harper needs 2 other parties to support any legislation. And his slim lead will help keep the Tory crazies (this means you, Cheryl Gallant!) on a short leash. This slim minority will help Harper whip his fractious team into line.
I would have preferred a larger lead--a 30 or 40 seat lead, rather than 20 seats. But this is only because I wanted more Liberals to lose (The sweet part of this bitterness: they're sitting in Opposition! Olé!) If we are to have a minority, it truly does not matter how big the lead is.
This is only the first step. And for the first time in more than a dozen years, it's a step in the right direction.
This is a good thing for Canada.
Phew.
Razor thin, yes, but a victory nonetheless.
Kinsella notes that the Tories ran an almost perfect campaign, and the Liberals an almost impossibly bad campaign, and that Canadians still were only willing to grant Harper the tiniest of wins. But I think this is failing to see the forest, or looking a gift horse in the mossy stones, or something. A mildly right-wing government has won, led by a mildly libertarian candidate, who actually advocated adding property rights to the constitution in the middle of a televised debate. In Canada. In our cities! And despite the fact that Harper was running against 3 other parties, all of whom made him out to be some unholy product of a union between Chimpy W. Bushitler and Satan Himself... And despite the fact that the Tories were opposed not only by the incumbent, who came to office only 2 years ago trailing clouds of glory, but also opposed by the public broadcaster and by the largest-circulation newspaper in the country... And despite the fact that Harper was himself widely perceived as such an electoral albatross only 6 months ago that he was seen as his opponent's biggest asset.
It is an historic achievement.
And to all those who are whingeing (this means you, Robert Fife!) that Harper will have a difficult time working with this tiny minority, I say: suck it. It is, parliamentarily speaking, no more difficult working with a 21 seat lead than a 41 seat lead. A minority is a minority. Just like Martin's minority in 2004, Harper needs 2 other parties to support any legislation. And his slim lead will help keep the Tory crazies (this means you, Cheryl Gallant!) on a short leash. This slim minority will help Harper whip his fractious team into line.
I would have preferred a larger lead--a 30 or 40 seat lead, rather than 20 seats. But this is only because I wanted more Liberals to lose (The sweet part of this bitterness: they're sitting in Opposition! Olé!) If we are to have a minority, it truly does not matter how big the lead is.
This is only the first step. And for the first time in more than a dozen years, it's a step in the right direction.
This is a good thing for Canada.
Phew.
