Tuesday, December 02, 2008

Hey bully, take that!


OK, I know this is off topic, but I just had to say something.

I really can't control my glee at watching the Conservatives squirm. This is the most exciting politics has been in Canada in my lifetime.

It's fun to see how the bully -- who's been poking and prodding his schoolyard victims at every chance possible -- reacts when a group of them turn and punch him in the face. The meticulous strategist has made too many wrong moves.

To be honest, I think the moves by Stephane Dion and Jack Layton are potentially the biggest leadership steps either have ever taken. And as for Gilles Duceppe, if you take away the separtist aspect, he's basically on par with the NDP. They're already in the House, Quebeckers voted too, so let's have them involved.

Harper raged in the House over the past few days that this is all so "undemocratic." Puh-lease. Harper got 38 per cent of the vote and acted like he got 110 per cent of the vote. Now the guys who got 62 per cent of the vote (of the measly 60 per cent of voters who even decided it was worth their effort to cast a ballot in the election a mere 7 weeks ago) are pulling together to see if they can do it better.

After watching Harper play politics with an economic statement at a time when what Canada needs is a true leader to see us through what is going to be one of the roughest economic times in memory, I'm willing to give the other guys a shot.

In his campaign on a few short months ago, Harper didn't campaign pledging to eradicate the $1.95 voter subsidy for political parties. Or on taking away a few unions' right to strike. No, I believe he said he was the best one to lead the economy through tough times. Hasn't he been watching what's happening in the U.S.? The country's got a new sense of hope with a leader who, now that the ballots have been counted, is putting politics aside in favour of trying to do some practical things to help his people. And Harper? The first chance he got to make a statement to Canadians about how he will be the stalwart leader amid times of turmoil, he goes and pokes the opposition in the eye, again, and again, and again.

Note, Mr. Harper, you did not get a majority when you went back to the voters (although we all know he was screaming inside for one). Take that as a hint. We didn't like Harper enough to give him carte blanche to govern how he saw fit. We left the other guys with enough seats to keep you in check. Good thing.

If we had some form of proportional representation, the PCs would have even fewer seats. In our first-past-the-post system the PCs won the most seats, but in popularity more people voted against Harper than for him. He needs to remember that.

And when he had the chance to show he could put partisanship aside and do what's in the best interests of the people, he just couldn't put the politics on the backburner.

I want Michaelle Jean to turn Harper down. To tell him No. Let's see if this coalition, based on a few narrow priorities, might do a better job. Wouldn't it be funny if it turned out Dion is a better leader than Harper? I'm ready to give him a shot. I've had enough of Harper the bully and all his cronies.

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