Makes it hard for Harper to appear moderate

In the annals of Canadian history, has there ever been anything like this? Cloning at run-on length a speech from a war-driven foreign leader?

Makes it hard for Harper to appear moderate

TV AD: SOFT ON CRIME DOES NOT WORK

TV AD: SOFT ON CRIME DOES NOT WORK

Tories Find A Fall-Guy (BigCityLib Strikes Back)

Who the hell is Owen Lippert and why are the Tories throwing him under the bus? Statement by Owen Lippert: ‘Since the beginning of the election campaign, I have been employed by the Conservative Party of Canada at Conservative Campaign Headquarters. ‘In 2003, I worked in the Office of the Leader of the Opposition. I was tasked with — and wrote — a speech for the then…

Source : BigCityLib Strikes Back (subscribe)

Explore : Canada, Conservatives, Parties, Politics

Tories Find A Fall-Guy (BigCityLib Strikes Back)

Liberals in Atlantic Canada continue to run from the Dion carbon tax (Conservative Party of Canada)

Liberal Atlantic Platform does not contain any reference to the so-called ‘green shift’

Source : Conservative Party of Canada (subscribe)

Explore : Canada, Liberals, Parties, Politics

Liberals in Atlantic Canada continue to run from the Dion carbon tax (Conservative Party of Canada)

Ottawa NDP continue to flirt with fringe (Conservative Party of Canada)

Jack Layton must renounce past links to 9/11 conspiracy movement and fire his candidate

Source : Conservative Party of Canada (subscribe)

Explore : Canada, New Democratic Party, Parties, Politics

Ottawa NDP continue to flirt with fringe (Conservative Party of Canada)

"Strategic Voting" a Red Herring

Strategic voting is a concept based on the ideologically constructed political spectrum. A Green non-vote can only be “strategic” if a Green yes-vote is also. And clearly it is not. Ms. May set the election stage in the Mansbridge interview with her masterful explanation of why voters from across the political spectrum will vote Green. The GPC is post-partisan if not post-ideological, and so we couldn’t act strategically in a political sense even if we wanted to.

"Strategic Voting" a Red Herring

"Strategic Voting" a Red Herring

Strategic voting is a concept based on the ideologically constructed political spectrum. A Green non-vote can only be “strategic” if a Green yes-vote is also. And clearly it is not. Ms. May set the election stage in the Mansbridge interview with her masterful explanation of why voters from across the political spectrum will vote Green. The GPC is post-partisan if not post-ideological, and so we couldn’t act strategically in a political sense even if we wanted to.

"Strategic Voting" a Red Herring

Response to Adrian De Jong

I was going to write a comment to Adrian’s short post, titled Party Integrity, but thought it better to write my response in a separate blog post.

The following is taken from a short article I wrote on September 27th, over at Challenging the Commonplace. The post has become the second most popular since I began writing on the blog six months ago and been linked from a number of other sites.

A Prisoner’s Dilemma for Voters

Bloggers everywhere are writing about strategic voting.

Some argue that progressives should vote strategically. Others argue against, making the compelling case that it is never right to vote for the lesser of evils rather than for a party which best accords with one’s values…

As I responded in a comment on another blog, I think people of good conscience can take different sides on strategic voting and both be right.

I’ve weighed back and forth whether voting strategically is the ethical thing to do – for me – and I don’t pretend to know what’s right for anyone else.

But after thinking hard about it, having for a moment thought that, for the first time in all my voting years, it was right that I vote against one party and not for the party whose values most reflect mine, I just can’t do it.

For me, a vote for a party I don’t support goes against everything I believe in, and the principles and values which have guided me throughout my life. But I do understand someone arguing that to uphold their own values – which could be very similar to mine -, they must do exactly opposite to what I’ve decided.

Full article.

Response to Adrian De Jong

Response to Adrian De Jong

I was going to write a comment to Adrian’s short post, titled Party Integrity, but thought it better to write my response in a separate blog post.

The following is taken from a short article I wrote on September 27th, over at Challenging the Commonplace. The post has become the second most popular since I began writing on the blog six months ago and been linked from a number of other sites.

A Prisoner’s Dilemma for Voters

Bloggers everywhere are writing about strategic voting.

Some argue that progressives should vote strategically. Others argue against, making the compelling case that it is never right to vote for the lesser of evils rather than for a party which best accords with one’s values…

As I responded in a comment on another blog, I think people of good conscience can take different sides on strategic voting and both be right.

I’ve weighed back and forth whether voting strategically is the ethical thing to do – for me – and I don’t pretend to know what’s right for anyone else.

But after thinking hard about it, having for a moment thought that, for the first time in all my voting years, it was right that I vote against one party and not for the party whose values most reflect mine, I just can’t do it.

For me, a vote for a party I don’t support goes against everything I believe in, and the principles and values which have guided me throughout my life. But I do understand someone arguing that to uphold their own values – which could be very similar to mine -, they must do exactly opposite to what I’ve decided.

Full article.

Response to Adrian De Jong

Bring on the economic issues, say Greens

OTTAWA – Devoting an hour of this week’s televised leaders’ debates to economic issues is an excellent idea, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May said today.

While Mr. Harper’s attempt to meddle with the debate format the day before is transparently politically-motivated, the Green Party would welcome the opportunity to present its fiscally conservative, socially and environmentally progressive platform and to contrast it to Stephen Harper’s sorry record and backward ideas, Ms. May said.

The broadcast consortium that manages the French- and English-language debates says the Conservative Party has requested that half of each two-hour program be focused on the economy.

“We don’t really understand why Mr. Harper would want to expose himself for 60 minutes on an issue in which he truly is an emperor without clothes,” Ms. May said.
“But, if he’s willing, we’ll be more than happy to show Canadians the difference between our plan for a forward-looking, job-creating green economy and Mr. Harper’s polluting and rudderless course.

“In less than three years, the Conservatives have squandered the federal government surplus, undermined Canada’s global competitiveness and gutted essential programs, from the environment to food safety, so they can hand out meaningless tax cuts in a cynical attempt to buy votes,” Ms. May said.

“Now, Mr. Harper is making it clear he has absolutely no idea how to cope with the global economic crisis.

“If he wants an hour-long economic debate, he’s got one.”

Bring on the economic issues, say Greens

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