Monday, June 13, 2005

The Cowardly Lion

Jean Lapierre has come out and announced that Gilles Duceppe is a "coward" for not jumping to provincial politics. While it is true that leader of the BQ is a much safer job, as TDH has commented, trying to goad Gilles Duceppe into jumping to provincial politics is a very odd strategy, to put it mildly. I can come up with three theories to explain Lapierre's new tactics:


1. He genuinely feels Duceppe is a coward. After all, Lapierre considers the BQ nothing more than a "temporary ad hoc rainbow coalition" so it must be baffling to him how anyone could turn down a chance to be Premier of Quebec for that job.


2. Jean Lapierre is absolutely devastated that Duceppe didn't jump provincially. This is the theory I subscribe to. Here's what I wrote about Jean Lapierre's speech at the LPCA convention this January:
He mentioned that Stephen Harper would not be able to break into Quebec (wow! shocker!) and that Gilles Duceppe will leave to become leader of PQ (I believe Lapierre said "Premier of Quebec" which is not how I'd be wording it if I were a Jean Charest supporter). It sounds to me like the Liberal's Quebec strategy consists of hoping Gilles Duceppe leaves federal politics and I'm not sure if this is really the best way to win back the province. But, then again, Jean Lapierre is a political genius and I'm not, so maybe it's not such a bad idea.

Lapierre has been basing his entire strategy on the departure of Gilles Duceppe and now he realizes this isn't going to happen. This is also going to make the Liberal line about "The Conservatives in Bloc are in bed" a lot harder to push, because that entire theory was based on the premise that an early election would allow Duceppe to jump to Quebec City and win a referendum.


3. Maybe Jean Lapierre was hoping to throw his hat into the ring should the job of BQ leader open up ;-)

posted by calgarygrit at 2:08 p.m.

8 Comments:

  • I vote for option 3!!

    Nothing would be better for Canadian federalism than Jean Lapierre becoming the leader of the Bloc and therefore destroying that party's fortunes in Quebec.

    In all seriousness though, I think option 2 is quite accurate.

    Matt

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 5:31 p.m.  

  • When Jean Lapierre stated last week that he believe that Duceppe couldn't pass up the chance to be Premier of Quebec, I thought then and there that he was practically baiting Duceppe into going into provincial politics.

    Ultimately, I wished he had left. Jean Charest is finished anyhow, Duceppe would simply make the Liberal defeat worse than it would have been otherwise. Of course once you get a majority, the number over is virtually irrelevant and I think the PQ could win a majority this time around.

    Duceppe leaving would have been a blow to the Bloc. That, coupled with the fact that in the month of July, politics is the furthest thing from people's minds (yes that is why Lapierre's offensive isn't starting until August), due to vacations, festivals, etc., would have meant in all likely hood that the Bloc support could drop. Let us remember, many soft federalists have switched their support to the Bloc. The sponsorship news dying down, summer vacation, and the lack of a strong Quebec rebel-rouser in Quebec could only help the Liberals. Now factor in the August offensive and the Liberals had a huge chance to gain back much of their support.

    Alas, we could debate what ifs all day. Ultimately, Duceppe didn't leave and I am disappointed.

    By Blogger Progressive Maritimer, at 6:00 p.m.  

  • Can I vote for option 4? That Lapierre doesn't want an election and wants to reduce the opposition benches as much as possible?

    By Blogger Paul, at 7:19 p.m.  

  • please someone lock Jean Lapierre in a closet.

    Seriously, though, the whole Quebec wing of the Liberal party will have to be reconstructed and Lapierre is not the man to do it.

    From a far, I would say the Quebec wing will probably have to get a lot younger.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 4:03 a.m.  

  • Gilles Duceppe was screwed either way. When Golden Bowl marois wins the leadership, Charest will win a second term...this is quebec...everybody gets two chances.

    Duceppe is a coward for staying cuz all he knows how to do is complain. He was given a potential chance to govern but Gilles is known to crack under pressure. He was dynamite last year cuz he had nothing to lose. Plus, history is now against him.

    It is rare for me to come to the defence of Jean Lapierre, but in this case. The federal Liberals are ECSTATIC that duceppe stayed.

    He is a coward, chicken, happy with doing nothing even when given the chance to do something, the newest Bougon.

    The BQ has finally shown their true colours, destined to complain and never meant to accompish anything...I welcome the Bloc Bougon....they wont be cheating the system for long

    Antonio

    By Blogger Anthony, at 10:35 a.m.  

  • I think Lapierre is disappointed that Duceppe didn't go because he doesn't want anything to help Charest; he may be gunning for the PLQ job after Charest either gets booted out during an election, or a coup. Lapierre is the choice of the Montreal elites in the business community.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 11:53 a.m.  

  • Antonio; I do agree that Duceppe is far from the great politician he's often made out to be, but you have to admit he's very popular in Quebec. For the FEDERAL Liberals, surely they'd be better off with Pierre Paquette or someone leading the BQ instead of Duceppe next election.

    Anonymous; I wouldn't be at all surprised if Lapierre throws his hat into the ring for the PLQ job after Charest leaves. If that doesn't scare Canadian federalists from coast to coast, I don't know what will.

    By Blogger calgarygrit, at 2:52 p.m.  

  • Oh my god, there is really much useful information here!

    By Anonymous exposicion muebles madrid, at 8:05 a.m.  

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