Sunday, June 25, 2006

Draft Orchard


I don't want people to think that I'm obsessed with David Orchard or anything but:
a) there's a lot of talk about the guy in Alberta
b) his continued presence in the Liberal Party kind of bugs me

Anyways, I was at the "Three Amigos" BBQ, listening to the music stylings of Misters Chase, Swann and Taylor on Saturday and this lady who is apparently friends with David Orchard was giving the hard sales pitch to everyone there to join the federal Liberals and support David. I feigned interest ("stupid Yanks", "bloody Peter MacKay"...) and chatted with her a bit while she gave me the anti-American, anti-NAFTA sales pitch. She also gave me the paper above with a phone number to call, so it appears Mr. Orchard is still gauging support. When I called the number, I got a voice message about the "Orchard for Canada" campaign.

I still suspect Orchard will support another candidate in this race (probably Dion or Rae), but it appears he's still considering a leadership bid at this point in time.

posted by calgarygrit at 7:24 PM

31 Comments:

  • Good to see that Orchard spared no expense on his campaign literature.

    By Blogger Zac, at 7:52 PM  

  • I am glad Orchard is not in my party any more.


    Steve

    Kanter On Politics

    By Blogger Steve Kanter, at 8:58 PM  

  • Orchard's upset because he tried to take over the PC party and failed.

    Now he's inflitrating the Liberals. I'm glad he's your problem now.

    Between him and Belinda Stronach you guys certainly have your hands full.

    By Blogger Toronto Tory, at 9:29 PM  

  • Isn't it too late to get into the race? $50,000 deadline, and all?

    By Blogger electgerardkennedy, at 9:37 PM  

  • Next time around, the Liberals are going to have to have a much higher entry fee for the leadership.

    By Blogger nuna d. above, at 10:36 PM  

  • David Orchard supporters are a CULT. Honestly, I've never met a stranger group of people that worship a personality.

    They all exist in a bubble and want to fight the 1988 election over again.

    By Blogger Manitoba Liberal, at 10:46 PM  

  • Only David understands the true evil that inhabits each and every man woman and child (some dogs too!) that inhabit Amerika!! Death to the USA!!!

    By Blogger decoin, at 11:05 PM  

  • Orchard/Volpe/Fry final ballot!

    By Blogger matt, at 11:16 PM  

  • The saddest thing is that the President of the Party in Alberta is happy, enthusiastically happy, that David and hsi crew are in the party....god I wish Orchard would just go away, he is the biggest lunatic in politics.

    By Blogger fartcatcher, at 11:40 PM  

  • You know people might ridicule and such Orchard. But just gonna throw an idea out there. Shouldn't more people do what he's doing? I.e. Join a political party, get engaged on issues you care about.

    Now, how I got onto his mailing list I will never know. And it annoys me that I get emails from Grant Orchard on a semi regular basis. But hey - chapeau David Orchard, at least you’re getting involved.

    By Blogger Stephen, at 11:53 PM  

  • Love the idea of David Orchard with the Liberals. Perfect, another nutcase, pass out the tin hats boys!!!!

    By Blogger D.M.M., at 1:22 AM  

  • CG, it is very rare I disagree with you. But this time, I have to really disagree with you. I had the pleasure of speaking to Mr. Orchard a few weeks ago at a screening of the film Hoodwinked: The Myth of Free Trade. I praised him for joining the Liberal party and joined him in encouraging his supporters to do so as well. I also encouraged David to support Gerard Kennedy.

    David is a highly intelligent guy. Quite frankly, I totally agree with him on NAFTA. He's an excellent speaker, with great organizational strength. And he encourages very everyday, ordinary folks to get involved in politics, which is something very, very few political leaders of today do.

    Yes -- some of his supporters are a bit cultish, and a little weird. But don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. I am proud to be in the same party as David Orchard and I think his influence will help pull the party's economics back towards nationalism.

    By Blogger Thomas, at 2:06 AM  

  • I still suspect Orchard will support another candidate in this race (probably Dion or Rae), but it appears he's still considering a leadership bid at this point in time.

    Good.

    Let him be the Liberals' problem from now on.

    By Blogger Brandon, at 2:20 AM  

  • I thought the economic nationalism argument was disproven years ago. We have had the best economic growth ever since the liberalization began in the early 1990s. CAFTA and NAFTA were good deals them, and are good deals now.

    What would economic nationalism really accomplish?

    By Blogger Lookout Mountain, at 2:24 AM  

  • Thomas,

    You might want to find another party to support. The Liberal Party has never been about economic nationalism. From Laurier on the Liberal Party has stood for open borders, reciprocity and free trade. Just becasue an out of work ex-bizness executive like John Turner was transformed into an economic nationalist over night for strictly partisan electoral reasons (and still lost) does not make the Liberal Party a natural home for Orchard and his little band of 19th century protectionists.

    By Blogger Manitoba Liberal, at 2:27 AM  

  • With David as Kingmaker the liberals would be almost left of the NDP, out in lala land where money grows on trees and the government can't go bankrupt and corporations are evil that oppress the workers.

    Whats next? Orchard should move to the NDP where he belongs. Maybe he would bring them some respect.

    Steve

    Kanter On Politics

    By Blogger Steve Kanter, at 2:28 AM  

  • "You might want to find another party to support."

    No thank you. I came from the NDP to 'come home' to the Liberal party and I feel quite happy to be a Liberal.

    Also, I'm not sure how NAFTA, which allows foreign corporations to sue our federal government for trying to protect Canadians and their interests, is in anyway a good idea.

    By Blogger Thomas, at 2:38 AM  

  • Oh for crying out loud, NAFTA isn't going anywhere soon. That's about as brilliant as suggesting we get out of the global economy (from G8 protesters in Calgary a few years ago). How, exactly, does a country go about doing that?

    *settles in for a long, happy stint of CPC government*

    By Blogger Candace, at 2:58 AM  

  • The Liberal Party has never been about economic nationalism. From Laurier on the Liberal Party has stood for open borders, reciprocity and free trade. Just becasue an out of work ex-bizness executive like John Turner was transformed into an economic nationalist over night for strictly partisan electoral reasons (and still lost) does not make the Liberal Party a natural home for Orchard and his little band of 19th century protectionists.

    What about Trudeau?

    By Blogger Brandon, at 4:26 AM  

  • Trudeau was turned into an economic nationalist for political purposes in the 1980 campaign, as the party renewal group decided it would be a main policy plank to seperate themselves from the conservatives.

    Haven't you read Rig Red Machine Brandon & Thomas?

    Steve

    Kanter On Politics

    By Blogger Steve Kanter, at 8:34 AM  

  • Every time I speak politics and David Orchards name comes up....there are the invariable snickers...and not much else.

    If you think he'd make a good Liberal....by all means, please take him. Perhaps he and Joe Volpe could work together for some real change. (snickering now)

    By Blogger James Halifax, at 11:30 AM  

  • Mexican presidential candidate Obrador says he will ignore NAFTA if elected. If the Mexicans can stand up for their interests, why can't Canadian politicians? How many more times do our interests have to be damaged by a "trade" agreement that is nothing more than a modern day extension of Manifest Destiny?

    http://washingtontimes.com/world/20060619-105711-5797r.htm

    By Blogger Thomas, at 12:29 PM  

  • Side issue:
    Advance notice. My friend Neil has a beautiful park like property and house that will be for sale soon. He is presently refurbishing the house but the property is one of only three along Fitzgerald avenue with big trees and it*s the prettiest. 2 cedar, 3-4 Douglas fir and 2 nice big willows. 200k area.

    Courtenay may be the most preferred place to live on Vancouver Island. I want to mention this in order to save the trees. Fitzgerald avenue is one of the two main routes across town. Legal and dentist offices are one block away. I hope someone keeps it residential. I fear commercial interests would remove the trees. TG

    By Blogger TonyGuitar, at 3:10 PM  

  • Slogans, people, we need slogans if Orchard's going to run:

    1. "Orchard: More Fun than a Barrel of Volpes."

    2. "Making Hedy Fry Look Prime Ministerial Since 1998"

    3. "If At First You Don't Succeed In Taking Over A Defeated Party, Try, Try Again"

    ... well, ok, those weren't all that great. You try.

    By Blogger Jason Hickman, at 3:20 PM  

  • Thomas, you're suggesting we take lessons in Economics from the Mexicans?

    *Great* idea.

    By Blogger Toronto Tory, at 5:02 PM  

  • "David Orchard supporters are a CULT. Honestly, I've never met a stranger group of people that worship a personality"

    ever talk to Herle et al about Paul Martin ????

    By Blogger Fred :), at 11:21 PM  

  • Manitoba Liberal says David Orchard supporters are a cult. Well, I first heard about him from Dalton Camp who had read his book and endorsed him in his first PC leadership race against Joe Clark. I think even grits can appreciate that Camp, in his later years, was a wise and nonpartisan observer of the Canadian political scene, hardly a cultist.

    As one of the producers of Hoodwinked: The Myth of Free Trade - which features interviews with Camp, John Turner, David Orchard and others - my impression is that Orchard has supporters because a lot of Canadians agree with his ideas and don't hear them expressed by the usual cast of characters leading us in Ottawa.

    Instead of denigrating people with the usual cliches - lunatic, cult, etc. - perhaps the mudslingers should read his book and learn something.

    By Blogger easterngrit, at 11:52 AM  

  • It would appear that most on here believe we really have free trade with NAFTA. To bad you all don't have a few old cows to sell right now and you will maybe get your head out of the sand and find out the Good old USA has been violating not only the spirit of NAFTA but the agreement itself is in tatters because of US refusal to accept the decisions of NAFTA Tribunal on Soft Wood lumber, Grain and numerous other challenges our industries have made and won to no avail. Maybe all of you brilliant Orchard haters should use your brilliant minds and read the NAFTA agreement like John Turner and David have obviously done. I am told that Pierre Trudeau had read it also before he left this earth and was very much opposed to the agreement as it was presented and passed by Mulroney's government. All I want as an Orchard supporter is real free Trade. All of my farming career I had to compete against unfair US subsidies. We gave away the Western Grain Transportation Act and all we got for it was more American Farm Bills heating up the market place. Farmers are now going broke and leaving the farm at an ever increasing pace in this country. That is not free trade, that is who has the richest treasury will prevail. Thank God there are people like David Orchard to keep the Government looking over its shoulders before it sells off the rest of this country.

    By Blogger old cow hand, at 12:34 AM  

  • Suggestion - instead of listening to second hand stuff - that every body first read THE FIGHT FOR CANADA, Orchard's book - so you really can understand what he is talking about firsthand, not via someone else. (OK "Fartcatcher" - you may probably need an interpreter. The first letter is pronounced "Ay", then there is "Bee"...)

    Go to the orginal sources. Then make your call. Don't just react to hearsay and rumour and distorted stuff. This is how you get manipulated by the media.

    Orchard is a good man. We need people like him in politics.

    Kosh

    By Blogger Kosh--I-was-always-here, at 12:35 AM  

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    By Blogger blogsurfer, at 11:34 PM  

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    By Anonymous overcoat, at 9:11 AM  

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