Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Results for People...When our Polling Numbers Drop

So Jack Layton's "I'm the only man willing to oppose Harper" shtick seems to have run its course:

OTTAWA — The House of Commons should spend the next couple of months focusing on reforms to employment insurance and pensions, not electioneering, NDP Leader Jack Leader says.

It's a significant change in tactics for Mr. Layton, who portrayed himself as executioner-in-chief of the Harper Conservatives through a raucous winter run that threatened to topple the minority government at every turn.


Quite the change, eh?

New Democrats unleashed the first in a series of radio ads Thursday lambasting the newly minted Liberal leader for propping up Stephen Harper's minority Conservative government.
[...]
But the NDP ads drip with withering scorn for Ignatieff's decision to allow the federal budget to pass, albeit with conditions.

"Some things just don't change," intones a woman in one ad.

"Another Conservative budget rubber stamped by another Liberal leader. It's official: Michael Ignatieff failed his first big test as Liberal leader. He's thrown his lot in with Stephen Harper."

The ad portrays NDP Leader Jack Layton as the only political leader who can be trusted to look out for average families.

"Jack Layton's the only leader strong enough to stand up to Harper."

8 Comments:

  • Oh Jackie...when will it end?

    By Anonymous Calgary Rants, at 8:06 p.m.  

  • Dan, I did not read this post, because I have a bigger issue to discuss with you. It has come to my attention that there are young children suffering from a cauliflower deficiency. These children are suffering from this deficiency because of, in some small way, negligence on the part of someone that you and I both know. If you could address this issue and rectify the situation, that would be greatly appreciated. Here is a primer on the benefits of cauliflower for your benefit:

    Cauliflower is low in fat, high in dietary fiber, folate, water and vitamin C, possessing a very high nutritional density. As a member of the brassica family, cauliflower shares with broccoli and cabbage several phytochemicals which are beneficial to human health, including sulforaphane, an anti-cancer compound released when cauliflower is chopped or chewed. In addition, the compound indole-3-carbinol, which appears to work as an anti-estrogen, appears to slow or prevent the growth of tumors of the breast and prostate.[3] Cauliflower also contains other glucosinolates besides sulfurophane, substances which may improve the liver's ability to detoxify carcinogenic substances.[4] A high intake of cauliflower has been found to reduce the risk of aggressive prostate cancer.[

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 9:15 p.m.  

  • As much as it pains me to defend Jack Layton... he hasn't done anything to reverse himself on this issue until he actually starts voting with the Conservatives, especially on confidence issues.

    also cauliflower is delicious with Cheez Whiz

    By Anonymous The Invisible Hand, at 10:56 p.m.  

  • I also hope he's reversed himself on negotiating with the Taliban.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 11:02 p.m.  

  • [i]also hope he's reversed himself on negotiating with the Taliban.[/i]

    I doubt it considering everyone else has reversed themselves to agree him.

    If Harper plays ball with Layton then who knows, I haven't seen any evidence that the Cons are capable of being at all progressive. Its worth a shot though, we know what the price of Iggy's support is-in Spanish 'nada', hopefully Jack can drive a better bargain.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 12:50 a.m.  

  • IH - True enough. And I guess if Jack does get a tangible compromise out of Harper, it's not a complete flip-flop...just a major shift in strategy.

    By Blogger calgarygrit, at 9:12 a.m.  

  • The point is, the NDP has been kicking and screaming about the Liberals propping up the Conservative, and it hasn't stuck. The Liberals are ahead in the polls (see the new Canadian Press-Harris-Decima today), and they're fundraising like crazy. After this summer, the Libs will be ready to go, and suddently, the NDP will have to prop the Conservatives up. And Ignatieff will be able to hammer on the economy with force.

    Welcome to NDP and Conservative hell. They need each other, and now that the Liberals are getting their house in order, they're both in big trouble.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 6:38 p.m.  

  • All I see the NDP saying is that they aren't going to PUSH for an immediate election in the near term. There is a big difference between that and voting confidence in the Conservatives 55 times in a row as the Liberals have done. I assume that if there are any confidence votes the NDP will vote NO. IF by chance we get into a situation next fall where the Tories are absolutely DESPERATE to avoid an early election and they they start making really MAJOR concessions to the NDP on a whole host of issues - then that's a different story. (I doubt if the Tories would do that in the first place though). But hypothetically, if it did happen, the NDP would be able to say that they extorted major policy concessions from Harper, while the Liberals propped him up for over two years and have NOTHING to show for it.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 12:31 p.m.  

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