What happened to liberalism? Where did we lose our way? How did we get to where we are today?
What does it mean to be Liberal without being liberal? To my simple mind it means bugger all. It means defining the party not in the context of the opposition, but on core beliefs.
This is Canada, not the United States. M.I. pay attention. You're not going to get far by abandoning your party's traditions in order to squeeze out votes from hither and yon by pandering.
Asbestos is bad, Asbestos is good, no Asbestos is bad. That kind of feeble, flickering conviction belongs in some bus station mens' room. And you're to be the successor to Trudeau, the leader to breathe new life into the Liberal Party of Canada? What a dark farce.
Look Michael, this isn't all about you. "You" haven't been able to sell your brand very well have you? Even as Canada descends into a serious recession under hapless Tory mismanagement, you're barely tied in the polls. Sorry pal but that's failure writ large.
But there might still be an "out." Maybe you could look at the real leaders who preceded you, those who made a difference to today's Canada, figure out why the Liberal party was first choice among Canadians under those lesser humans and - shudder - try to be a Liberal.
Or not. You have assembled a more than respectable legion of sycophants and hangers on that you might even, if Harper does something to actually put his razor hand to his own throat, and by default let you squeak in as a minority prime minister.
Sorry Mike but Canadians want and are waiting for a real Liberal to lead them out of this mess. They've had a good look at you and they don't see the goods.
6 comments:
Good post.
It's a pity that the vast majority of Liblogs don't seem to realise this.
During this economic meltdown, you'd expect the Liberals to be in a clear majority position at the very least.
We need to be the party that explains the new economic/environmental reality and provides a road map for sustainability. I don't think M.I. is up to the task.
He is just more articulate than Harper in his obfuscations.
I totally agree. I always believed that Liberals had a real vision of a better Canada and how our country could help the world by being a trusted intermediary.
Then we got caught up in rootin' tootin' cowboy conservatism and failed to speak out when Washington transformed NATO into America's Foreign Legion.
We've lost our ability to communicate with the Muslim world except with firepower or through those vicious thugs we prop up like Mubarak and the House of Saud.
At home, Harper set out to shift Canada's political centre far to the right and the Liberal leader is perfectly content to follow.
I don't support the NDP, I don't trust them and believe they would like nothing more than to shift the political centre as far to the left as Harper/Ignatieff would have it to the right.
I live in a province that has paid an awful price for wild political mood swings - right to left to right. We had a brief moment when we had a genuinely liberal Liberal Party and people were incredibly positive about it. Then it got hijacked by the same old rightwingers and now we're back to voting against something because we have nothing to vote for.
That, I fear, is what awaits Canada if the LPC is allowed to be taken over by its right wing and that's what seems to be happening.
As others have said in similar circumstances, I didn't leave the party, it left me.
At home, Harper set out to shift Canada's political centre far to the right and the Liberal leader is perfectly content to follow.
and
That, I fear, is what awaits Canada if the LPC is allowed to be taken over by its right wing and that's what seems to be happening.
I find it shameful that more Liberals don't see this. You get called a heretic for even suggesting it, but the truth is that Iggy has more in common with Harper than the flock would like to believe.
I don't think that Iggy will change his views, in fact, he's imposing them onto the party.
The present flock of Liberal bloggers seem blinded by this. In their unquestionable zeal for all Iggy, they truly remind me of the Blogging Tories.
He is just more articulate than Harper in his obfuscation.
LOL
I live in a province that luckily has the BQ.
Long term Liberals should hang in there, continue expressing their views however unpopular, and wait for a change in leadership and direction. As for swing voters such as myself who started supporting the party because of Dion, there is always the choice of the NDP or Greens, whoever has the best environmental policies.
LMA, I have supported the party in the past even when I have had to hold my nose to vote. To me, this situation is different. I don't think Mr. Ignatieff's policies are good for the party and I don't think they're good for Canada, whether domestically or globally. I cannot and will not support a party whose policies I find detrimental to my country and my countrymen.
I will probably park my vote with the Greens in the next election not that it makes much difference given the almost comical Liberal riding association here. This is one seat that Mr. Harper has safely in the bag.
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