Thursday, March 05, 2009

Ciao

OUCH


Let's hope Randy Hillier runs, just for the sheer spectacle (sorry Ben ;)).

9 comments:

Steve V said...

I saw a story on this by-election earlier today, where n they basically said Tory had it in the bag, as most suspected. Trouble was, they also interviewed people on the street, in the riding, and you got a real sense of resistance to Tory being parachuted in.

Anonymous said...

Any bets on when he'll resign?

Anonymous said...

Tory is dead as a disco and any resemblance of a progressive wing of the Ontario PC party existing in Ontario is dead in the water.

A riding that Ignatieff has next to zero chance in winning goes to McGuinty. I don't want to see what the Federal implications are but the pressure on either Clement and Baird to return to Queen's Park is immense.

CuzBen said...

Hillier will run. It will be a spectacle. I look forward also.

Progressive wing is not dead, but will need time to rebuild. They'll disappear for a few years, good chance for Libs to grab some of the Red Tory vote.

Tory will resign today and leadership contest will be soon. Expect Tim Hudak to win easily.

No chance, IMO, that any feds will run for leadership. If they do, they'll lose. No one wants another absentee leader or byelection.

As for me, nothing changes. I'm fine with any new leader as long as they're in opposition and can do a decent job of keeping McG in line.

Beyond that, I continue to watch in a perfect balance of awe and disgust.

Anonymous said...

"Expect Tim Hudak to win easily."

Not a suicidal choice but death of the Ontario PCs by a thousand cuts. Like Stockwell Day.

"If they do, they'll lose."

Baird would be good at Queen's Park if he remakes himself as a libertarian free-market Conservative leader.

I expect the Ontario politics to swing hard left this weekend. My lady Horwath will step up the middle and win the leadership. She has got the second choice votes of many Bisson and Prue supporters. It would be good as it marks the end of Layton's New Politics Initiative and the return of the NDP's traditional working class roots.

DL said...

I have no idea what you're talking about with "Layton's New Politics Initiative". The NPI was something that came up at an NDP convention about 8 years ago...and was defeated. and Layton was never part of it. There may be other things to criticize Layton for - but if anyone has "returned the NDP to its working class roots" - he has. What else do you call "kitchen table not boardroom table" etc...and the results speak for themselves - clean sweeps of Hamilton, Windsor, northern Ontario and more and more support in Atlantic Canada and northern ridings.

Steve V said...

Sign me UP :)

Anonymous said...

"What else do you call "kitchen table not boardroom table" etc...and the results speak for themselves"

This is just shrewd campaigning. Same as dismissing a carbon tax knowing full well that it has NO traction in Northern Ontario, Atlantic Canada, and Edmonton.

"returned the NDP to its working class roots"

IMO, I find Layton to be less blue collar than someone like Bill Blaikie. Same as Tabuns, who would be considered to be the the most urbane of the four. Maybe it's time for the NDP to become
more hard edged and less urban centred.

DL said...

Considering that over 80% of Canadians live in cities - a party can do worse than to be led by someone with an urban sensibility.