Friday, March 18, 2011

Scandalpalooza

In terms of magnitude, we've seen worse, but in terms of frequency, I've never seen anything like it, not even close. Rather than run 30 second ads, a mini series might be more apt, the latest "scandal" has every intangible imaginable. Rather than delve into the salacious, as well as ethically disturbing details, pull back, observe the entire landscape, and this notion of forcing an election on ethics not only looks shrewd, but NECESSARY.

What makes recent events all the more remarkable, these were the people sent to office to clean up the ethical mess. In all seriousness, one wonders if the electorate will ever recover, we will ever believe anybody again, the disconnect between rhetoric and reality so apparent. I would submit, part of the reason the Liberals can't seem to get traction, the voters simply see a pox on all houses, empty words, the political world so tainted, we just shrug and go about our business. This sentiment isn't to say that Harper hasn't fallen in standing, only that he isn't feeling the full brunt just yet, primarily because "they're all the same". However, I still hold, once we force a gaze during an election, this government is vulnerable, they will be on the defensive, there is opportunity for a spark. The fact every day puts new combustible material on the pile, all the more reason for cautious optimism.

Is anyone talking about the economy right now? We have a barrage of Harper ads, government ads, but the paid media is focused on scandals, contempt, etc. That might not move numbers in the pre-writ, but you get a few days of this coverage during an election, past experience paints quite a story, every time, with everybody, in every jurisdiction. Scandal kills!

There is a wave building, and the Liberals would now simply be foolish not to ride it into a campaign. People are focused, people are "fired up" about these issues, don't discount what a bit of genuine passion and conviction can accomplish once the "masses" tune in. The government doesn't control the agenda, we go now, and all this stuff swirling around will surely spill over, despite best efforts. The pre-writ is important, and despite the poll lead, no one can say these Conservatives are driving the narrative. That objective fact is worrisome from the Conservative perspective, we all know what happens when Harper isn't in full control, in reactive mode.

No matter the Parliamentary games, this government will fall on ethics, this will be the springboard to an election, this will bring the red faced indignation of the opposition, this will bring the pounds on the lecterns across the country. What happens seat wise, nobody can predict, but one this certain, if I'm on Team Conservative, I'm don't feel in control of my own destiny and from the opposition perspective, that translates to "go time".

31 comments:

Anonymous said...

Non of this affects my pocketbook so who cares? Now add in brownbags full of money exchanging hands and I might care. That will be the attitude of the average Canadian so I wouldn't get my hopes up too high.

Steve V said...

"who cares?"

Man I love the hypocrisy of you conbots, really, really, shows what you were always about. Moralists of convenience, means to an end, relative ethics, just a complete and utter sham!

Keep talking, it couldn't say more...

Jerry Prager said...

forcing an election on 'ethnics' might need a retype there Steve

Steve V said...

Must of had Kenney on the brain :) Thx.

Jerry Prager said...

Praire Kid, Harper didn't need brown bags to transfer several hundred million dollars in wealth to the 3 conservative families who 80% of Canadian media when they were on the verge of bankruptcy, he invented actionplan adsacm and wrote cheques on the public dime, which probably doesn't offend you either, but for the two thirds of Canadians who have voted anything but Stephen Harper three elections in a row, I'm not sure you're the best spokesman for the "Average" Canadian, so I'll take my chances on which way those two thirds will decided to vote anything but Harper a little more strategically. Liberal democracy is a coalition of voters, not a coalition of parties. And we have had enough of a man came to power with ten years of democracy now harrangues and then eroded democracy for the five years he has been in power. My hopes have never been higher than we can end the corporate take over of Canada that began in Alberta with the big oil boom of 1947.

D said...

I believe that Prairie Kid is actually speaking for a giant swath of the population -- those Canadians that think democracy is boring; or as long as your government isn't dropping bombs on you then everything is okay.

People like Prairie Kid are banking on people not caring about parliament or our democratic process or things like ethics.

Good news for us is that perpetuating this lazy attitude takes a pretty dedicated ideologue; and I don't think morons like Prairie Kid have what it takes to knock on doors, day and night, to spread their poisonous apathy.

Tof KW said...

Prairie Kid said...
"Non (sic) of this affects my pocketbook so who cares?"

Funny, that's somewhat one of the arguments the Liberals were making back in 2005 about the sponsorship scandal.

Listen PrairieChip, hard as it is for you Reformatories to understand, but your guys weren't elected for their economic wizardry back in 2006. In fact I've got 56-billion examples here about how you guys completely suck at that. More if you count what Jim Flaherty did to Ontario, during GOOD economic times (and that takes talent to fuck up when revenue is coming in).

By contrast, the Liberals had 13 good years showing us they've evolved past the Trudeau years and were solid, competent economic managers and deficit fighters.

Recalling 2006, I'm pretty certain Harper was elected on a main platform of bringing back honesty, accountability and ethics to government.

Thanks PrairieChump for confirming that was all just a steaming pile of bullshit.

And now, Harper deserves the same fate as the Liberals for not keeping a clean & honest government.

Gene Rayburn said...

Ive got a better one for you PK. Im just an average Canadian and I couldnt give two shits what you think.

All you ever do is say who cares well, who gives a flying shit what you think.

ottlib said...

This latest scandal has that wonderful ingredient that causes everybody to pay attention: sex, and sex with a former escort on top of that.

The Conservatives should be very worried about this one. This could attract the attention of Canadians and in the process they might just see all of these other scandals along with it.

Scott MacNeil said...

re:"this government will fall on ethics,..." And that is how things should be... watching odious Oda on CPAC right now and have lost control of my stomach! Am upchucking my innards with regularity at her abject display of evasion ... gawd have they no mercy? The sooner they are shown the door the better!

Tof KW said...

ottlib said...
"This latest scandal has that wonderful ingredient that causes everybody to pay attention: sex"

Posted 'elsewhere' but too good to not share...

We need to convince Carson's "fiancé" to run for PM. Aside from getting more people interested in politics (well, at least the male under-30 demographic anyhow) she is also better qualified for the position than our current PM.

How so?

What Harper has been doing to Canadian democracy over the past 5 years ...well Michele McPherson is a professional at that!

I crack me up sometimes :)

Omar said...

The Prairie Kids of this country are unaffected by the wretchedness of this Conservative regime by nothing more then their hatred of the Liberal Party. It's that sad and simple. Harper could assault and subsequently murder his wife and these people would turn a blind eye toward it.

Kirk said...

I can hear the media pundits saying "No one cares" and "It's not important" while the news gives confused coverage to it all as they try to avoid offending the Conservatives if they cover the story at all.

Wait, there's a call-girl involved now so it might get more coverage but only on the call-girl aspect which will nicely derail any serious discussion of the real story. And then the media pundits will proclaim how trashy it is to talk about the call girl aspect.

WesternGrit said...

Prairie Kid: You must be a moron. "Non (sp) of this affects (should be "effects") my pocketbook (,) so who cares"? REALLY? Do you have any clue how tax-payer funded election rebates work? Do understand that the more a local riding spends in an election, the bigger the TAX-PAYER FUNDED REBATE they get back?

They stole from the Canadian tax payers... They also stole an election - first by false accusations to the RCMP (the turning point late in the campaign), then by exceeding legally defined election spending limits.

In any 3rd World nation citizens would be burning cars and tires in the streets right now... and demanding a "no-fly zone"... Can't wait to see what the Canadian public does when they wake up.

Paul said...

"but in terms of frequency, I've never seen anything like it, not even close"

The "scandal" to you is no different than the "scandals" that Conservatives harped about during the Chretien/Martin era. You have never see anything like it because at that time you side was in power...so you didn't care. Partisan fog getting thick? The Con's have been caught with their pants down a dozen times over the last few years and have pulled some boneheaded stunts. So did the Liberals when they where in power, and it's going to take a lot more than a handfull of "scandals" to bring down the Conservatives. Hell, it took more than a hundred little ones and one big one to finally bring down the Liberals. Why don't the Liberals try something constructive for a change, or do they remember how?

Steve V said...

I didn't vote for that "side" when they were mired in scandal. What was your point again, oh that's right you don't have one? Don't project that everyone is a useless apologist like yourself Paul. Nice try though. #FAIL

Paul said...

All I did was point out that, partisans (from either side) tend to "forget" when it suits them, which is exactly what you have done or are doing.

Steve V said...

Actually, no you tried saying I ignored the other side, when I didn't and my very first blog posts during the 2006 campaign will testify to that ASSHAT.

Hey Paul, how is that Con lawsuit against the Lib ads coming? Bahaha.

Just another useless conbot.... Lap it up Paul, lap it up.

Gene Rayburn said...

Partisans do forget things Paul, but hypocrites like you consistent decry partisanship whilst being partisan yourself.

Why dont you and PK get a room and gripe to each other. You'd have captive audiences.

marie said...

Gee, Prairie Kid is sure living up to his name. Immature brat a, bully and nothing else. Hey Kid, its now the 21stst century Kid. Ad scam is peanuts from what all the scams promoted and still going on by your sick psychotic Harpo. Isn’t it high time to quit your childish love affair with Canada's dictator? BTW, is this your latest taking points from the PMO this morning? Isn't it high time to grow up, vitalize your brain power because what we see from you is nothing but childish bully tactics?


Good Post all with the exception of the KID ,Prairie Kid is are NOT speaking for the large swath of Canadians but sheesh, let him keep right on thinking that way and face reality that the average. Canadians are not as gullible as he seems to think. When push comes to shove, Harper might just find himself looking for a new job. Maybe he can take over for Charlie Sheen and taking up acting.

I believe all the posters on this tread are showing Prairie Kid to take a hike and find a blog where his kind like to dwell in.

And I agree Prairie Kid is a Moran and a terd and so full of bull shit he reeks even from where I sit. Immature childish moran that has many internal problems going off in his brain drained head.

marie said...

Great Post Westerngrit. Yup, Paul and PK should move in together and console each other and make up more stories too.

but in terms of frequency, I've never seen anything like it, not even close"

didn't vote for that "side" when they were mired in scandal. What was your point again, oh that's right you don't have one? Don't project that everyone is a useless apologist like yourself Paul. Nice try though. #FAIL

Paul neither did a lot of confirmed liberals. They booted them out in 2005 or did you just simply forget about that. Easy to understand why as you Conbot trolls work that they are still are living in the 20th century spinning the latest lines from the PMO office daily.

Neither have we in the one five term of one PM. That must be a record. Unbelievable how gullible these people are. They aren't capable of thinking for themselves.

Great Post Wester grit

JimmE said...

the Leftist Laimstream CBC has not picked up on the Escort angle from the APTN yet, wonder what's up with that?

Jerry Prager said...

JimmE I realize the CBC was created by RB Bennett to serve as a voice for his corporatist government, but he was defeated in 1935, and corporatism was defeated in Italy in 1943, much to the dismay of Canadian conservatives, so with victory of liberal democrats over corporatism, the CBC became the voice of liberal democracy, which you side despises. As Disraeli noted some years before all that "the future of conservatism is rooted in Tory democracy" which I take to mean, letting the servants vote because they're children and they like to play with rubber stamps, which makes them love their masters all the more, thank you for letting me rubber stamp your decisions boss, it's so empowering for me. Never been that fond of bosses myself, which is why I always vote for liberal democracy instead of corporatism.

Gene Rayburn said...

nicely said Jerry

Morakon said...

I find it funny that the CONS seem to think the excuse well the Liberals did it makes it ok. It wasn't alright then and it's not alright now. I know I voted against the Liberals for two elections. A lot of Liberals did too. Time to see if CON voters actually believe about what they preach. I for one can't wait for an election. I'm in Bev Oda's riding. Should be fun.

Niles said...

Rumour is. next Friday.

On the heels of a vote where there won't be enough Cons 'conveniently' in attendance to 'win' it, so a writ can be forced by a suicide rigged to look like murder.

Kirk said...

Anyone remember Valerie Plame and how the Bush administration outed her, a working spy, because they didn't like her husband's report?

Well, you might think that such a thing would cause endless outrage on the national security conscience, support our troops etc. right wing of America.

It didn't.

They excused, ignored it or justified it. It went against everything the right says they believe in but they didn't care.

xyz said...

"Non of this affects my pocketbook so who cares?"

By that logic, why not just make Charlie Sheen or Mubarak the prime minister then?

Joe said...

Memo to me: Next time I decide to get in good with the hooker next door by getting her all kinds of commission on water treatment plants for natives don't mention the fact that I know the PM. He calls the cops faster than the hooker drops her panties at the sight of a thousand dollar bill.

Steve V said...

Hey Joe, where is that lawsuit against the Liberals eh?

I do find it funny that conbots are reduced, "hey look he called the cops quickly" to investigate one of my closest advisors, with a criminal record, after the APTN broke the story on us and they were coming anyway. Man, you guys have a angle for everything, everything that keeps the stench off Harpo. It's comical at this point.

Gayle said...

"On the heels of a vote where there won't be enough Cons 'conveniently' in attendance to 'win' it"

Do you think if the CPC did not come out in full force for a confidence nvote no one would notice?