People have been left scratching their heads, in many respects standard assumptions fall to pieces, Harper very much looks like teflon. Some of the "scandals" aren't trivial, they are significant. In the past, issues of this scale have tripped up campaigns, and yet in this election Harper just plows on, with impunity. Nothing seems to have changed, even though an election is supposed to bring greater attention, scrutiny. In some respects, the opposition is to blame for not making the case, but I'm sorry, it goes beyond superficial blame or credit.
In my opinion, Liberals needed to tell voters to "wake up", get in their face and raise the stakes. Some risk in that approach, for obvious reasons, but the status quo has done little to engage. With that in mind, this STIRRING speech by Ignatieff, the natural rising action quite strong, THIS is the hill we should choose to live or die on:
Rise up, wake up, get your heads out of your ass, whatever your choosing, the sentiment is required, desperately. The Liberals will lose this election, unless we create a spark and fast. This message, should be repeated at every stop, it should become our central theme, one we NEVER deviate from until the polls close. The evidence is there, the laundry list of indictments incredible when you consider, and yet Harper seems immune. Only a "cold shower" approach will do at this stage, we need a rally cry and Ignatieff organically created just that. Forget about issues of the day, meandering all over, a simple focus on this theme, everyday, everywhere, maybe it fizzles, but it's our best chance left. Yes, RISE UP indeed!
19 comments:
As one of the leading proponents of a democracy campaign based on rising up, I was needless to say overjoyed when all the pieces clicked into place in Iggy's thinking and Rise Up spilled up. STOP trashing the NDP, a vote for them is NOT a vote for Harper in all ridings, this IS bigger than the Liberal Party. Keep going down that road, focus the campaign entirely on speaking to the majority of Canadian voters who have kept liberal democracy alive in Canada since 1935 (the last time corporatism reared it's ugly head in Canada.)
Harper put himself in the wrong side of history by not bringing in democratic reform, fill the void, ask for a minority and ask for a parliament of committed liberal democrats to work with.
I have believed for some time now that Ignatieff was history's child, and that he is being forced to strip away everything but the essence of what needs to be done.
Rise up vacate your seats in the house of commons!
Rise up make room for CPC and ndp Members to do the nations work!
Rise Up go back to the drawing board and reinvent the Liberal party!
Rise Up and recognise a real scandal is when money ends up in Mps and Party hands that was meant for public services not the assorted screw-up of the day liberals try to call scandals.
Rise up and recognise a party is about to get 50% of the vote that is committed to the idea of canada.
Rise Up and celebrate that democracy does work, and people get it,and the more liberals call them names for their ideas the worse the punishment will be at the polls. RISE UP!
Keep your day job bubba :)
Bubba's got delusions, you think you get to list liberal failures, and pave over Harper PMO directed scandal after scandal ?
I'm not a Liberal, so I have no vested interest in the Party, my committments are to liberal democracy, Harper's committment is to destroying liberal democracy.
The Harpercons are corpoatism's last stand in Canada, for it is about to be voted out of office and driven out by democrats rising in America, and around the world.
Harper and you Bubba put yourself on the wrong side of history by lying about renewing democracy when you came to power. That was the gate of either or.
Time for the Cons to go back into the wilderness and find some ethics and principles before you dare show your faces in this nation again.
Rise up where we can see the beast inside Harper for what it is: the religious elect have deceived themselves by worshipping at the altars of Mammon and by pimping for Babylon.
Happy Sunday Bubba, the real gate of this election is between the false sheep of spiritual pride, and the sheep lying down as the pride of the Lion of Judah.
In the name of the Lion I say to the valley of dry bones, rise up Canada and see the lying lot of the Harpercon hordes, servants of the Beast that we have all seen lurking and creeping behind Harper's face; sneering contempt at us through his eyes.
I hate to say it is all about the leader, but at least in my riding at the doors that Iggy is a drag on the party. Also, Coyne makes a good point, whereby sure "Rise Up", but we are not providing any dynamic alternative. Bring in real QP, committee reform, real voting reform, and real internal party democratic reform. The Liberal Party internally is terribly undemocratic, you've got to practice what you preach.
liberazzi, yes but a minority liberal government would support NDP democratic reforms, Bloc reforms, Harper won't. That should be the message. Liberals are the mediators between the governing classes vis a vis the rights and freedoms of crown chartered commoners in a corporatist economy.
I think the family pack is a nice contrast to what the Cons are proposing, but I sense voters are not convinced the Libs would act much different than the Cons in power. I think the Libs needed to go harder on democratic reform, with more dramatic proposals, I think they have lost that opportunity. I think voters are going with the devil they know, unless the campaign team puts more meat on the bone with regards to democratic reform.
lib
Actually that's just kneejerk cynicism in my view, rather than fair criticism. There are plenty of ideas, plenty of distictions, I grow tired of people heaping scorn on every move.
If the Libs want to engage the voter propose this:
- immediate & real parliamentary reform, QP/committees etc
- voting reform, I would like to see a run-off vote if the top candidate does not receive 51% against the 2nd place candidate. Proportional Rep, has never succeeded and is somewhat goofy
- mandatory voting, but investigate online voting
Whatever it is it needs to be bold or kiss the election goodbye. However, I suspect the Libs are playing it safe, hoping for a better results (10-20 seat increase) & live to fight another day.
lib
I was disappointed in our democratic reform package, but that isn't the magic solution, not by a long shot.
Democracy is not a magic solution, except now is this window of time, there will be massive tax rallies across the US tomorrow fighting corporate greed and tax evasion, democracy is magic now because it is history's doing, that's why it is bigger than the liberal party, they just have to be willing to take their minority government democratic reform package into the first 100 days, where they just need to be willing to expand the package with the support of whatever parties are elected. Harper put himself on the wrong side of history, and Ignatieff is history's child, that's what he woke up to with Rise Up, he woke to the Chimes of Freedom flashing.
Steve,
Like I said the family pack are good proposals & appeal to the Liberal base. But Iggy has made this election about democracy, yet all he is saying is for Harper to respect the institutions already in place. However, the voters are too cynical & jaded regarding our current system, so we needed to be bolder in our democratic proposals rather than playing it safe.
I agree, we did, but this is still a good call to arms, regardless of what kneejerk cynicism says.
Steve,
I agree, I like Iggy's passion (I wish he showed that passion during the debate). I was worried that PM would overshadow Iggy, but actually Iggy did quite well last night. Lets just put some substance to the words now.
Off topic but has anyone else noticed how few Conservative ads we see now in the election as compared to before?
I used to see 4 ads per 1 hour of programming at times, now it's barely that for all parties combined.
Just shows how much the Cons were spending before. And I think the election has been more defined by that pre-election spending with the endless attacks on Ignatieff than anything that has happened during the election.
Liberals want to win an election? Well, get the fund raising up to Con levels, advertise before the writ and then we have a chance.
Don't forget 27 million in EAP ads, I would say that has even more of an effect. Combined, a potent brew indeed.
Action Plan Media Scam 2009
130 million
"figures ... show a 64-per-cent increase in the government’s marketing bill.
The latest tally is more than three times higher than the advertising budget of $41.3-million in 2005-2006, when the Harper government took office. "
"Last year’s advertising blitz on the promotion of the Economic Action Plan, which cost $49.5-million, was by far the most costly element of the advertising blitz. "
http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/09/21/conservatives-spent-record-130-million-on-advertising-in-2009/?sms_ss=twitter&at_xt=4daa55d3930d7bf9%2C0
$30 billion for fighter aircraft without engines!
This election is not over yet.
As I stated yesterday the NDP have had one good week out of three and that was because Jack Layton could do his thing on national TV. The best exposure he is ever going to receive during this election. For the remaining two weeks the media will focus on Mr. Harper and Mr. Ignatieff and the NDP will fade.
Mr. Harper has had three bad weeks out of three. His performance in the debates did not help him and now he is beginning week four on another bad note. (See first sentence of this post.
The Liberals have run a very good campaign and they just need to continue doing it.
Nanos leadership index shows Harper now at lowest level since start of campaign.
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