[Zipperfish]

They are just out of ideas. As the rticle says, lots of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

[RNG]

Thanos Thanos:

There's no evidence of anything that would indicate Stephen Harper isn't a solid centrist in an old school British Tory/Dwight Eisenhower sense of the word. He hasn't allowed a single bit of social conservative nonsense to pass and he's kept the economy on the solid middle ground between the TeaBircher insanity in the US and the socialist shitshow the NDP always wants to see happen. He's certainly no Red Tory like Joe Clark is but he's also nothing like whackjobs in the US like Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, or any of those other insane hate-fuelled misanthropes are.

You are mostly correct, except for his war on crime, which I disagree with. (The methodology, not the intent.) But unless this leopard really changed his spots, he is a very good political pragmatist and is subjugating his personal preferences to maintain more electable planks to his platform.

I'd still sooner vote for him rather than any of the current options.

[Jabberwalker]

$1:

I think what people are looking for is a right-of-centre economic platform without the anti-government, small-minded recklessness of the Harper government. This government is basically a dance between the PMO and the media, because it is constantly in election mode.

nail-on-the-head

[andyt]

I'm not looking for a right of center economic platform, but one that's pragmatic. But also one that addresses inequality and poverty. A pragmatic right of center politician would also address these issues, because he could see how much they cost us. It's not really about left or right, there is no one magic dogmatic formula that works. You have to figure out what works on a case by case basis, not from some ideological position but from best evidence. Sometimes the personal responsibility focus of the right is the best approach, sometimes it's the community focus of the left. Most often it will about finding the right mix of the two.

Our medical system certainly isn't right of center, it's statism, with mandatory coverage and even, in many provinces a mandatory "poll tax" for it. Can really say the same for any social program, ideologically they are "left."

[Jabberwalker]

$1:

, but one that's pragmatic.

Historically, that has been right of center in Canada.

Not so, in the U.S. for instance where the Democrats balance budgets (a lot of the time, anyway) and Republicans spend like Homer Simpson with a winning lottery ticket.

[andyt]

Actually an analysis of spending by Federal and Provincial govts shows the NDP has the best record for fiscal responsibility. Now they've never governed Federally, but certainly provincially they have the best record.

I don't know if I would call the Mulroney govt pragmatic, but Chretien certainly was. Is that right of center?

[Jabberwalker]

andyt andyt:

Actually an analysis of spending by Federal and Provincial govts shows the NDP has the best record for fiscal responsibility. Now they've never governed Federally, but certainly provincially they have the best record.

I don't know if I would call the Mulroney govt pragmatic, but Chretien certainly was. Is that right of center?

The NDP might just get a chance the way things have been going lately.

[andyt]

Well I hope not. They're trying to be very middle of the road, but there's too much anti-business, anti-resource development among them. Look at how Dix blew his election in BC. Putting limits on development to keep things safe is one thing, just saying no to everything is another.