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Edited on Tue Feb-21-06 03:11 AM by V. Kid
...that sure seems to be true.
But lets get into something here, you seem to be really quite scared of these social conservatives, either that or your a Liberal agent provacateur who simply wants to annoy NDP'ers. Either way it's irrelevent.
Because the simple fact of the matter is demographically the "Christian Right" doesn't have the numbers that it does in the US of A. In the USA, evangelical Christians constitute about 30% of the population, in Canada that number is 10%. 10% of the population is not enough to form a political base for a party that wishes to win goverment! Therefore it will be simply natural for the Conservatives not to govern from a ridiculously socially conservative position.
In Canada Stephen Harper, as any and all commentators will point out, tried to hide his social conservative supporters, and even you acknowledge that, as they were seen, and please follow allong, a-s a l-i-a-b-i-l-i-t-y. That means they were not a help. And as you point out they're being quiet now so they can pipe up later? Because they can? Don't you remember why the right wasn't united in the first place? One of the reasons was that the Mulroney Conservatives, had too many socially liberal PC'ers, who constituted a key part of their political coalition. Harper, to succed, and to the extent that he has thus far, has had to reach out to moderates representing most city, and Quebec ridings. That annoys the social conservatives. But Harper, like any and all PM's, will need to balance certain factors, such as the moderate vs conservative one to get re-elected. And since Canada is far more liberal than the USA, that means he needs to be far more moderate than the Republicans.
But, lets suppose the social conservatives do get a majority, and I mean within the Conservative Party, putting aside all the socially conservative Liberal MP's like Tom Wappell. Do you suppose the even more unlikely fact that, the Conservatives get a massive majority, with enough anti-choice MP's will get elected too?
Do you suppose their simple election will change the nature of Canada?
Do you suppose the secular Supreme Court will allow them to establish a theocracy?
Do you discount the secular small-l socially liberal nature of Canada?
Do you think a US-ian republican style Conservative Party and message could get elected, let alone re-elected in Canada?
The Conservatives aren't as dumb as they played themselves out to be, in a stylistic sense. Governing includes style. The style they will need to portray, and back up somewhat, will need to be a moderate one. That's proven by their change from the 04' campaign, to now, where every crazy was told to shut up. And if they want too pipe up later, well they may be allowed to, but they won't have the ability to do so. They'll unlikely have the numbers, nor would the Conservative leadership have the political will to placate them.
If your a normal person, who would admit that they'd have to be somewhat moderate socially to get elected and have any chance at re-election, you'd recognize that hell brime stone and fire, for all of us in the reality based community wouldn't come to pass. Essentially one of the reasons all parties hate the Liberals is because even though they may disagree ideologically, what they really want is power, which the Liberals are good at holding, and stylistically they can't really be "in the centre" too. With the Liberals damaged, the Conservatives want to sieze that territory. Especially the whole in Quebec.
But you'd also recognize that with the Martin Liberals, and really the way they've been since Chretien was elected (sans him firing Martin), are pretty much the same as the Conservatives economically. After all if that wasn't that case why was it so easy for people like Belinda Stronach, Scott Brison, Keith Martin (a former Reform MP!!!) and David Emerson to switch back and forth between them.
And therefore your whole premise of NDP voters, who've been voting NDP federally for years, as MrPrax pointed out, regardless of the fact that they haven't been winning, will continue to do so. They might like the NDP to win, but their lack of winning hasn't stopped them from continuing to vote NDP. So maybe there's something ideologically, stylistically, or leadership wise about the Liberals that turn them off. And simply going "ahhh, Scaaaahry Harper", "stupid hardcore anti-Canadian NDP'ers, vote Liberal" wouldn't work. Continue to due it if you wish, fine, but don't pretend it'll work, if your honest.
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