Rick Mercer on Grits

Looks like Mercer agrees with Payne and I (or we with him or all of us with intelligent watchers) on the pathetic state of The Liberal Party in Canada–and their arrogance as the primary obstacle to their winning:

Skypecast: Canadian Post-Election Analysis (Audio Content)

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Scott and I got back together after a bit of a hiatus–it was good to get back–and discuss the results of the Canadian elections. Click the two links above for our conversation.

The analysis grows out of our respective articles at Culture11 which compared how Canadian conservatives may or may not provide a blueprint for the GOP to regain power.  Scott’s article here.  Mine here.  I nabbed the Canadian Flag pic’d above that accompanied our articles (and that I really dug with the blue on the Maple Leaf).**

We had a slight technical glitch, which was fun, you’ll hear.

Also towards the end as we are discussing conservative commentators, (I think) I referred to Kathleen Lopez, when I meant Kathryn Jean Lopez (K-Lo) from The Corner, author of the following brilliant kernel of wisdom:

Palin didn’t need Greek columns. People react to her because they believe she represents what the Greeks established.

So while I slipped on her name, I stand by my categorization of her work.

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**For the Americans, in Canada (like Britain), the left is red and the right is blue, the reverse of the US.

Canadian Liberal Party

Here’s what I wrote yesterday regarding the Liberals in Canada time out of power:

What all those scenarios have in common is that the left was fractured. What that means is that Canada is built so that the Liberals will always rule the country minus a scenario in which they are totally corrupt and/or lose their left flank.

From the NyTimes this morning:

But as the election post-mortems got under way on Wednesday, some Liberals were suggesting that the only way to take on Mr. Harper may be to adopt one of his own strategies. In the same way that Mr. Harper rebuilt right-of-center politics in Canada through political party mergers, some Liberals are now considering the idea of an alliance, formal or otherwise, between their centrist party and the left-of-center New Democratic Party, which is known as the N.D.P. and is led by Jack Layton.

The sting of the corruption scandal still exists. And in a connected way, Stephane Dion has to be thrown out and younger leadership installed.

Canadian Elections Result

As a follow up on today’s Canadian elections, as I’ve been predicting to the chagrin of many a left-winger out here in BC, the Conservatives look to have gained an increased minority government. Harper’s cuts for the arts and his seeming to pull a mini-McCain (“the economy is fine”….5 days later, “here comes the pain, I’m the guy to get you through this”) might have cost them a Majority.  I was never totally convinced they were going to get one.  I figured that when the polling pointed towards them heading into Majority territory, a push back would come, which would be nowhere big enough to cost them loss in seats (they were still going to gain) just at the price of Majority territory.

The canary in the coal mine for the Liberals came in March of this year in my own riding (constituency) of Vancouver Quadra, where in a special by-election the Liberal candidate (in VANCOUVER!!!) Joyce Murray barely squeaked out a victory over the Conservative Deborah Meredith.  Eight months later, tonight is round 2,  and I wouldn’t be surprised if Meredith gets over the hump this time.

Yet again the Liberals in Canada have failed to learn the lesson of Drew Weston.  Party identification, then leader of party’s emotional connection/style/persona then candidate’s qualities (mostly around leadership), then policies, then facts about policies.  In that order.

Interestingly the only party on the left that got that are the New Democrats and Jack Layton.  They really cut into the Liberals.  Layton has shrewdly been pushing his crew to drop the “new” and just be The Democrats, so as (for party id/emotional connection) to align more with US Democrats.

AND when putting a policy forward–like I don’t know say A CARBON TAX–you have to use words that have deep positive connective emotional resonance.  Not like say a Carbon Tax.  Or Green Shift.  WTF is that?

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Update I: (Morning After).  Results are in out here and I was wrong about one thing–Joyce Murray (the Liberal candidate and incumbent in my riding) pulled out a bigger win than her 150 vote one in March.