How do we beat them? How do we win?

After talking about a year of Steve Harper in government yesterday, today let's look ahead to the next election, and specifically, what strategies the Liberal Party should adopt to win it.

I wrote yesterday that Harper isn't the scary so-con of Liberal lore. Many in his party are; many aren't. But by governing reasonably non-scarily from a so-con standpoint he has removed that card from the Liberal deck. Commenter Jay yesterday took exception to that contention, saying he found the vote to re-open SSM scary. I agree. Talking about taking away rights is scary. It was a half-hearted attempt doomed to failure though, since he ruled-out invoking the notwithstanding clause. Both sides knew this; so he alienated the so-con right by doing it half-assed and SSM advocates by doing it at all.

But I've digressed. The fact is, the Liberal Party ran on scary, scary Conservatives in 2000, 2004 and 2006, and obviously with less success each time. It worked in 2000 because the right was still divided, Stock Day was a boob, and he actually was a bit scary. In worked in 2004 only very late in the campaign and only because the Cons let it, with incidents like Randy White's interview, Cheryl Gallant's eruptions, and Steve's child porn release. In 2006 Harper learned his lesson and kept a tight reign on his candidates, not giving the scary fire any oxygen, and he moderated his platform.

And now, after a year of Harper government, people see that the sky hasn't fallen. Yes, he just has a minority. Sure, you might think he'll go so-con loco with a majority. Strategically though, that's irrelevant. You're not going to convince Canadians he has a hidden agenda to ban abortion or something. It won't fly. After three elections we need a new strategy.

He's still scary

Steve still scares me a little. Yeah, he's not so-con scary. But he's small government scary. He's anti-strong Federal government scary. He's fiscal Conservative, gut social programs to fund huge tax cuts for the wealthy scary. He's all about that kind of scary.

I have no doubt that, handed the keys to a majority government, Steve Harper would set about remaking Canada into a country nothing like the one most Canadians want, nothing like the country most Canadians identify with. That's a point we can make.

Liberals believe in a strong Federal government that, while respecting provincial rights, is a leader in setting national standards and goals. A government that is compassionate and caring. Liberals believe government can, and must, be a force for change, and an instrument for good.

Conservatives, well, they believe the opposite. They think government is bad. What's that famous conservative quote, they want to make government small enough that they can drown it in their bath tubs? That about sums it up right there.

Choose your Canada

That's a distinction we can make, an ideological line we can draw and a choice we can ask Canadians to make. Let's make the case for government as an instrument of good.

This morning a Globe piece quotes Bob Rae as saying the Liberals plan to borrow a phrase from the Conservative strategic playbook, focusing on a key priorities and "pithy phrases."

That's fine. Focus is good. (One of) the mistakes of Paul Martin was that he had 1000 priorities, and all of them were his top priority. When you try to be everything to everyone you don’t' end up being anything to anyone.

We should take a focused, defined agenda with deliverables to Canadians in the next election. A sustainable economy that drives green jobs and economic growth. Protecting the environment and tackling climate change. And more.

But we need to tie that agenda to an idea, a vision for Canada, contrast that with the narrow-minded small government vision of the Harper Conservatives, and ask Canadians which Canada they identify with.

Do that, and I think we have a chance.

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