Thursday, September 25, 2008

NDP the Gas-X of politics?

My favourite headline of the election campaign to date comes from the Canadian Press:

Layton promises to ease B.C.'s gas pains

Remember, Jack. He who smellt it, dealt it!

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13 comments:

RP. said...

Do you think it'll squeak through?

Jeff said...

The NDP's policies have always seemed deadly, but far from silent...

leftdog said...

Yes we are busy in BC fixing 'Liberal indigestion'!

Jeff said...

And you're going to leave the province with a bad case of conservative constipation...

leftdog said...

Well ... in BC it is your duty to abandon the 3rd place Libs and strategically vote New Democrat!
Cheers!

Jeff said...

If we're going to abandon the gas theme for a moment leftdog, let me say this about strategic voting.

If you're going to advocate it, you need to advocate it both ways. You need to admit that, if you're TRULY advocating strategic voting, then there are some ridings where it makes sense to vote NDP, and some ridings where it makes sense to vote Liberal.

That's strategic voting. Which candidate has the best chance of defeating the Conservative in a given riding. It's not always NDP, or Liberal. If your defenition of strategic voting is really just "vote NDP" then that's just self interest, which is I suppose strategic in a way, but not in the way you're implying, and isn't honest.

Of course, when any party talks about strategic voting, that's really what they mean: vote for me, strategic or not.

Unknown said...

BCL - pot. kettle. black. Liberals scream strategic voting ALL the time (in fact Dion did it in BC yesterday of the day before) and when it is thrown back you get all earnest and whiny.

So either we ALL agree to a moratorium on the call or when the other guy makes it - just walk on by - if you don't agree. This message goes for dippers and greenies too btw/

Jeff said...

Jenn, as you'll see in this thread, a) i didn't bring it up, and b) i said all parties are disingenuous on this. So your angst is misplaced.

Now back to gas-related metaphors please everyone.

Deb Prothero said...

I've been checking out all the strategic voting sites. In my opinion, this one has the best methods: http://www.voteforenvironment.ca/

Barcs said...

I like that one JEff :)

Here is another from a Saskatchewan op-ed piece

"NDP running on fumes in Sask."

Ok its a bit overused :(


how about a blog from Norman Spector and the globe on poll commentary:

Good for dogs to pee on

lol


I kinda like how every story about Elisabeth may starts "choo choo" too.... make me think of her as Ralph wiggum.


---------

Here's a good line from within a story, (not sure how it is Relavant to the story on Toronto tho):

Mr. Kennedy's campaign office is beside a former funeral home that's now a horror attraction, but he insists that's not an omen of his oft-foiled political ambitions.

blogoffanddie said...

From Peacekeepers to Ass-Kissers - thanks Stephen Harper

Stephen Harper has his head so far up George Bush’s back passage that George could get a gig as the two-headed freak at a traveling sideshow.

http://blogoffanddie.wordpress.com
http://theimpolitecanadian.wordpress.com/

..the Conservative Party is a lot like a box of chocolates, you’re never sure where the nuts are, sadly, the Liberal Party has no nuts…

Dirk Buchholz said...

yeah we know BCer the gas companies are not ripping off people.
Do you Liberals even get it,the NDP is opposed to the tax because it puts more of the burden on working people who are already struggling.
The way to fight fossil fuel use is to give people options,other than using their cars,i.e more transit,i.e a compressive transit network that actually works and is designed with real people in mind. .If one relies on one's car to get to work a tax changes nothing,again it just sucks more money from the pockets of working people/families.
Canadians need options not more taxes.

Jeff said...

Dirk, if we're honest we'll agree both cap and trade (NDP, Con) and carbon shift (lib) will increase prices. Any increased cost for companies will be passed on to consumers. That's economics 101. And the fact is, the Liberal plan is the only one that offers tax cuts to help working Canadian families compensate for the increased costs. With the NDP and Conservative plans, working Canadians will just be out of pocket. As for other options, indeed, that's why the Liberals have proposed a 10 year, $70b infrastructure program.