FD: "Panic Permeates Outremont Liberal Campaign"
O-U-C-H... an absolutely devastating post from Liblogger Antonio DiDomizio, aka "Fuddle Duddle", on the status of things on the ground for the Liberals in the Outremont by-election...
(or, you could look at it as another nail in Dion's coffin, as some may suggest that Justin might have had the star power to hold this riding, and that Dion was an idiot for not offering it to him)
September 14, 2007I knew things were bad, but I really had no idea how bad (err, I guess I should say "good", at least for us) things were for the Liberals in Outremont... I guess it was a blessing in disguise for Justin Trudeau that didn't go for the "safe" riding!
Panic Permeates Outremont Liberal Campaign
ALARMA!
Panic has settled in at Outremont HQ as a general lack of motivation over the past few months is beginning to reflect in a poll that was commissioned by La Presse, stating that Tom Mulcair is indeed ahead of Jocelyn Coulon by 6%.
Others in the party infrastructure are beginning to sharpen their knives. One member of the provincial executive is preparing a verbal volley at Stephane Dion following the imminent loss.
I speak to former colleagues and they are defeated. They shrug their shoulders and believe their fate is sealed in the next general election. Dion was on the wrong side of the issue in Quebec politics for so long that people grew accustomed to disliking him.
His weak whiny mousy personality did not help his cause. People hated Jean Chretien but he still won Outremont handily. (h/t Chantal Hebert)
Where do Quebec Liberals go from here?
Do they change party policy? They already have. The PLC(Q) passed several resolutions recognizing the change in Quebec. I wrote the fiscal imbalance resolution myself (2 and a half years ago). As many look forward, the Liberal Party looks back to its former successes for some form of inspiration. However, many pieces are still missing.
The Liberals lost many organizers outside Montreal to the Conservatives. The YLC(Q) is barely a shadow of what it was just 2 years ago. Slowly, the Liberal Party in Quebec is losing the foundation that once made it so great.
Tuesday morning, either heads will quietly roll, or there will be mayhem in the Quebec wing of the Liberal Party. Either way, Liberals must ask themselves where they are headed. Today the alarm sounds only in Outremont. Soon, it will be all across Quebec.
Labels: Methinks I will go watch squirming Ottawa assistants this weekend
par / by Antonio à / at 12:10 PM
(or, you could look at it as another nail in Dion's coffin, as some may suggest that Justin might have had the star power to hold this riding, and that Dion was an idiot for not offering it to him)
Labels: Dion, election, Liberals, Not a Leader
posted by Christian Conservative @ 2:21 p.m.
7 Comments:
At Fri Sep 14, 03:57:00 p.m. EDT,
KC said…
Wow you should be so proud. Your leader is only doing well in Quebec (and the Liberals consequently doing poorly) because he is buying the province off. The "principled" Conservative Party (ie the party that was when it was in opposition) would never be proud of such a thing.
At Fri Sep 14, 06:30:00 p.m. EDT,
Anonymous said…
KC...
That is so laughable it is idotic. Which party was behind adscam?
Wishing for something doesn't make it so!!!
At Fri Sep 14, 07:02:00 p.m. EDT,
Anonymous said…
I remember when they were in power,
the lie-brals would loose a bi-election and they would act like they're not concerned. I wonder what they have to say now. If anything.
At Fri Sep 14, 08:51:00 p.m. EDT,
KC said…
OK Anon. Which is the party behind the nation resolution--something the Conservative rank and file outside of Quebec would have foamed at the mouth criticizing mere years ago? Which is the party that funnelled billions of dollars to Quebec in the last budget with absolutely zero justification for those transfers? These are things that principled Conservatives would have been up in arms about a couple years ago yet today are willing to mock Stephane Dion for refusing to do the same.
At Sat Sep 15, 09:40:00 a.m. EDT,
Anonymous said…
Aw, KW, get over yourself. It was the Liberal leadership that brought up the Quebec nation debate and left it to Harper to close the file. It was Martin who created the fiscal imbalance issue and left it to Harper to correct, 7 satisfied provinces and 3 with a small percentage of population and really no argument.
At Sat Sep 15, 12:29:00 p.m. EDT,
KC said…
Newsflash Davey: There WAS no "fiscal imbalance issue"--at least not one pertaining to Quebec. Quebec has and always has recieved more money in transfers than it pays in taxation. Its alweays recieved more than its fair share. If Harper really wanted to "correct" what imbalance there might be Quebec he would roll back transfers.
Instead what he chose to do was buy votes with money from other provinces.
As for Ignatieff's role in the "nation" issue there is certainly room for blame in his direction which is part of the reason why I didnt support him. But Harper still choose the course of action he did. He could have done the right thing and refused to support the Bloc.
Instead he chose to ignore principles of provincial equality that have guided his party and its predecessors for the past two decaders and pander for more votes.
Im not saying the Liberals are blameless. Not at all. But its sad to see Conservatives now giddy because Dion is suffering electorally for refusing to do what the same people thought was the right thing to do a mere couple years ago. What an unprincipled bunch!
At Mon Sep 17, 06:04:00 a.m. EDT,
Anonymous said…
Unprincipled? C'mom KW. I think the Nation motion was passed unanimously. Many Liberals would have supported the Bloc and divided parliament. The "rght thing" is what the Liberals have been doing for so many years but it has led to division within the country and sparked the separatists. Even Chretien recognized this folly after he nearly lost the '95 referendum. Didn't he pass a "distinct society" motion after Trudeau and even Chretien had argued how wrong this would be.
Fiscal Imbalance? No, probably no such thing, but another straw man that needed to be dismantled. Far better to have a formula that is predictable than the assymetrical federalism of the Libs. Isn't that where they funnelled billions without accountability to Quebec (or was that into their own pockets, hard to keep track)
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