On the Viral Eruption of “New Reform”
May 29, 2008 9:57 pm Canadian PoliticsOn the pages of Facebook and Blogging Tories I have spotted postings by keeners on the notion of a resurrected Reform Party of Canada and actual moves to make the paper Reform Party of Ontario into something with warm bodies.
Of the latter I have little to say other than it might be wise to make good first on an attempt to take down John Tory before embarking on a twenty-first century peasants’ revolt beyond 905 and 416. If the provincial Progressive Conservative label is tainted from the last vote, I rather think that slimwhitman.on.ca is a poor choice for horse-switching.
But for the millennials who are contemplating the federal voodoo of raising Reform from its grave, I have to ask: what the hell part of seventeen years of brutal, pointless political civil war do you not understand?!
Many, including your correspondent, suffered through frustration at the ballot box, broken friendships, unbearable stress, wasted opportunities and years of needless, wanton Liberal oligarchy just to get back to square one and arrive at a winning coalition.
We were happy to achieve peace under Stephen Harper and we will not let go of it gently. Trust me, at the very least you will be wasting your time in a pointless sideshow but if you persist nothing will be spared to restore that peace. Nothing.
Do not force Cincinnatus to leave his farm again.
![[del.icio.us]](http://images.del.icio.us/static/img/delicious.small.gif){kind=small}
Glendronach
Lori :
Date: May 30, 2008 @ 3:12 am
Well, the Ontario Conservative movement is lost anyway.
If libs win an election, we have the libs setting policy.
If the conservatives win an election…. we have libs setting policy just the same.
Either way libs romp unopposed.
At least if the opposition is Reform, there will be a voice for conservatism.
So what’s to lose by backing Ontario Reform? A proud name, a proud tradition, and frankly I would seriously think of supporting the party. I’m a member of the CPC, but I see nothing in the current Ontario PC party that I like.
Seriously, what’s to lose?
Cool Blue :
Date: May 30, 2008 @ 3:17 am
1) and attempt was made to remove Tory at the last convention where he only got 67% approval. The convention was very rigged by Tory and he still only got 67%. For example, over 80 people had their delegate status revoked when they got there. These people were overwhelmingly anti-Tory. If they had been allowed to vote his numbers would have been bellow 60%.
2) many of us believe that Tory won’t win in 2011 with or without Reform around, so if it’s gonna be a Liberal victory anyway, why not go with Reform?
3) Even if Reform isn’t a serious option, it may have the effect of scaring the crap out of the PCs and causing them to take a hard look at their party
Daily Blogger - Friday, May 30th, 2008 | Jack’s Newswatch :
Date: May 30, 2008 @ 6:00 am
[...] Barrel Strength | On the Viral Eruption of “New Reform” [...]
Glendronach :
Date: May 31, 2008 @ 8:37 pm
To recap the gist of my posting, I am bothered by mutterings of pulling the stake out of the heart of the Reform Party of Canada.
My only take on the Reform Party of Ontario is that it may not represent a winning political brand versus an actual conservative recapture of the provincial Progressive Conservative party. Lori — who I surmise must be a millennial — trotted out the phrase “A proud name, a proud tradition”. That’s a reasonable position if one’s target demographic is the cluster of Ontario voters who drive Corvairs or Pintos, drink New Coke or own the DVD of “Gigli”. Rebuilding Ontario conservatism from Year Zero is no picnic, and I surmise one could do better for a tactical manual than “The Leadership Secrets of Pol Pot”. Ask one of the owners of the first edition, Preston Manning.
But that is a matter for Ontario conservatives to decide in the end. Just don’t take the madness federal. You’ve been warned.