I’m hopeful but suspicious.

But I believe the new Conservative Party is a much better party led by a much better man. Stephen Harper is no Joe Clark , Brian Mulroney or Kim Campbell. Remember Harper left the old PC Party to help found the Reform Party. We should also remember that Joe Clark also fought the creation of the new party and several members of caucus refused to join the new party.

That is why I am prepared to give the Conservative Party a chance. Harper has done about as much as he can with a minority. Supporting our troops with proper equipment, standing up to terrorism, cutting funding to the horrible National Action Committee on the Status of Women, tightening up immigration abuses, writing a new citizenship guide that actually talks about Canada’s proud military record, standing up for Israel against the terrorists and their surrogates.

I have waited such a long time for someone to even begin to end the Liberal legacy of moral relativism, pandering to special interest groups, undercutting our military, corruption and cowardice that I am glad that we finally have not only an end to the damage the Liberals are doing to Canada , but a man strong enough to start to push back and return this country to genuine Canadian values of hard work, determination in face of great odds, family, sacrifice while helping the less fortunate, self respect, belief in the supremacy of God,personal accountability and self reliance.

That is why I support Stephen Harper and urge everyone else to do the same. He is not a perfect man and he is not in a perfect situation, but he is doing the right thing in the face of a Parliament where the opposition parties have a majority and where most of the mainstream press, especially the CBC, oppose almost everything he does.

What you must understand is that the CPC is suffering a credibility gap with many conservative supporters.

In the 1980’s conservatives were delighted when Joe Clark won a minority government only to piss it away and allow Trudeau to return.

The conservative party promtly tossed Clark away for a leader from Quebec (wow – “big surprise” – another PM from Quebec).

Mulroney then pissed away millions in an absurd circus of constitional navel gazing that tried to appease every dinky-assed little pressure group there was (natives, separatists, shrill women’s groups – you name it).

One thing that burnt my ass was when Mulroney pulled his phoney “free vote” in parliament regarding capital punishment. He had one of the biggest cabinets in Canadian hiostory and the called a free vote for all MPs EXCEPT cabinet members who were instructed to vote AGAINST capital punishment.

That (!?) is a free vote?

I can still remember that asshole hugging other MPs and laughing when the “free vote” not surprisingly failed to reinstate capital punishment.

Then we had Kim Campbell. What a twit she was. She was the one who introduced the firearms aquisition certificate. The precursor to the firearms license. She led the conservative party into a disasterous defeat.

Then the conservative party decided to dip into the Quebec well again (WOW! Another great “surprise!”).

Charest the man with 2 seats who hated the Reform Party so much that he refused to join forces with the Reformers so the Reformers could become the official opposition. He would rather see the Bloc become the official opposition than cooperate with a western conservative leader.

Nice, — and now he’s a fed bashing Liberal who hates the oil sands.

Whoa! A third big “surprise”.

Then the conservative Party came up with the genius idea of resurecting Clark the idiot. Remember him? The bonehead that advocated Canadians vote LIBERAL instead of for the CPC?

So guess what? Many former members & supporters of the Reform party have a deep seated mistrust of the CPC.

So when you start bitching at some conservatives for not gushing about every move you make, do try to remember, they’ve had had 30 years to build up distrust and it’s not going to disappear overnight.

If you want them to show up on election day you had better convince them that *IF* you get a majority it won’t simply be another bullshit blue-Liberal lie like previous administrations.

As for the substance of your posting you ignore the fact that with a minority of seats in Parliament Harper cannot just do as he pleases and needs the support of at least one opposition party just to survive. Minority conservative governments facing three left wing parties are not in a position to make the kinds of changes you seem to want and if they ignore the average Canadian in favour of pursuing an ideological agenda they are unlikely to ever win that majority.

Just where are you getting your evidence for your latter claims? The long gun registry is being starved of budget funds and the minister has directed that it not be enforced with any vigour. Where are the mass arrests?

As for the CHRC, a colleague of mine pointed out here recently that the chairman’s appointment by Governor-in-Council can be rescinded only through legislative action, something that is not feasible in the current parliament. But that is not proof that Harper approves Jennifer Lynch’s reign of error. The fact that the CHRC is being exposed to the current degree of denormalization without any defence from other government institutions proves otherwise.

This all returns to my original point, that if you acknowledge the reality of minority government you need to get a clear bead on what change is actually feasible.

That is not a blanket defence of all of the actions of the current government. As the archives will prove, I have lambasted Harper and his policies on numerous occasions. But I have done so in the knowledge that holding government is the key to change rather than parking oneself at a think-tank to churn out screed.

Furthermore, you overlook the power of appointment that resides with a government. Good people who are clear on the concept are steadily replacing Chretienite deadwood. Those appointees do make a difference in the machinery of government. And the power of the Manning Foundation to make such choices? Zero.

That is no substitute for a majority mandate but it is at least a path towards one.

There are all sorts of things that this government has done that they didn’t have to. And all sorts of things that they could have done and didn’t. The argument of the Harper Truthers is basically that he couldn’t have done it all so it is okay that he has done nothing.

Shouldn’t that have been, “..as a Conservative when they have something useful to say.”

Gods, you’re a bit arrogant aren’t you.

“That is all the proof we need as to the wisdom of standing by our principles, values and beliefs.”

Umm…WHAT?

When at the last convention the “powers that be” changed _every_ line that read “A Conservative gov’t will…” to “A Conservative believes…”; when the last four budgets have all increased spending by half; when the gun-control registry is putting firearms owners behind bars; when the HRC’s have _increased_, the _last_ thing anyone can say is that the “Conservatives” have stood by any of their beliefs, values or principles.

I also agree with you that politicians should not cave in to every special interest group no matter how much press they get. That is what the Liberals did. It worked for a time, but now look at them. They do not know what they believe or what they stand for. When asked why anyone should vote for them all they can say is that they oppose us.

That is all the proof we need as to the wisdom of standing by our principles, values and beliefs.

“If your tent is not big enough to allow traditional conservatives and so-cons to have a voice then why should they vote for the CPC?”

And where precisely did I make that argument in my posting? Nowhere.

My issue is not with traditional conservatives or social conservatives, it is with a certain variety of online activist who inexplicably thinks the CPC should pursue his pure vision of conservatism without regard to on-the-ground realities. And when that doesn’t pan out, his reaction is to decry the system, call for a retreat into a closed loop and brand those remaining within the process to be inadequate and impure.

That is shallow, self-defeating thinking that ought to be called out as such.

By all means we should feel free to take the Harper government to task: it just helps to do so outside of an intellectual vacuum.

However, I was exaggerating for effect. There are many within the CPC who ARE trying to appease eternally dissatified & vocal fringe groups.

When challenged these idividuals trot out the old line of making the CPC a “bigger tent”. What hogwash.

As a voter who leans conservative I am sick and tired of this politician’s habit of catering to social pressure groups. That is a tactic of the Liberals and the NDP. I would expect better of the conservative party.

The fact is I like & respect Harper but I trust the CPC about as far as I can throw them.

So far it’s only been Harper’s leadership that has kept me from abandoning any thought of voting CPC completely.
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“Activists” like the blogger to whom I linked …. These people claim to be the voice of a movement”
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Perhaps they are. Maybe it’s just not a movement you care to listen to.

If you attack them, ridicule them and dismiss then it won’t be surprising if they stay at home during the next election.

If your tent is not big enough to allow traditional conservatives and so-cons to have a voice then why should they vote for the CPC?

John, that is not the point in question. “Activists” like the blogger to whom I linked are not typical voters waiting to be persuaded at election time. These people claim to be the voice of a movement but refuse to acknowledge the real circumstances in which the electoral game is being played out.

It is one thing to be ahead of the pack when it comes to formulating opinion but these people are fleeing from hard reality so fast they are doppler-shifting.

As a political campaigner you are a salesman trying to sell me your party. I am not obliged to purchase no matter how hard you felt you have worked.