Local Winner: Former New Brunswick Premier Frank McKenna. He's a two-time winner here at Paint the Political Picture and deservedly so. This time McKenna has used his contacts as a diplomat (i.e. friends in high places) to secure former US president Bill Clinton as a guest speaker on global economic issues (at the Moncton Coliseum on Nov. 25). Should make for some heavy security in downtown Moncton when Billy goes out for some eats and a drink.
Loser: NDP leader Jack Layton for the manner in which he dealt with the pot-wing of his party. Let's just say, he probably knew what was going on.
Which leads me to my second winner...
Winner: Liberal party strategist for beating down the NDP (who are inching closer to the Grits in the polls) with allegations that Layton had a secret deal with “Prince of Pot,” Marc Emery and his British Columbia Marijuana party. Up until then, the NDP were on message and talking about issues. Now they've been reduced to a left-wing explanatory party.
Partial policy winner: Liberal party strategist for attempting to make the campaign about the management of the economy. This morning, Mr. Dion unveiled the party's platform which "trumpets the party's track record of sound fiscal management" and vows to balance the budget (which btw, Tim Powers has a few questions regarding the validity of the latter).
However, as you may have noticed, I used the words "partial winner". Why? Because not only are there some holes in the costing of the platform, I don't think the deliverer of the message, Dion, has the ability to sell it. In other words, it may be the winning formula, but it won't win if there is not a winner selling it. Maybe the Libs should seriously consider retiring Dion and his carbon tax formula and bring back tit Jean straight out of retirement.
Loser: MP Garth Turner for being a complete disaster for the Liberals on the campaign trail. First the CPAC door knocking incident and now this. It would seem our good friend Garth has seriously crossed-the-line with this "death watch" ad. Although, I'm sure he'll try to flip, squirm and lie his way out of it like he always does. Full marks to Le Politico and Dan Cook (not to be mistaken for Dane Cook) for exposing the real Garth Turner once again.
I have reincarnated this old blog and will be following both the national as well as the local developments in the New Brunswick region leading up to the 2011 federal election.
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8 comments:
You left out the Reid incident in Ontario??? That again shows Harpers nasty political manipulations and lack of consistent principles. Staffers, Cabinet Ministers are HIS responsibility and strike too close to home.
Cabinet Ministers are HIS responsibility and strike too close to home.
Sorry, but a CPC candidate pulling out of the least winnable riding in Canada is not an indication of Harper's anything.
The Liberals promise everything during an election, but they never seem to deliver or get the job done after they win.
Get rid of GST. Nope.
C02 levels with Kyoto con't to rise. Yup.
Health care improvements end up a Ramanow report collecting dust. Yup.
Education reform. Nope.
And the red book list of broken promises go on and on and on. So much so, they had to write a second book as thet were out of broken promises by '97.
Jack Layton on PotTV (date unknown), via PTBC:
http://www.proudtobecanadian.ca/index/weblog/9364/
Jack Layton just promised to work with the Liberals so that they could pass dipper legislation. If that won't scare the soft Liberal vote over to the Tories, I don't know what will?
The Green Shift is where it has always been, but in the Toronto Star, it was in, out, and back in all within 24 hours. Enough to confuse anyone.
As to the NDP, this is the week Layton is profiling tough on crime, which is likely why the two candidates had to be canned. Why Layton didn't see this conflict in advance is a mystery though.
I don't think this will impact how most other ridings will vote and how most see the Green Shift. Most do not understand the policy and have not read it and do not care. Dion is not weak but appears so, there is a difference. We will have a Conservative government ( probably majority) that will make the Mulroney years look tame.
Easy to criticize when you're doing nothing about it yourself.
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