Conservative election eve pitch

This is the Conservative pitch on election eve. I received it today

October 13, 2008


"Canada's choice: protecting the Canadian economy or experimenting with it After five weeks of campaigning, the time has come for voters to decide. On October 14th, Canadians will choose a Prime Minister. They will decide who they think is the best choice to manage Canada's economy at a time of considerable global economic uncertainty. That choice is clear: Prime Minister Stephen Harper.Stephen Harper is the only leader who is prepared to tackle a period of global economic uncertainty. He is the only leader who has been talking about the economy not only since this election campaign began, but for the past year. He is the only leader who saw the economic storm clouds coming, and he is the only leader who had a plan. The other guys, literally, didn’t see it coming.Prime Minister Harper and the Conservative Government developed and implemented a plan based on keeping the budget balanced, lowering taxes, protecting Canadian jobs and keeping inflation low. That plan has been in place for two years. That plan has worked. That plan is the reason why Canada is weathering the global economic storm better than any other country.That plan is the best way forward. That plan will keep Canada on the right track.If re-elected, Prime Minister Stephen Harper's top priority will be to protect the Canadian economy and everyone's stake in it. He will continue to provide certainty at a time when Canada needs it most.Stéphane Dion's pre-occupation (because we know he can’t set priorities) will be to run his risky carbon tax experiment - an experiment that will destroy jobs and drive up the price of everything.Canadians face a clear choice: strong leadership that will protect the Canadian economy or risky leadership that will experiment with it.If you want a Prime Minister who will protect the Canadian economy, then give Stephen Harper a mandate.If you want a Prime Minister who will experiment with the Canadian economy, then give Mr. Dion a mandate to impose his carbon tax."

After reading it, I have to agree with Dion's statement that Harper has based his campaign on lie upon lie. Let's hope Canadians give him at best a reduced minority tomorrow.

Bourque continues to hammer Dion

Pierre Bourque continues to shill for the Conservative party. His daily melange of headlines continue to link to attacks on Dion and the Liberals, the most one-sided election coverage imaginable.

Today he plays up a story about Elizabeth May as a future Liberal cabinet minister or Senator. Yes, I'm not making this up. Here's what he has to say in a mini-torial:


"GREEN SUPPORTER: ELIZABETH MAY HAS SOLD US OUT !
SENATOR MAY ? ENVIRONMENT MINISTER MAY ?
Where does Green Party leader Elizabeth May get her marching orders ? With less than 48 hours to go before voters go to the polls across Canada, emotions are running high inside campaigns faltering within sight of the finish line. In recent hours, Bourque has heard from a number of senior political operatives, notably a very senior Liberal organizer who admittedly worked on the leadership bid of one of Stephane Dion's rivals, in other words someone who has much to gain if Dion and his Green Shift are soundly defeated Tuesday. Yet, this still-very-active politico tells Bourque he fears a secret deal has been cooked between Dion and Elizabeth May (both unabashed disciples of ex-pat Kyoto godfather Maurice Strong) which may explain why she has been meeting with "key Liberal organizers" and is now actively telling Green Party supporters to vote Liberal, of all things. This, according to our Liberal insider, in exchange for a possible Senate seat and a place as Environment Minister in a Dion-led government. To be clear, Ms May's curious strategy of backing Dion is creating ill-will within her own party to the point that "a lot of Green candidates are upset", according to one national news report this morning. Surprisingly, top Green Party representatives are refusing to respond to a query from this organ as to what is the Party's current position on the Senate. Developing."

How low can he go?

More Bourque Bias

Tonight's Bourque headlines. I rest my case

DION HAMMERED OVER BOTCHED INTERVIEW
WATCH THE INTERVIEW LIBERALS TRIED TO STOP
FOR DION, THE DAMAGE IS DONE
Greens see political connections behind strategic voting site ......... Lib candidate: carbon tax won't reduce emissions ......... Tories commit millions to improve lung health ......... The irrational exuberance of Dionmania begins to wane ......... Harper sharpens attack ......... Layton's demagogic moment ......... Harper growing into the job ......... Harper for the rough road ......... Prime Minister Dion loses something in translation ......... Trudeau more than just a name ? ......... Panic-mongers ......... Dion & Layton play to fear ......... A combative Baird ......... Election campaign follows left-right ideological lines ......... Dion: Green Shift or bust ......... Lib campaign workers arrested ......... Top Green backer: vote ndp, liberal ......... Get the pickle fork ready for Fortier .......... Tories look to Greens to be BC wild card ......... Dion nixes deal with Ndp ......... All for naught ......... Dion's high road hits the low road ......... Mulroney then Harper now

Majority hopes dashed, Harper struggles for 2nd minority

Since the US financial crisis mushroomed into a global meltdown, the foundations of Stephen Harper's run for a majority have been shattered. As Harper is increasingly seen as cold and uncaring, e.g. "good time to buy stock bargains", his odds of maintaining a minority government seem to be diminishing day by day.

Harper fared poorly in both the French and English debates. Dion did not stumble as the Conservatives (and many Liberals) had expected. Layton and May both performed well in the English debate.

Harper threw away at least 20 seats in Quebec with his ham-fisted moves on cuts to arts and culture and his sentencing stance on youths. This enabled Duceppe to regain ground lost in the early days of the campaign and to become the rallying point for a "stop Harper from getting a majority" campaign. This leaves Harper looking to Ontario to bolster his sagging fortunes. Dion has been hobbled by the split in the left-of-center vote, with the NDP and the Green Party continuing to poll well. But Dion has found his stride since the debates and is beginning to pull votes from the others.

If Nik Nanos' (the pollster who came closest to predicting exactly the outcome of the 2006 election) lastest polls are accurate then Dion has a chance , albeit slim, of overtaking Haper on election day and winning a minority by the skin of his teeth, thereby snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. If not, then look for a diminished Conservative minority. Depending on how the number of seats turn out, some are beginning to speculate about the possibility of a non-Conservative coalition, after Harper is dispatched with relative ease by a non-confidence vote. Fantasy? Maybe. Maybe not. The talk of deals has already begun.

In any event, the big loser of this election is likely to be Stephen Harper who broke his own fixed election law in an attempt to secure a majority. Even if he gains a second(diminished) minority, he will end up the loser.

Bourque: Biased Election Coverage ???

Why is Pierre Bourque tilting coverage in favour of the Conservatives throughout Election 2008?

If you have been visiting bourque.org during this campaign, you will have noted the consistent daily prominence of headlines dissing Stephane Dion and the Liberals (see today's batch below) and of headlines favouring the Conservatives. Is this unbiased coverage? Hardly. You have to wonder why.....

"THE IRRATIONAL EXUBERANCE OF DIONMANIA BEGINS TO WANE
DION'S MELTDOWN. LIBERAL COVER UP
TORIES COMMIT MILLIONS TO IMPROVE LUNG HEALTH
Harper growing into the job ......... Dion: Green Shift or bust ......... O'Neill/Mayeda/Johnson: Prime Minister Dion ? .........Martin: Prime Minister Dion ? ......... Lib campaign workers arrested ......... Top Green backer: vote ndp, liberal ......... The numbers game ......... The splintering of politics ......... Vote splits create unexpected results ......... Harper plays the mom card ......... Parties support strong action on lung health ......... Ndp fighting to be official opposition ......... Strategic vote will hurt Greens ......... Should the Green just fade away ......... Which party will cut a deal ......... Yukon Premier blasts Libs ......... Panic politics ......... "
Source: www.bourque.org October 9, 2008 10:30 PM