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Stephen Harper: Savvy or Stupid?

Posted by MidwestMom • 10/14/08 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
Topics: Canada, elections, politics, Stephane Dion, Stephen Harper

I wonder about Stephen Harper's decision to call for an election just before one of the most turbulent periods in world markets...

What's your read on Harper? Is he the most unlucky man in politics? Or by framing the choices in terms of 'risk' and 'certainty', did he play the electorate in savvy fashion?

Or is Stephane Dion reading the electorate better by asking, "Has Canada grown stronger under the Harper Conservatives?"

Today's Toronto Star has statements from all four candidates about why they should get Canadians' votes. Here's the link:
www.thestar.com/federalelection/article/516852

User Comments

10/14/08

DrowseyMonkey

Harper is a cunning politician, we'll see tonight if his gamble paid of, personally I don't think it will. He certainly didn't get my vote today.

[reply]
10/14/08

MidwestMom

Finally! I guess all the Canadians are at the polls today.

I'm watching to see whether Harper's risk was worth it. If his party loses seats, who do you think will benefit? (Personally, I'm not buying the whole line about other parties being too risky... Sounds too much like what we're hearing south of the border.)

[reply]
10/14/08

DrowseyMonkey

Well, I think his main goal was to push the Liberals into a leadership race ... which this may do if he gets another minority. He had no intention of getting a majority ... he's just doing this to throw the opposition into chaos with the hopes that next Fall he'll go to the polls and get his majority then.

Should be an interesting outcome tonight. I hope he loses a few seats. I'm actually hoping he loses power but I have my doubts about that.

[reply]
10/14/08

MidwestMom

For those interested in results, I have been following the election on
www.cbc.ca/news/
I imagine they will be updating through the night.

[reply]
1. 10/14/08
  
  DrowseyMonkey
  
  One of the reporters at CBC said that Harper calling the election was a creative waste of $250 million, lol. I dunno, he might get a majority ... definitely has a minority at this point.
10/14/08

DrowseyMonkey

CBC just announced it's another conservative minority government ... exactly where we were 36 days & 250 million dollars ago.

[reply]
1. 10/14/08
  
  clioandme
  
  Meaning, I guess, Harper played this smart.
2. 10/14/08
  
  DrowseyMonkey
  
  Well, I guess. It does look bad for him tho to not get a majority...to be right where he was before the election with no real gain. He'll spin it tho.
  
  I'm happy for a Liberal leadership race, they chose the wrong guy last time ... nice man but not a leader.