We are the Champions!

I don't mean to gloat, but I'm going to anyway.

Avid readers of my blog will know that I correctly predicted the outcome of this election. I called either a minority or majority Conservative government. How do you like them apples?

Stephen Harper becoming Prime Minister is probably this best thing to happen to this country in a very long while. Mark my words, in a few years time, Mr. Harper will be so popular, very few will want to admit they ever voted against him.

For left-wing types who insist on calling him scary now, in the years to come after everyone knows him better, they will forced to state how Mr. Harper "must have changed" to become more appeasing to the general public. The fact of the matter is, Mr. Harper fully subscribes to the mainstream views of average Canadians.

A warning should also be given to Buzz Hargrove, who is more interested in making outrageous public statements in support of Liberals rather than defend the important interests of his union membership. Why was he more interested in defending Paul Martin than his workers at Ford facing layoffs? The North American auto industry is starting a very major transition requiring strong representation to defend Canadian workers interests. If Buzz doesn't want to do his job, it creates a great opportunity for the Tories to step in for him.

Anyway, that's another matter altogether. Back to gloating...

"We are the champions, no time for losers, 'cause we are the champions - of the world." - Queen

Will wonders ever cease?

Former NDP Leader Alexa McDuh-nuh is officially outraged regarding Peter McKay's "sexist" comments regarding knitting. He used a common saying in a radio panel interview by advising Alexa to "stick to her knitting".

As any good silver-spoon socialist politician would do, she feigned outrage at the comment and demanded an apology. Never one to shy away from reporting on a story that really isn't newsworthy, the CBC is providing full coverage of the episode.

However, in reality it is really the NDP making sexist comments. As a male, I am personally offended by her contention that men do not knit. Perhaps she needs to have a little more tolerance for others in our society.

I refer all readers to this organization that fends off the intolerant views of people like Alexa.

For shame!

Hold the Line!

Only three more sleeps until election day in Canada. This final stretch of the campaign truly has placed an incredible amount of scrutiny on the Conservatives. This is both a good and bad thing.

The more closely Canadians look at the Conservative platform, the more likely they will realize they agree with policies laid out by the party. For those who simply can never be convinced to vote Tory, they will nitpick at the irrelevant details. I actually saw someone on TV criticize the Conservatives for running a campaign that was "too perfect". Any guesses which network it aired on?

In the last 24 hours, the media have started giving the Tories negative coverage on topics that have never been issues before in this neverending campaign. Why? Because reporters haven't been given anything else to report on by the Conservatives. Idle hands, idle minds?

Today is the last major news day before the end of the campaign. I hope the Tories throw those news hounds a topic for a story that will will keep them occupied with those dirty Liberals until the end of the campaign.

Needless to say, I'm going to be a campaigning maniac this weekend, sporting only campaign paraphernalia, urging people to get out to vote for their Conservative candidate!

Bin Who?

I bet you one shiny nickel the Bin Laden tape released today is a fake.

Why?

First, since when did Bin Laden start referring to the President by name? Admittedly, I haven't closely followed the war on terror, but I distinctly recall this terrorist preferring to refer to 'infidels' rather than specific people. At one point in the tape, he actually says "President Bush".

Second, Bin Laden calls for a truce in Iraq. Huh? Does this mean he will call off his minions behind the almost daily attacks which primarily cause pain and suffering to the Iraqi people who he claims to want to protect? If that's the case, why does he authorize the attacks in the first place?

Third, he refers to public opinion polling data for the US.

"Your President Bush has been misleading you. He has lied when he said that the people are behind him. Opinion polls have indicated that the overwhelming majority of you want him to pull the troops out of our land."

How on earth did Bin Laden get this information? Does he subscribe to USA Today for home delivery in his cave?

Maple Leafs Inc.

As if I needed ANOTHER reason to detest the Toronto Maple Leaves, one of Toronto's darling hearts of the boys in blue has not only endorsed the Liberals but is campaigning for Stronach!

I am a firm believer that celebrities should keep their traps shut during elections.

Tie Domi is a thug. Why should I care about his political opinions?

Go Sens Go!

I choo-choo-choose you!

Alas, the Toronto Star has finally gotten off the fence and published an editorial endorsement of the Liberals. That so came out of left field!

Although I disagree with the political leanings of the Star, which coincidentially borders on communism, I do respect their ideological beliefs. The Star's editorial board does not hide the fact they are hard-line socialists.

Conversely, the Globe performed superhuman contortions with their endorsement of the Good Guys in order to pick a winner. Althougth I have never seen such as half-hearted attempt to support a political party. I suppose they could no longer ignore the stench emanating from Liberal dead meat.

I have never been one for conspiracy theories but perhaps there is another reason for the Star's Liberal endorsement. Maybe the paper was influenced by a multi-million dollar land deal with the federal government? When I read about it in late August-early September, I thought it was odd, but perhaps there were some other clauses not included in the contract?

We don't know. They're not saying.

Choose your Canada.

Just Give 'er!

Well, we are in the final stretch with election day only SEVEN days away! Personally, I can't wait that long to vote, so I will be casting my ballot this evening at the advance polls.

Every morning on my drive into work, there seems to be more and more Conservative campaign signs. Political pundits often surmise that 416 riding will be impossible for the Tories to win. I beg to differ.

In my own riding, the Conservative campaign is doing is extremely well. They have a fantastic candidate, an enthusiastic team of volunteers and a very supportive electorate. From my own experience making calls, people are ready for change and they want a Conservative government. Longtime Liberal supporters are tired of being taken for granted.

With this knowledge, I can't say I was shocked to see the Globe's endorsement of Harper's Conservatives in an editorial and new polling numbers with the Tories breeching the magical 40 point mark.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that I saw all of this coming, I'm just saying that everything is coming together nicely.

On a sad note, I want to acknowledge the passing of Mr. Glyn Berry, a Canadian foreign service officer. Our foreign service corps often place themselves in dangerous situations to conduct their valuable work. We should all be grateful for their service and dedication.

Hilarious Take on Liberal Ads

Everyone in the world should read these spoofs on those (dirty) Liberal attack ads. I didn't write these, just people funnier, smarter and with more time than I.

Just now at the Subway on Bank Street, I was buying my lunch and there
... in line
... standing in front of me
... was a soldier.
In our cities.
In Canada.
A soldier.
He seemed to be ordering the six-inch ham and turkey.
With chipotle sauce.
In Canada.
We're not making this stuff up.
-- Maclean's columnist Paul Wells.

Stephen Harper wears glasses.
For reading.
You know what he reads?
The Bible.
You know who else reads the Bible?
George Bush.
Will Stephen Harper turn Canada into a Christian theocracy?
We don't know.
He isn't saying.
Choose your Canada.

Stephen Harper has a dog.
You know who else had a dog?
Hitler. Adolf Hitler. That's who.
Did Stephen Harper train his dog to attack racial minorities on command?
We don't know.
He's not saying.
Choose your Canada.

Stephen Harper went to a hockey game.
In Detroit.
Michigan.
United States.
Our game.
Being played down there.
Will Stephen Harper sell our game to the Americans to finance his corporate tax-cuts and ultra-right wing social conservative hidden agenda?
We don't know.
He isn't saying.
Choose your Canada.

Stephen Harper ate at a Tex-Mex place once.
You know what the Tex in Tex-Mex stands for?
Texas.
George W. Bush's home state.
And you know who else would have liked Tex-Mex food if he were alive today?
Adolf Hitler.
We're not making this up.
Choose your Canada.

Boo! Did I scare you?

WARNING: The end is near for everything you hold dear and precious!
Well, at least according to those dirty Liberal TV ad hitting the airwaves today.

With less than two weeks to go until E-day, those dirty Liberals are making a last ditch attempt at trying to scare the electorate to vote for them. Only problem is their tactics have been tried before and I think the ads will only bore and annoy voters.

Liberals are in such a panic to demonize Tories, they can't even properly contort the facts in their favour. They probably pulled the 'soldiers in our cities' ad, because they realized at the last minute they agree with the policy! Hmm... greater National Defence resources near major city centres? That could be handy when there is a natural disaster! In fact, if Vancouver ever experiences an earthquake, and I hope they never do, the closest sizeable army reserves base is in NORTHERN Alberta. Have fun coordinating quick disaster assistance from there!

But not to fear, Liberals are on the case according to the leaked Liberal platform. (Imagine, a platform document leaked during the last two weeks of a campaign. What's a Liberal to do!) They will ban ALL weapons in space and even recruit the assistance of the UN to do it! Bravo!! Onward Christian soldiers!

My only question: does their ban include satellite communications systems for military weaponry or just [banned] handguns thrown really, REALLY high?

Like a Kid in a Candy Store

Last evening was the Super Bowl of politics and let me tell you, I loved every minute. Harper did a marvelous job and you could clearly see he was enjoying himself on stage.

If Canadians didn't know beforehand, they certainly know now that Harper is a bit of a policy wonk. Harper seemed to be having a blast 'geeking out' before a national audience debating policy with the federal leaders. I thought it was a riot when Harper would smirk after throwing a political one-two punch in the debate with a really awesome line or response.

Martin, sadly, reeked of desperation. He was flailing about like a caged animal with his rhetoric and his instantaneously formulated constitutional policy declarations. What was up with the melt down in the fourth quarter? Martin was ranting and raving in response to questions and was not making any sense! Did I mention lies? He was also lying like a rug! At one point, he said every Canadian economist agreed with him! Was he trying to impress Canadians with his assertation that he knows EVERY Canadian economist? Me thinks not.

Layton? Poor ol'fellow. He did his best, but I don't think that was enough. He came across to me as the sleazy salesman type. Even though I detest his politics, I was hoping he would have a good showing to garner more Liberal votes. For the agriculture question, he responded by talking about a farmer he met in Essex County. No offence to the good people of Essex County, but come on Jack! Have you ever been to Saskatchewan where the NDP traditionally received a fair amount of support in the past? It amazes me that he continues to be so Ontario-centric.

Duceppe was off his game last night. Usually in the English debates, Duceppe will stir the pot by making trouble for the other leaders while charming the pants off of English-speaking Canada. Duceppe also got off very easy last night. Here's a man who wants Quebec to separate from Canada, yet he has no problem complaining, albeit legitimately, about a fiscal imbalance! How bad would the fiscal imbalance be with no federal money in a "sovereign" Quebec? No one should ever underestimate the separatists. Just because they don't openly speak about their agenda, doesn't mean it is any less of a priority for them.

Not Easy Being Green

I know I am committing a major faux pas when I say this, but I kinda hope the Green Party gets their first Member of Parliament after this election.

If I were to subscribe to more socialist views, I would be leaning more toward the Greens rather than the NDP. The difference? Policy, baby, policy. After reading over Green Party policies, I was pleasantly surprised to learn some of their policies are quite reasonable and in rare instances, innovative. (Should I wash my mouth out with soap now?)

The Greens realize 'big industry' is not automatically public enemy number one. For instance, they propose using fiscal policy to encourage corporate environmental responsibility by taxing environmental aspects to business operations (use of resources, etc..) instead of corporate income. As a result, businesses wanting to save on their tax bill would need to increase the efficiency of their operations.

The NDP, on the other hand, advocates policy that is either: A) already in place, B) not possible/realistic, or C) just plain stupid. Layton would have no problem "retraining" workers from environmentally harmful industries, say the oil sands, and have them pick up garbage on the side of the 401. (If they still had their climate change plan on their website I would link to it.)

Layton is all show and no substance. Let's remember he is responsible for Toronto's harbourfront wind turbine. I am convinced that huge eyesore actually consumes more electricity with red warning beacons than it actually generates in electricity. But I digress.

Sadly, I don't think the Greens will make inroads in this election with the current turmoil within their party. Their Leader, Jim Harris, needs serious help. The other day he announced the party's platform looking like a complete ragamuffin! Here's a tip, Jim: Get a haircut for TV appearances!

Anyroad, I wish the Greens all the best electing their first MP, from a traditionally NDP/Liberal riding of course!

Be Quiet as a Mouse

With the release of more polling figures favouring the Conservatives, pundits are increasingly willing to declare a Conservative victory. But I distinctly recall some old saying about a fat lady singing...

Conservatives would be wise to take a page from those dirty Liberals, even though it pains me to say it. The higher the Conservatives lead in the polls, the less they should say publicly. If I had my way, candidates would be restricted to saying only three words in response to all media queries. "Vote for me"

Then again, even that may be pushing it.

Year of the Conservative

With 2006 only four days old, this year already looks very promising.

The Conservatives are doing extremely well with their well-oiled campaign machine. The national media seem to be eating up Conservative messaging which must concern the Liberals.

The Liberals are a mess right now with their "me too" policy announcements. Honestly, if they really want to make policy announcements, they need to put their thinking caps on and come up with some of their own ideas, not just a poor immitation of Conservative policy. Otherwise, they should just stay quiet and continue to pretend they care about Canadians.

Ekos released their most recent polling figures which peg the Conservatives at 36% and the Libs at 30%. Wow! I know better than to speculate on the outcome of election campaigns, because I have been burned too many times, but it looks really good. If I were to go with my gut, I would say the Conservatives will have a slim majority or a manageable minority government.

On another note, I recently learned that former Reform MP Mike Scott is running again in Skeena - Bulkley Valley. Mike is a solid individual. It is always reassuring to know we have down to earth individuals like him in Parliament.