"Belinda Stronach makes it official" (Canadian Conservative leadership)

[Minstrel Boy]

I watched her press conference this morning. Very wooden, I thought, and not much to say, but clearly a hard fiscal conservative. She kept pushing her website, belinda.ca (belinda.com, a softporn site, should expect an unusual spike of hits from Canada). I hope she wins - she'd demolish the Conservatives' Western base of former Alliance voters, and perhaps syphon away enough Liberal votes in Central Canada to give the NDP some otherwise unlikely victories thanks to three-way splits. Regardless of how she does in the leadership race, she'll be standing for nomination as Conservative candidate in her local riding.

AURORA, Ont. -- Belinda Stronach made it official Tuesday: the millionaire head of auto-parts giant Magna International wants to lead the new Conservative Party of Canada.

"This morning I'm entering the race to become the new leader of the Conservative Party and prime minister of Canada,'' Stronach told a news conference in this community north of Toronto where the empire founded by her father, Frank, is headquartered.

"I will make this new party work, build support and win.''

She repeatedly emphasized her know-how in the business world, downplaying her political inexperience.

http://www.canada.com/national/story.asp?id=9254F6B6-0B72-4829-9B64-ED0F3769B5CE

[SidDithers]

1. Can't say I support her politics...

But she is easy on the eyes :)



Sid

[democracy eh]

2. and she is putting her $$$$ to work already

very nice website (not necessarily content bleah!!!)

obviously her handlers looked at some of the great Democratic contenders sites and pillaged.

http://www.belinda.ca

definitely not unattractive. definitely cuter than harper and clement
too bad their leadership contest is so short

[Tommy_Douglas]

14. Imagine if she won the election...

If Bush thinks Martin's press secretary is hot, what would he say to her?

Canadians are aware of the Liberals move to the right and if Layton plays his cards right he can pick up a lot of left liberal votes in the next election.

I'm skepitcal but I'd really like to see the NDP be the official opposition to the Liberals. I think that'd make for the best governement we can hope for. It will keep Martin and the right wingers in the Liberal party a bit more honest.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

3. Wouldn't it be hilarious for the NDP if she actually won.

Can you imagine regular guy Jack Layton going up against the two multi-millionaires? Now that would be sweet.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

4. P.S. Saw some of her speech. Does she know what she's doing?

I really get the feeling she doesn't.

http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20040121.wibbitson0121/BNStory/National/

[Frederic Bastiat]

5. Martin can handle Layton just fine n/t

[Screaming Lord Byron]

6. I'm beginning to notice some weakness in Martin

when he gives press conferences, he seems edgy and uncomfortable, and comes across somewhat insincere. This seems strange for a man who has been campaigning for the PM job for years. Now it may be first-time nerves that will settle by the time of the campaign, or it may be something more. That's what I'll be watching over the next few months.

[Frederic Bastiat]

8. I haven't seen any weaknesses to date

He seems confident at ease and even cracks a few jokes. While at the Summit of the Americas in Mexico, he scored a lot of points with those that saw a lack of direction in Canadian foreign policy in recent years.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

9. I think it was the domestic press conferences on the Arar case and BSE

like I say, could be first-time nerves, could be something bigger. Could be too early to tell, but I sense something there.

[iverglas]

18. yeah, eh?

On the BC Legislature raids of big-time Martinite Liberal backroom boys' offices, and now on the raid of the Ottawa Citizen reporter's home to find the source of the alleged leak about Maher Arar ... well if you listen to Paul Martin responding to questions, none of it has anything to do with Paul Martin! Why ask him, eh? He don't know nuttin'.

Wonder whether they make a spray-can of Teflon big enough for what it looks like he'll be needing, if he keeps this up.

And yes, he looked weak, defensive and inarticulate in both those instances.

.

[Minstrel Boy]

7. There's much to indicate he can't.

Martin, IMHO, is looking rather unsteady, and he and his handlers have made trouble for themselves by proving ungracious winners, and Layton is proving adept at exacerbating the rift. The Liberals have added a "Copps clause" to their nomination papers: prospective candidates must promise not to run for another party if they're defeated. Copps has said she's choosing to ignore it.

The more the Liberals tack to the right - and you can hardly deny they are, as they snap up the likes of Scott Brison and Keith Martin, and turf Copps and Alan Rock - the more formidable Layton and the NDP become.

I like what Ed Broadbent said last night at his Ottawa Centre nomination meeting:

"If they give us 40 to 50 seats, we will turn the Liberal priorities upside-down. If they give us 50 to 100 seats, we will turn Canada rightside-up."
http://www.canada.com/national/story.asp?id=9A497C6E-C9D9-4581-BC43-539D365ED111

[Frederic Bastiat]

10. With an election that might be held in the Spring

I am yet to see ANY party presence by the Conservatives or the NDP in Québec. Martin can afford to move further right and still maintain his hold (if not increase it) in Québec (20-25% of Canada's ridings).

The NDP and Conservatives keep ignoring this province and will continue to pay for it by being relegated to the opposition election after election.

[Minstrel Boy]

11. The Conservatives will be wiped out in Quebec, but the NDP

is making inroads.

Since elected leader, Layton's been spending more time in Quebec than any province save Ontario. Recent polls show the NDP now over 10% in Quebec, which may not sound like much, but it's a 10-fold increase over the 2000 national vote, and even better than the NDP's national popular vote of 8.5% in 2000. Conservative support in Quebec is approaching the former NDP level.

Pierre Ducasse, popular NDP leadership candidate who is running in Manicouagan, has become an unofficial member of the federal caucus, and is travelling to Ottawa regularly to discuss Quebec issues and craft strategy.

The Ottawa Citizen today:

"in the next election. While the Bloc Quebecois is increasingly marginalized in Quebec, the NDP under Jack Layton is regaining credibility." http://www.canada.com/ottawa/ottawacitizen/soundoff/story.html?id=11901f0a-b8e0-43a4-ba38-2d27121d8459

Whether this translates into seats remains to be seen, but the trend is an encouraging one for a New Democrat.

[Holly]

12. I must agree

No party on Canada, will ever gain power or IMO be a national party without Quebec. I'm also not convinced that we'll see anything other than a the largest majority ever for the Liberals. At this point, it would be disingenuous to predict who will be the opposition until the Cons have elected a leader, and they set policy. Has there been another national poll taken since the Environics poll at the end of Dec?

[Minstrel Boy]

13. I haven't seen new polling figures,

but I'm anxiously awaiting them. There are so many variables at play, it's a very exciting time to be a Canadian political junkie. :) There's more flux now than there has been since the post-Mulroney realignment, and flux, I should think, is not the friend of the governing party, expecting a fourth consecutive majority.

Rex Murphy made some worthwhile comments on Martin's performance thus far, in Saturday's Globe:

"But since he has taken over, his public presentations — at news conferences, during the year-end interviews, even at the recent summit — have lacked the level of performance that one who executed this great leadership coup could reasonably be expected to give.

"He's either not comfortable, or, if this is possible, not confident. He seems hesitant, lacking at times either passion or precision. He coveted this position so long, it's mildly startling he is not fully at ease in it.

"This may be just simple stage fright at the start of a long run. Surely, that is what everyone in the Liberal Party fervently hopes. It could also be evidence that the skills of an internal party fight don't transfer to the larger battle field. And that could be the beginning of a Liberal nightmare."
http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20040117.wrex0117/BNStory/National/

[Holly]

15. The NDP

keeps claiming that Martin's moving to the right, but how exactly. First in the case of Brison, an openly gay politician who's party no longer exists. It's perfectly reasonable for him to find a place within the Liberal fold. My understanding of Keith Martin, he is a left leaning politician,(although I know very little about him.)The united right wouldn't seem to be the place for him. Paul Martin has always been fiscally conservative, which happened under Chretien's watch. Pot reform and same-sex marriage will be re-introduced,and missile defense would have happened under Chretien...it's NORAD, and as John Manley said "the last time I looked we were still part of North America." So, at this point I'm not buying into claims of Martin is going to the right, he seems to be just where he's always been.
I find the Copps situation ironic. Why didn't she raise the red flag, before the boundaries were re-drawn, this can't have been a surprise to her. Did she expect that the PM would protect her, as has been the staus- quo. Paul Martin is right not to interfere into local nominations. After 20 years in politics she should have the support of her constituents. This is an issue for Liberals within that riding. It's a matter of grassroots democracy, and not for the PM to step in and protect Copps. I see this as Martin maintaining his pledge to correct the democratic deficit. For far too long the old guard has been protected by the PM, at the expense of the local people. The local association should choose the person to represent their issues, and not simply be a "yes person" for the PM. They have two strong potential candidates, but it's their choice. If Copps chooses to run for the NDP, she should. But she shouldn't go for the Lib nomination and if she looses jump to the NDP. Or is she a Liberal...unless I don't win, then I'm an NDP.
BTW; as a woman, Copps sad teary tale on CBC, has undermined IMO,the position of professional women, and re-enforces stereotypes that we have been fighting against. Professional women behave professionally, and don't cry to to be rescued, from the mean, nasty men.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

16. I'd say the best judges are those defector MP's

Each one has said Martin's more right-wing tone was a major factor in their defection.

[Holly]

17. Copps clause update

Martin has ordered that the mental health question be cut.
<http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20040121/NOMINATIONS21//?query=sheila+copps>