tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120982399236985142.post2129260106030901397..comments2024-02-07T06:48:23.474-05:00Comments on Sudbury Steve May: Canada's 41st General Election: Following the Media ScriptSudbury Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03959184192546029807noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120982399236985142.post-3517409497411179132011-04-06T00:10:52.285-04:002011-04-06T00:10:52.285-04:00Nicely done. I like the analogies!Nicely done. I like the analogies!Jenn Jilkshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05259681360456905055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120982399236985142.post-58237185705440262292011-04-05T22:30:47.426-04:002011-04-05T22:30:47.426-04:00@Dave S...interesting observations. I'm glad ...@Dave S...interesting observations. I'm glad that you support my overall analysis, but I have to say that I think we've arrived at our conclusions in completely different ways. <br /><br />For starters, I'm not at all sure that the Liberals are a "party of the left", particularly after Chretien and Paul Martin's belt-tightening fiscal policies. Since the "left" is often associated with free(r) spending, I think that a better case could be made that the Conservatives under Harper have been acting much more like a left-wing party than the Liberals have been lately. <br /><br />Socially, I'd agree with you about the Liberals. And in general, yes, I suppose the Libs are left of the Cons...but a party of the left? I'm not at all sure about that.<br /><br />As far as the NDP being a "fringe" party, I just can't agree. The NDP is a truly national party which, over decades, has garnered a good percentage of the federal vote. Provincially, we've had NDP governments in B.C., Ontario, Nova Scotia and elsewhere. Sorry...the NDP isn't on the fringe.<br /><br />A better case could be made for the Green Party being on the fringe, but I'm going to have to side with the almost one million voters who cast ballots for the Greens in the last election, and delivered 6.8% of the national vote to the GPC to suggest that the Green Party, despite not having elected anyone anywhere in Canada, is certainly not on the fringes of national political discourse. But, I would agree that there remains a ways to go before the Greens hit mainstream. <br /><br />Not sure that I'd agree with you that a Party Leader needs to leave their riding in order for the Party to run a national campaign. It's only because the media chooses to focus so heavily on leaders that leaders feel they need to be as involved as they are in criss-crossing the nation. May, btw, will be embarking on a national tour, but really, she has a strong team to back her up, and candidates are running in each and every riding.<br /><br />And frankly, could you imagine the outcry if May started flying around the country during an election campaign? That would hardly be...green of her. She's showing Canadians that the Green Party engages in politics differently than do the other parties.<br /><br />And since the Leafs are out of the playoffs officially tonight, I just can't bear to take on your hockey analogy!Sudbury Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03959184192546029807noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120982399236985142.post-83272579750625939662011-04-05T12:27:57.825-04:002011-04-05T12:27:57.825-04:00I agree with your overall analysis that the media ...I agree with your overall analysis that the media is playing to its strengths in their news reports but there are some things that do tend to write themselves.<br /><br />The liberals being the next best Left hope, the media NEEDS someone to challenge the Cons so they are willing to give a lot of leeway to that party. The NDP has pretty much always been a fringe Left party so they can get as much coverage as they need. The Bloc is good because the papers love when people spew vitriol at the Rest of Canada and it makes for good sound bites. Combine that with a pretty charismatic leader in Gilles, then you have good copy. <br /><br />As for the Greens, this is pretty much the case of the extreme fringe party. The Leader won't leave her riding to campaign. All she does is bitch about the debates. The national party policies are completely unknown so what do you expect from the media? A lot of the youth vote likes the idea of the Greens without having to worry about things like running the country, positions on international affairs, small things like finance and the economy. While there is no doubt that the Greens have a position on that somewhere, their fringe candidacy makes it almost a moot point. It's kinda like having a minor league hockey team bitch to the NHL that they can't get into the NHL All-Star game even though they have players everywhere.Dave Snoreply@blogger.com