Saturday, March 17, 2007
Common Touch
In Paul Wells book he points out an observation that Jason Kenney made that the LPC has lost touch with the common man and does not have a solid grass roots org. PW also notes that "conservative" parties have been steadily increasing their seat totals and popular vote since 1993. In addition, the NDP and the CPC receive a higher percentage of individual donations as compared to the LPC. Basically, the thesis is that the CPC is doing well now because it connects with the common man or woman. Also, when I was at the Paul Martin send off, a woman beside me who worked for a Liberal MP, noted that how the Liberal hierarchy at the event was segregated from the rest of the crowd and that even some MPs were forced to sit in the crowd, enhancing the idea that the LPC is the party of the "elite". Does the Liberal party need to do a better job of connecting with the common folk (like me) and will the fact that we have picked a leader who is an intellectual instead of going with a Martha or a GK who have more of a common touch going to affect the party's chances going forward? I do not really believe that the party needs to dumb down to make its point like the CPC does, but does it need to simplify its message?
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8 comments:
Sort of funny that you write about the LPC loosing touch with the common folk & then stating that the LPC doesn't need to dumb down because we have an intellectual leader now.I do believe this dumb commoner will pass on donating to the LPC psuedo elite this time around.After all I am also entitled to my entitlements!It is obvious nothing has changed within the party except trying to justify the same deep need of power and privelege.
My gosh greyburr, is your self-perception that shot or is that a feeble attempt at sarcasm? You were going to donate money, devote yourself to the election of the liberals. But, damn, you read a post on big canada on Saturday night so it's into the arms of another, more "common" party.
Give me a break.
if that's all the intellectual thought you can muster, please move on. I'm sure the MAJORITY of Canadians who actually use their brains will find something to like about a party that doesn't insult their intelligence, contort to the latest polls in a quest for a majority, or outright lie to them.
Do you have your answer now, Big Canada?
I am not trying to be sarcastic. Its a question that came to mind while I was reading Paul Wells book. The LPC values generally mirror those of the Canadian people, so why is Harper able to attract the so-called Tim Horton's crowd? Why has LPC support slowly been dripping away since 1993. Is Dion going to come across as being too intellectual? I am not making a statement here, I am asking a question.
nacho libre,
I apologize. My comment was more my disgust at greyburr, who has perfected the con art of negative slamming pretending to be rational discourse. I didn't mean to give your question the brush-off, which is how it sounded.
My personal opinion is the Liberal Party needs to clearly state it's basic beliefs. And the party members and MPs need to explain how the policies they pursue reflect those values.
Despite what greyburr seems to believe, the conservatives do dumb down the debate, with a lot of "for us or against us," "be afraid" rhetoric and by going for political expedient optics rather than the hard work of governing well.
I say that believing the Liberals will only lose if they take the same route.
Being Clear is not the same as Acting Dumb. If a party - any party - has a mission to do good for the people, and strives to create policies to accomplish that mission, then their main strategy should be to plainly state those objectives and explain how the policies will work to fulfilling them.
My biggest fault with the current conservative government is a complete reliance on blame, distortion, and fear. That may make for good soundbites, and it may work at holding them in power for a while (just look south). But it certainly doesn't lift the people, and it will never set a positive course for the nation.
Liberals should be the party that strives for a better way. And they need to explain that to the people, clearly and completely. No need to talk down to the Canadian people - they get it.
"Why has LPC support slowly been dripping away since 1993."
Because they were in power for 13 years. It is an axiom of politics that the support for a sitting government erodes over time. The reasons are many and varied and they explain why it was such a feat for Mr. Chretien to win three straight majority governments.
The Conservatives are now in power and the same phenomenon is already happening to them.
With regard to Mr. Dion it is true he comes off a bit nerdy but the other guys do not come off as movie stars either so I believe it is a wash.
At the convention there were lots of grumblings about this issue and how Martin ran the party and I think that had a lot to do with it. Dion was not really my choice, but I will stick with him. As the other comment stated the Libs do not need to dumb down their policies but they do need to explain them more clearly.
"I say that believing the Liberals will only lose if they take the same route."
Which is precisely why they tumbled from majority to minority to losers.
Quite haughty for anon to criticize the CPC for framing a fear campaign seeing as the last three Liberal campaigns were entirely focused on that tactic.
But that's in the past, right? We have nothing to fear from those nasty right-wing extremist, war-mongering, neo-cons, who are destroying the Canada we love, right?
Cheers,
lance
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFSN9qwsK7U
Pass it on !
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