Maybe the righties will have a slap-fight-to-the-death up here the way they were supposed to have down there.
Or, maybe they too will emerge engergized and empowered like never before.
Conservative leadership race #1
Fri, 2016-12-09 20:14
#302
Sun, 2016-12-25 12:06
#303
It looks as if Kevin O'Leary is in. He says it's just an "exploratory committee", but there's been a lot of organizing for a guy who hasn't made a decision yet.
Sun, 2016-12-25 12:55
#304
It looks as if Kevin O'Leary is in. He says it's just an "exploratory committee", but there's been a lot of organizing for a guy who hasn't made a decision yet.
Remember how the Conservatives excoriated Michael Ignatieff for "just visitng"? Looks like a good opportunity for some payback by the Liberals. No harm in the NDP piling on, as well.
Sun, 2016-12-25 14:03
#305
Kevin O'leary is a celebrity first and we're seeing how having a celebrity at the head of a party is turning out.
Erin O'Toole won't win because he's too much of a moderate but I like him, I hope he wins the leadership seat.
Sun, 2016-12-25 17:08
#306
montrealer58
Kevin O'Leary is managing hedge funds which are listed on the American markets. I wonder if Canada has the same loophole as the US where the leader can have conflicts of interest. The good thing is that if O'Leary is made leader of the Conservative Party, the media will have lots of questions to ask him about his conflicts of interest.
If O'Leary is a gazillionaire, becoming PM would be a serious loss of income. Before becoming PM, he would have to become an MP somewhere. We'd need to see a full balance sheet. He claimed on CNBC he was an immigrant to the US, so I wonder if he has dual citizenship.
One thing is for sure. If O'Leary doesn't brush up on his French, his party can kiss most Quebec seats goodbye.
If O'Leary is a bigtime money loser, he will be very qualified to be a Conservative Prime Minister!
Sun, 2016-12-25 17:45
#307
I wonder if Canada has the same loophole as the US where the leader can have conflicts of interest.
Yes and no. The Liberals said it'sillegal but did it anyways. $1500 (which was really upwards of $5000) for private time with the PM where wealthy business people can lobby him. Even though the PM initially lied about the conevrsations at the parties.
Sun, 2016-12-25 18:25
#308
Kevin O'Leary DELIBERATELY refused to learn French. Qu'il crève, charogne.
Why is someone with such an Irish name an anglo-centrist? I guess he forgot what they did to his people...
Sun, 2016-12-25 18:38
#309
alan smithee
Kevin O'Leary went on the news with a spatula boasting that he'd gut our social safety net. And that millenials would come out in droves to vote for him because just like Orange Hitler,he says this country is circling the drain and he alone can create jobs. It took everything within me to sit through the segment. I wanted to take his spatula and bloogeon him with it.
Sun, 2016-12-25 19:31
#310
montrealer58
As usual, Conservative non-sequitur. We are talking about blind trusts for business operations, not Party donations. Try to keep to the subject at hand.
Mon, 2016-12-26 20:29
#311
Kevin O'Leary DELIBERATELY refused to learn French. Qu'il crève, charogne.
Why is someone with such an Irish name an anglo-centrist? I guess he forgot what they did to his people...
He was born in Québec, went to early school there and then in Ottawa, went to Collège militaire royal de Saint-Jean. It is not as if he did not have opportunity.
Irish families can be all over the road when it comes to the English. We also know his parents divorced when he was a child and then his father died. I suspect there is nothing Irish about him culturally or formatively. Maybe his attitude is an expression of hate for his father.
And he is a hateful little man -- no surprise to learn he fawns over Trump. If he were to win in Canada, Iceland would be buried in so many immigration applications they could use flames from those rather than geothermal as a source for heat.
Wed, 2016-12-28 01:55
#312
Kevin O'Leary DELIBERATELY refused to learn French. Qu'il crève, charogne.
Why is someone with such an Irish name an anglo-centrist? I guess he forgot what they did to his people...
FWIW, O'Leary is only half-Irish. People often make assumptions based on names, as I can testify to, having two half Irish-half Filipino sons, with very Irish sounding names.
His focus on business appears to have come from his Lebanese mother.
O'Leary was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, the son of Georgette (née Bukalam), a small-business owner and investor, and Terry O'Leary, a salesman.[7][8] His father was Irish, and his mother was born in Canada, to Lebanese parents.[9][10][11]
O'Leary's parents divorced when he was a child, and his father died shortly thereafter. After Bukalam's death, O'Leary's mother ran the business as an executive.[12] His mother later married an economist who worked with the UN's International Labour Organization.[10][13] His stepfather's international assignments caused the family to move frequently, and O'Leary lived in many places while growing up, including Cambodia, Tunisia, and Cyprus.[14] O'Leary attended Quebec schools Stanstead College[15] and St. George's School.[4]
O'Leary's mother was a skilled investor, investing a third of her weekly paycheque in large-cap, dividend-paying stocks and interest-bearing bonds, ultimately achieving high returns in her investment portfolio. She kept her investment portfolio secret, so O'Leary only discovered his mother's skill as an investor after her death, when her will was executed.[5] Many of his investment lessons came from his mother, including the admonition to save one-third of his money.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_O'Leary
Wed, 2016-12-28 11:32
#313
The entitlement of the kids of hardworking parents is very common. Many right wing people come from parents who did well from luck and very hard work and the kids think it was easy and everyone could follow this path. The assumption that everyone has the skills to succeed is not tested in the ungrateful silver-spoon-fed generation who think they could have done this for themselves -- in fact many of them think they are self-made.
Sometimes parents who work hard on providing for their kids miss educating them into what all that means and into the values they need. Less time making money and more time making your offsrping into good people would help. It won't always work out well but at least you should try.
Who knows what O'Leary's mother faced. It seems she was on her own for much of this. She may have tried to pass on human values to her son before releasing him onto the world. We can see that what he has in money he has made up for in lacking humanity.
Fri, 2016-12-30 23:26
#314
I found out today Kevin O'Leary is a top notch guitar player(!)
I think he'll win the Tory Leadership and then give Trudeau fits in 2019.
The NDP will elect Nathan Cullen and that will make three media savvy, legitimate candidates for Prime Minister and I can't wait to watch those debates.
Sat, 2016-12-31 00:21
#315
I found out today Kevin O'Leary is a top notch guitar player(!) ...
I just watched Kevin jamming with Randy Bachman on Kevin's show.
Jam starts around 5:00
If this is representative of Kevin's playing, he's got a long way to go to get to 'competent'. Top notch is out of the question.
I may not be the world's greatest guitar player, but I have a lot of experience with guitar players. I'be been to thousands of jam sessions, and ran many hundreds of jam sessions, including 6 years running a jam at the Cottage Bistro in Vancouver. I also ran a jam at a bar down the street (from the Cottage) which wasn't much in itself, but one of the regulars was Don Alder, a world champion acoustic guitarist.
Whatever Kevin O'Leary is, he isn't a guitar player, except in the most general sense.
Sat, 2016-12-31 16:13
#316
Misfit
Well, I am not an expert in guitar playing, but the two of them jamming did sound impressive. It when he opens his mouth that I get concerned.
Sat, 2016-12-31 17:40
#317
Well, I am not an expert in guitar playing, but the two of them jamming did sound impressive. It when he opens his mouth that I get concerned.
That's right, 'the two of them'. Take Randy Bachman out of the mix, and there isn't anything left. Randy Bachman, much as I'm not a fan of his, is a real guitar player. Apparently he got lessons from Lenny Breau when he was a beginiing guitarist. Now there is a real guitar player (Lenny Breau). Man he was spectacular. Here's a bit of him for comparison's sake.
To be honest, great blues guitar players are a dime a dozen. Go to any blues jam in Vancouver and you'll hear ten guitar players that are pretty damned good. Go to a hundred jam sessions and you'll hear a thousand pretty good guitar players.
Out of those thousand guitar players, there'll be one or two who are pretty special. The rest are just cannon fodder for jams. By the way, of those thousand guitar players, almost all of them will be better than what I heard from Kevin O'Leary.
Sat, 2016-12-31 18:29
#318
Misfit
I personally think that Rona Ambrose is their best bet. I think they should change their interim policy and force her to stay in there for four more years. I think that she is the biggest threat to the Liberals that I have seen from all of them so far...not that I am in any way hoping well for the Conservatives. However, if I can stomach her as leader, that says something. Lisa Raitt massacres French, and she did make some nasty comments about common people which will haunt her.
Sat, 2016-12-31 20:19
#319
The party constitution forbids the interim leader from running for the leadership, and I doubt anything can be done about that within the time frame now established. Or are you talking about simply putting the leadership on hold and having her go into the next election as interim leader - equally improbable.
I do agree that Ambrose looks pretty good compared to the field that is running.
Sat, 2016-12-31 20:21
#320
I think he'll win the Tory Leadership and then give Trudeau fits in 2019.
I think Trudeau would love to run against O'Leary. He makes Harper look like Tommy Douglas and would be just the thing to scare would-be NDP voters into sticking with the Liberals. It's telling that his "exploratory committee" is headed by Mike Harris. Also he would very likely lose the Conservative beachhead in Quebec.
I doubt O'Leary would have much of a chance of winning the Con leadership as he would have next to no support from Quebec on east, which comprises 1/3 of seats and thus 1/3 of votes, and he would have few 2nd/3rd choices elsewhere.
What would give Trudeau fits would be a presentable leader from the GTA like Chong or Raitt, not a right wing nutcase from Boston.
edit: add ref to Harris
Sat, 2016-12-31 22:20
#321
Misfit
Oh. I had to run off unexpectedly. The comment I was particularly referring to regarding Lisa Raitt as being inappropriate to common people was when she told her RCMP escort at Pearson Intl Airport to "arrest these animals" referring to baggage personnel who were annoyed with her back to work legislation on March 22, 2012. Carl Bronski. World Socialist Website. March 30, 2012, "Wildcat Strike at Air Canada Outrages and Unnerves Ruling Elite." Raitt denied making the comment. I don't believe her denial. She has made some other inappropriate comments which I feel were off base as well.
Sat, 2016-12-31 22:44
#322
montrealer58
How will Kevin O'Leary react when Donald Trump says "You're Fired"?
Sun, 2017-01-01 21:13
#323
I think he'll win the Tory Leadership and then give Trudeau fits in 2019.I think Trudeau would love to run against O'Leary. He makes Harper look like Tommy Douglas and would be just the thing to scare would-be NDP voters into sticking with the Liberals. It's telling that his "exploratory committee" is headed by Mike Harris. Also he would very likely lose the Conservative beachhead in Quebec.
I doubt O'Leary would have much of a chance of winning the Con leadership as he would have next to no support from Quebec on east, which comprises 1/3 of seats and thus 1/3 of votes, and he would have few 2nd/3rd choices elsewhere.
What would give Trudeau fits would be a presentable leader from the GTA like Chong or Raitt, not a right wing nutcase from Boston.
edit: add ref to Harris
I agree with you, brookmere.
I don't think O'Leary will be a good candidate for the Conservatives.
1. We don't know if he will even have the guts to run. He's made a lot of noise, but I'm not sure he will actually carry through with it.
2. Even if O'Leary finally runs, Trump is very unpopular in Canada. Even a lot of conservatives dislike him. So O'Leary will have a hard time being successful as "Canada's Trump".
3. Not speaking French is a big problem. Gérard Deltell and the Conservative MPs from Québec have said the next CPC Leader must be bilingual. So O'Leary will face a lot of resistance from the Québec section of the CPC.
Sun, 2017-01-01 22:26
#324
Misfit
I'm actually stunned here on the prairies how many people speak positively about Trump. I think that the Trump phenomenon and Kevin O'Leary is more of a threat here in Canada that some people assume. 80% of the people I have spoken to speak positively about Trump.
Sun, 2017-01-01 22:28
#325
Misfit
And no, my speaking to people is not a survey or a poll, but it is shocking how warmly he is received by people I have spoken to here in Canada.
Mon, 2017-01-02 18:33
#326
It's possible that in a conservative area like the prairies that there is more support for Trump and O'Leary.
But most polling in Canada has shown that Trump is extremely unpopular in most parts of Canada.
I think Trump is even more disliked in Canada than Bush.
Mon, 2017-01-02 20:35
#327
Misfit
I hope that you are right. A poll last spring showed that in even pro conservative Alberta, that 75% of people surveyed preferred Clinton over Trump, and 85% of Canadians everywhere else preferred the Democrats to the Republicans. It's just that I am not finding that right now talking to people, and it has me very concerned. I trust your polls and want to believe them.
Mon, 2017-01-02 21:05
#328
"I trust your polls and want to believe them."
And I think we might just have our first entry of 2017 for the Babble Hall of Fame.
Happy New Year, everyone.
Fri, 2017-01-06 09:36
#329
Conservative leadership candidate Kellie Leitch told Fox News' Business Network on Tuesday that elites, insiders, and left-wing media, are doing everything they can to stop her and also suggested she doesn't agree with universal healthcare.
http://ipolitics.ca/2017/01/04/leitch-tells-fox-she-agrees-with-critique...
Fri, 2017-01-06 11:24
#330
Well she would say that, although I was a bit surprised by the healhcare part. I think she's worried about O'Leary entering the race and pulling off some of her support. But Leitch's biggest problem is that her personality and views simply turn people off. The Tories had another leader like this a couple of decades ago, remember?
Fri, 2017-01-06 17:34
#331
montrealer58
If the Tory leader doesn't support universal healthcare, it is another term for the Liberals.
Sat, 2017-01-07 16:41
#332
If the Tory leader doesn't support universal healthcare, it is another term for the Liberals.
I would not be certain of this.
Too many do not vote -- with this it takes a very small number of motivated people to come out and drive the agenda.
The silent majority really has no power so long as they are silent.
Thu, 2017-01-12 10:41
#333
i guess they're wanting Kevin O'Leary pretty badly Macleans has started their propaganda for him.
Canada’s prime minister shouldn’t need to be bilingual
yet......they say....
"Knowledge of economics and global relations are also important. As are empathy, hard work and a winning smile."
he misses out on 4 of the 5.
Thu, 2017-01-12 10:58
#334
Four Conservative MPs from Quebec have thrown their weight behind Andrew Scheer's Conservative leadership bid ahead of next week's first French-language debate in Quebec City.
Luc Berthold (Mégantic-L'Érable), Sylvie Boucher (Beauport-Côte de Beaupré-Île d'Orléans-Charlevoix), Alain Rayes (Richmond- Arthabaska) and Pierre Paul-Hus (Charlesbourg-Haute-Saint-Charles) have all endorsed the former speaker, according to a La Presse report.
None of the MPs were quoted in the article, but they reportedly chose to support Scheer over Maxime Bernier and Stephen Blaney — the race's two Quebec candidates — due to the former's commitment to dismantling the supply management system for dairy, eggs, and poultry, and the latter's unlikely victory prospects in 2019.
http://ipolitics.ca/2017/01/12/four-quebec-mps-endorse-scheer-for-tory-leadership/
Thu, 2017-01-12 11:03
#335
i guess they're wanting Kevin O'Leary pretty badly Macleans has started their propaganda for him.
Canada’s prime minister shouldn’t need to be bilingual
yet......they say....
"Knowledge of economics and global relations are also important. As are empathy, hard work and a winning smile."
he misses out on 4 of the 5.
Sorry by my count he misses out on 5 out of 5. The business exploitation model works for business somewhat well but should not be considered knowledge of economics generally or applicable to the kind of economics that runs a state. People of his ilk do not leave their countries in good shape economically when they get the opportunity to implement their fantasies about how things can work.
The fact that he is not bilingual is a favour to Quebec so they do not have to hear from him as much. O'Leary has no redeeming features or useful knowledge to bring the country just as the last self-proclaimed "economics expert" brought little but economic damage to most Canadians.
If I were a Francophone I would find this turd-server's unilingualism to be his most endearing feature. Too bad he speaks English.
Thu, 2017-01-12 13:52
#336
lol was willing to give him the benefit of doubt on eonomics. good catch on the 1 i was indicating. ;)
Thu, 2017-01-12 14:10
#337
montrealer58
If the Tory leader doesn't support universal healthcare, it is another term for the Liberals.
I would not be certain of this.
Too many do not vote -- with this it takes a very small number of motivated people to come out and drive the agenda.
The silent majority really has no power so long as they are silent.
Universal healthcare, like pensions at 65, are third rails in Canadian politics. At least the pipeline-building Liberals know this.
Thu, 2017-01-12 14:33
#338
If the Tory leader doesn't support universal healthcare, it is another term for the Liberals.
I would not be certain of this.
Too many do not vote -- with this it takes a very small number of motivated people to come out and drive the agenda.
The silent majority really has no power so long as they are silent.
Universal healthcare, like pensions at 65, are third rails in Canadian politics. At least the pipeline-building Liberals know this.
You can trust the Liberals to tell us all about their support for Medicare. You can trust enough of the population to let them away with it.
You cannot trust the Liberals to really defend it.
They will not attack it headlong like the Conservatives. They are more into unbenign neglect with lots of kind and sunny words.
They may also strip much of the core essentials of the program in order to replace them with what might be less important elemnts designed to get the Liberals political credit rather than actually help. The Liberals would rather bring in a less useful program that is helpful politically than to support the bones of what is needed. We already have indications of this.
Thu, 2017-01-12 16:24
#339
Edzell
The silent majority really has no power so long as they are silent.
So long as they're silent "The silent majority" is no more than a myth. A handy but strictly imaginary group of backers for people on either side of any issue, when they can't show enough real support.
Thu, 2017-01-12 17:02
#340
The silent majority really has no power so long as they are silent.So long as they're silent "The silent majority" is no more than a myth. A handy but strictly imaginary group of backers for people on either side of any issue, when they can't show enough real support.
And here is the problem with plucking quotes out of context.
I said this in response to the claim that people support medicare.
The point I made is that by being silent they have no power and do not actually defend medicare.
I disagree that they are a myth -- we know there is a majority that is silent. The point is that their positions and opinions are speculation. We know that they exist however so theya re not a myth.
That said I agree with you that their only purpose by being silent is to be used by the vocal who claim their support whether or not that support is real.
None of this contradsicts the fact that they exist and by being silent they are powerless. We cannot even know what they think.
Thu, 2017-01-12 17:09
#341
i guess they're wanting Kevin O'Leary pretty badly Macleans has started their propaganda for him.
Canada’s prime minister shouldn’t need to be bilingual
yet......they say....
"Knowledge of economics and global relations are also important. As are empathy, hard work and a winning smile."
he misses out on 4 of the 5.
They're devoting all this attention to Kevin O'Leary, but I'm not sure he will have the guts to run.
The race is half over and he still hasn't entered.
It's possible he plans to enter once the French Debate is out of the way, but he may just be trolling for attention.
Not speaking French is a big problem.
Thu, 2017-01-12 19:14
#342
Edzell
Sorry; I wasn't aiming it at any particular context, but rather the ones in which it's so often used, to imply majority support with no evidence of it.The silent majority really has no power so long as they are silent.So long as they're silent "The silent majority" is no more than a myth. A handy but strictly imaginary group of backers for people on either side of any issue, when they can't show enough real support.And here is the problem with plucking quotes out of context.
Thu, 2017-01-12 20:18
#343
montrealer58
If O'Leary runs he will have to give up all his American businesses.
Thu, 2017-01-12 22:23
#344
Sorry; I wasn't aiming it at any particular context, but rather the ones in which it's so often used, to imply majority support with no evidence of it.The silent majority really has no power so long as they are silent.So long as they're silent "The silent majority" is no more than a myth. A handy but strictly imaginary group of backers for people on either side of any issue, when they can't show enough real support.And here is the problem with plucking quotes out of context.
The thing is we were both making the same point, just from each point of view (within the "majority" and outside of it). That it is meaningless when silent -- and therefore quite powerless. It is only when people advocate openly that they are actually counted.
Fri, 2017-01-13 11:59
#345
http://princearthurherald.com/en/politics-2/7594
Conservative leadership candidate Kellie Leitch is on a crusade against the elites. But it’s not going well for her, and all those letters after her name are partly to blame.
The Prince Arthur Herald has obtained an audio clip of Leitch berating a Conservative Party supporter and using her titles to show her intelligence. Partway into a discussion at an event with young Conservative Party members in Montreal on Thursday evening, Leitch responds to criticism by proclaiming:
“Please understand that I do have 22 letters at the end of my name, I’m not an idiot.”
Fri, 2017-01-13 12:06
#346
Unless Ms. (oops, I mean Dr.) Leitch quickly learns to be a more convincing liar, her candidacy will be toast.
Fri, 2017-01-13 12:32
#347
Unless Ms. (oops, I mean Dr.) Leitch quickly learns to be a more convincing liar, her candidacy will be toast.
That's The Hon. Dr. K. Kellie Leitch, P.C., O.Ont., M.D., M.B.A., F.R.C.S.(C) to you.
Fri, 2017-01-13 12:32
#348
Unless Ms. (oops, I mean Dr.) Leitch quickly learns to be a more convincing liar, her candidacy will be toast.
That's The Hon. Dr. K. Kellie Leitch, P.C., O.Ont., M.D., M.B.A., F.R.C.S.(C) to you.
Fri, 2017-01-13 12:59
#349
montrealer58
Dr. Leitch is a dream Conservative candidate for the Liberals. She would be crushed.
Fri, 2017-01-13 13:04
#350
http://princearthurherald.com/en/politics-2/7594
Conservative leadership candidate Kellie Leitch is on a crusade against the elites. But it’s not going well for her, and all those letters after her name are partly to blame.
The Prince Arthur Herald has obtained an audio clip of Leitch berating a Conservative Party supporter and using her titles to show her intelligence. Partway into a discussion at an event with young Conservative Party members in Montreal on Thursday evening, Leitch responds to criticism by proclaiming:
“Please understand that I do have 22 letters at the end of my name, I’m not an idiot.”
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.
More than 22, but who's counting.
Sat, 2017-01-14 21:30
#351
If the Conservatives choose a unilingual leader, they'll lose
Stephen Maher
Saturday, January 14th, 2017
http://ipolitics.ca/2017/01/14/if-the-conservatives-choose-a-unilingual-...