IntenseDebate - VinceClortho

14 years ago @ Macleans.ca - The Vaughan referendum · 0 replies · +2 points

Thats not completely fair. By elections have seen numerous upsets and is usually a safe way of voting against the government. I can think of upsets like Jim Coutts loss in the Spadina riding to Dan Heap, or the win by the NDP in Quebec.

The question is though, were those really upsets given that those ridings continued in the new colour after the by election. Is it the power of incumbency that kept the riding in its old hands long past its due to change date?

By elections have traditionally been seen as a time for protest votes. But Harper is stretching it in Vaughan....all sides are trying to set a low expectation so they can exceed them on election night. But the Liberals have the hardest time doing that because it was their seat.

14 years ago @ Macleans.ca - The Vaughan referendum · 1 reply · +4 points

yup....

14 years ago @ Macleans.ca - The Vaughan referendum · 4 replies · +2 points

Vaughan was Bevilaqua's riding. He was a blue Liberal. The riding has usually been Liberal territory due to the the historical connection of the Liberal party to the Italian Canadian community.

The notable crack in that relationship showed up in the Harris years provincially when al Paladini won that riding and held it provincially. This was considered big news, that an Italian Canadian riding would vote anything other than Liberal....that was 15 years ago.

The Libs are attempting to low bridge this one, but it is making a virtue of necessity. Without a name from the community to go against Fantino the riding will likely go Con. The name is the largest reason but the shift in the voting choice set of the Italian Canadian community is the other. The community has strong members in both tribes, which is an enormous shift from 30 years ago when they could be taken for granted by the Liberals. Fantino will own this seat the way Bevillaqua did and the way Palladini did provincially.

Ignatieff would be wise to steer clear of it, any investment he makes in it, without a Fantino Liberal equivalent, is a lost one.....all in my humble opinion of course.

14 years ago @ Macleans.ca - Helena Guergis in conv... · 0 replies · +2 points

Yes notice the numerous references to emails she or rahim has saved. Not too subtle.

The Guergian Bay...LOL....Even though it refers to Lake Superior there must be some reference to be made The Wreck of The Edmund Fitzgerald.

I am disappointed in one thing only. Newman didnt ask the question about the Cocaine and her husband. Glad to hear she had a lot of questions, she darn well better have, but it wouldn't it make some sense to ask what Jaffers answers where, given that she volunteers that they had a long conversation about things.

14 years ago @ Macleans.ca - Hey look: the PM, hang... · 0 replies · +3 points

fair point, but it was followed by probably one of the worst campaigns by a Liberal leader ever. I dont think Mr Harper can count on lighting twice. Mind you, the Con campaign wasn't their best either...since it got side tracked quite badly by the the real time unfolding of the economic meltdown and the Cons carried on regardless....advantages and disadvantages on both sides of the equation for them.

Count on the Liberals being better on the road than last time, whether it will be really good is another story.

But Harper has been holed up all summer. Cue the Wells column on "what Harper did all summer". My suspicion is he actually "recalibrated", without announcing it, unlike the last time he announced it and didnt.

To me this means the fall means, the Cons turn back to substantial policy announcements (that doesnt mean opponents agree it just means substance) or we end up with "too clever by half" tricks, like embedding the subsidy reduction in a budget during an economic crisis.

14 years ago @ Macleans.ca - Michael Ignatieff: Oak... · 1 reply · +5 points

I hear you. Yet I think the best advisors dont change their candidate but try to highlight their real strengths. I dont believe you can ultimately be something you arent over the medium term. It is too exhausting and we have seen time and time again how the real person inevitably emerges, for good or ill.

As for exposing Iggy to real people, its a good move...both for him and for the elctorate. 1) He had been locked away in "elite cosmopolitan world" for decades. That has its advantages but you might be rusty outside of that world...2) Ottawa is not Ontario, and Ontario isnt Canada. So once again, you need the experience and they need to experience him. If the latter part fails, well better now than in an election, this is for any candidate.

Once again, any progress MI makes is an indictment on the previous chiefs of staff and advisory team. They would like to say he was unmouldable. This doesnt mean Donolo can create "David" hear, since I beleive there is still a way to go. But the previous crew couldnt make ANY progress

14 years ago @ Macleans.ca - Michael Ignatieff: Oak... · 16 replies · +3 points

Not all of them have a natural ability. In fact political speeches are quite unnatural things.

In a damning indictment, not so much of Ignatieff (since all candidates need to learn how to be a retail pol), but of his previous aides and the Liberal party that thought you could run just anyone no matter their experience. Iggy ddint know what he didnt know, and that was quite a bit. It was the natural governing party disease, I have long said they needed to ban that phrase within the party.

There may be some hope yet, as I prefer a competitive political system. It tends to raise everyones game.

Now, this is summer and these are basic skills. But without being able to do a simple tour and give nice speeches the Liberals were completely lost. None of this means they will do any better, but it probably means they have stopped getting worse. All hail Donolo

14 years ago @ Macleans.ca - The chief statistician... · 0 replies · +1 points

Sorry for the delay.

1) Yes StatsCan does use the data for the product I was speaking of

2) The authority for which is in the Income Tax act

""
24. For the purposes of this Act and subject to section 17,

(a) the Chief Statistician or any person authorized by the Chief Statistician to do so may inspect and have access to any returns, certificates, statements, documents or other records obtained on behalf of the Minister of National Revenue for the purposes of the Income Tax Act or Part IX of the Excise Tax Act, and

(b) the Minister of National Revenue shall cause the returns, certificates, statements, documents, or other records to be made available to the Chief Statistician or person authorized by the Chief Statistician to inspect the records,"

14 years ago @ Macleans.ca - Fake MAD MEN Spoilers · 0 replies · +1 points

This comes from Wikipedia apparently giving the first 4 episodes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Mad_Men_epis...

This one has to be fake

"After a fly gets inside the offices of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce during the agency's Christmas party, an obsessed Don refuses to drink; Pete and Peggy try to get him back on track.

14 years ago @ Macleans.ca - Fake MAD MEN Spoilers · 0 replies · +1 points

Her Saturday Night Live appearance was terrible as well, yet I still think her performace in the last three episodes of last season were very strong as was her performance in the episode "The Fog".

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