[ShepherdsDog]

figfarmer figfarmer:

I am disgusted with the Liberal party in general. I am also fearful that people will give their votes to parties which have no chance of winning any seats instead of making them count.

If the Liberals hadn't sunk so low I would promote tossing the vote to them to stem the Conservatives. If they had Trudeau yet.... God; there was a LEADER.

No, there was an arrogant autocrat, who thought HE was the Liberal Party.

[figfarmer]

Liberals or Conservatives; they won't bring it down unless Jack Layton says they can bring it down. What if it's another Liberal government and Paul Martin has finally learned to play footsie? We could have a few good years.

[VitaminC]

figfarmer figfarmer:

Liberals or Conservatives; they won't bring it down unless Jack Layton says they can bring it down. What if it's another Liberal government and Paul Martin has finally learned to play footsie? We could have a few good years.

Or the Liberals and NDP could form a coalition government.....Thats my guess of what will happen....

Remember, the out-going prime minister is traditionally the first one given the opportunity to propose forming a government to the governor general.....

So even if the cons win a minority, depending on the numbers, the Libs and NDP may be able to form the government.....

[figfarmer]

is clever enough for that. If he'd courted Jack a bit more effectively before we wouldn't be voting today.

[Rev_Blair]

$1:

If it is a conservative minority gov, Martin is gone. The Liberals will have a leadership race in three to six months.

I think Martin is gone even if the Liberals pull off a miracle win. The leadership race will happen closer to three months than six...I'm thinking late March or early April, with a convention in either BC or Quebec.

$1:

That's exactly what people said about Harper and the cons when he lost last time......I think it's Harper that will be done after he loses this election....

Remember the predictions for today are same as the predictions last time....and we all know what happened then....

There's a whole different feeling to it this time though. Last time Martin seemed confident and competent. This time he seems desperate.

I did talk to somebody claiming that an internal Liberal poll showed Conservative support collapsing, especially in Ontario, though. He wouldn't give me any numbers and I got the feeling that I was being spun (I'm not even convinced that he'd have access to internal polls), which would be a sign of some real desperation, so I'm not buying it, but if such a poll exists it would indicate another Liberal minority.

$1:

Or the Liberals and NDP could form a coalition government.....Thats my guess of what will happen....

I doubt the numbers are there for that to happen. There's not much point in a coalition government if it's still a minority and the Liberals will lose too many seats in Quebec. Also, the NDP isn't big on official coalitions.

[grainfedprairieboy]

Rev_Blair Rev_Blair:

It won't take much time. They've got the machinery more or less in place...this is the Liberal Party, remember? The Big Red Machine that exists to win elections and governs in its spare time.

A leadership race would help to build momentum and with Martin out of the picture the Martin/Chretien feud can finally be ended.

They need three things though.

1) A real leadership race, not a coronation that alienates much of the party like happened with Martin. That race looked very much like the fix was in. If Copps wasn't there annoying everybody, it wouldn't have even been any fun to watch.

Spot On!

Rev_Blair Rev_Blair:

2) A well-known leader without a lot of baggage, preferably from outside of federal politics. That means Ignatief should lose out because of his books and Manley should lose out because of his past history as a cabinet minister. Copps should run for the leadership again because she makes me laugh, but if she even does well the party is finished.

Ignatief should lose out because he spent most of his life outside Canada and is well known to the diplomants and visitors to Canada House parties in London as regarding Canada and Canadians with disdain. Maybe Belinda Stronach? lol. I doubt it since she probably won't win her seat. Neither will landslide Annie, Goodale, or a lot of other well-known lieberals. It will be slim pickings at best. Smart money is on Ken Dryden to take the helm.

Rev_Blair Rev_Blair:

3) They can't break down in recriminations and party infighting. That's the Conservatives gig historically, and the Liberals have used it to their advantage enough that they should know better.

No, the lieberals wrote the book on this with John Turner!

Rev_Blair Rev_Blair:

If the Liberals break any of those rules, and likely several I haven't thought of, the party could collapse. We could end up with a left-right dichotomy like we have in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. That's not a bad thing at all.

You're right here, as the NDP becomes more centrist, and if the Tories ban corporate and union sponsorship then the NDP especially will have to reinvent itself and may fill the vacuum left by the lieberals. If NDP/Tory/Bloc can deprogram Canadians from the Natural Ruling Party then lieberals could be sidelined for a decade or two.

[OnTheIce]

VitaminC VitaminC:

QBC QBC:

If it is a conservative minority gov, Martin is gone. The Liberals will have a leadership race in three to six months. Then, the people will get to know the new leader. The conservatives will probably do something really unpopular right about the time the new lib leader is getting known and we'll be off to another campaign. Eighteen months tops before the next election I figure.

That's exactly what people said about Harper and the cons when he lost last time......I think it's Harper that will be done after he loses this election....

Remember the predictions for today are same as the predictions last time....and we all know what happened then....

If the cons do win, the libs will probably act the same way that the cons acted last time when they lost to a minority......

They'll wait until they think the time is right and then bring down the gov't...

Loses this election?

In 2004, Liberals were ahead in the polls, 32% to 31% and the NDP vote split. 10 points behind for the Fiberal and no NDP support.

[IcedCap]

grainfedprairieboy grainfedprairieboy:

Ignatief should lose out because he spent most of his life outside Canada and is well known to the diplomants and visitors to Canada House parties in London as regarding Canada and Canadians with disdain.

he'd fit right in with many of the conservatives on Canadaka.net then

[grainfedprairieboy]

IcedCap IcedCap:

grainfedprairieboy grainfedprairieboy:

Ignatief should lose out because he spent most of his life outside Canada and is well known to the diplomants and visitors to Canada House parties in London as regarding Canada and Canadians with disdain.

he'd fit right in with many of the conservatives on Canadaka.net then

There is a big difference between looking down on Canadians and rejecting Confederal imperialism. When you fully grasp the difference then the separatist threat that pleagues Canada from one region to another will disappear.

[OnTheIce]

IcedCap IcedCap:

grainfedprairieboy grainfedprairieboy:

Ignatief should lose out because he spent most of his life outside Canada and is well known to the diplomants and visitors to Canada House parties in London as regarding Canada and Canadians with disdain.

he'd fit right in with many of the conservatives on Canadaka.net then

We really should have an intelligence test to get into this forum. Most of you would fail miserably.

[IcedCap]

OnTheIce OnTheIce:

We really should have an intelligence test to get into this forum. Most of you would fail miserably.

if your brain was as big as your ego you'd be justified in making patronizing comments like that but I've read some of your posts, and no offence, I haven't spotted much evidence you'd pass that test either.

[OnTheIce]

IcedCap IcedCap:

OnTheIce OnTheIce:

We really should have an intelligence test to get into this forum. Most of you would fail miserably.

if your brain was as big as your ego you'd be justified in making patronizing comments like that but I've read some of your posts, and no offence, I haven't spotted much evidence you'd pass that test either.

No offence taken.

Please, do take offence to my post. It was intended.

[IcedCap]

grainfedprairieboy grainfedprairieboy:

There is a big difference between looking down on Canadians and rejecting Confederal imperialism. When you fully grasp the difference then the separatist threat that pleagues Canada from one region to another will disappear.

You know I might just have believed you were it not for the fact that so much of that "rejecting Confederal imperialism" boils down to a more populous and unpopular region of the country voting a different way to that which you would like. It'll be intreresting to see just how quickly the western separatist threat disappears if a Conservative govt lead by an Albertan is in power.

[IcedCap]

OnTheIce OnTheIce:

No offence taken.

Please, do take offence to my post. It was intended.

what's funny is that I wasn't even thinking of you when I posted that comment

[OnTheIce]

IcedCap IcedCap:

OnTheIce OnTheIce:

No offence taken.

Please, do take offence to my post. It was intended.

what's funny is that I wasn't even thinking of you when I posted that comment

Funny, cause you quoted my post. Perhaps you should learn the proper usage of the forum and it's buttons. mmmmkay?