[OFB Cafe] Political Challenge

[Timothy Butler]

>
> Currently at least, the Conservatives seem to be much more in favour  
> of negative incentives on social issues instead of rewarding the  
> desired behaviour - targetting the symptoms instead of the deeper  
> problems. ("Ban <x>"  seems to be a popular chorus;  history has  
> shown that it's really not useful unless you can absolutely  
> guarantee control of the supply of <x>.  Today's <x> seems to be  
> handguns.)
>
> I can't say I really see much further distinction between the two  
> otherwise, although to be honest I haven't paid a great deal of  
> attention (too many other things occupying my time) and I'm a  
> young'un with only a few federal elections under my belt.  <g>

	Interesting. Before your elections I tried to do some research on the  
parties, and I have to confess, I found the differences between the  
Liberal and Conservative rather muddy. Perhaps it is just different  
issues that distinguish them, but it looks like both share some in  
common with our parties down here.

>
>
>>    It sounds like Premier
>
> (Prime Minister, actually - "Premier" is the title  for the leaders  
> of the provinces and territories.  <g>)

	Ah, duly noted. I was thinking in terms of some countries that use it  
interchangeably. Good to know. :-)

>
>
>> Harper has the same problem Sen. McCain does with the "Bush  
>> effect..."
>
> In the sense that he's being compared or likened to GWB, yes.

	Indeed. President Bush is an albatross (justly or not) for any  
politician who can be associated with him in any way. As some have  
pointed out, having an "association" with the president is looked on  
as far worse than having an association with a terrorist like Bill  
Ayres (which Obama has had some past connections with -- debatably  
either close ties or rather insignificant ones, but probably almost as  
strong as McCain had with his old enemy Bush).

> Depending on how you look at the statistics, sentiment against  
> essentially becoming a clone of the US ranges from "more than half"  
> to "almost 2/3" or so, with the usual regional variations giving the  
> national leaders a good headache.  ;)

	It certainly makes things difficult! Personally, I was thinking about  
running on the "an iPod in every pocket platform," which I am sure  
will be popular nearly everywhere.

	-Tim

---
Timothy R. Butler | "Every ant  knows the  formula of its ant-hill,
Editor, OfB.biz   | every  bee knows  the formula  of its  beehive.
tbutler at ofb.biz   | They know it  in their own way, not in our way.
timothybutler.us  | Only humankind does not know its own formula."
                                               -- Fyodor Dostoyevsky