Thou Shalt Not Lean Too Far To The Right

Tom Flanagan was and is the master strategist for Harper and his capabilities to manouvre is quite transparent in this article on several of his "commandments". -------- <b>2. Moderation</b> - "In times of perceived crisis, a conservative party can win by positioning itself further to the right, as shown by the victories of Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan, Ralph Klein, Mike Harris and Gordon Campbell. But Canadians don't perceive themselves in crisis right now." And George W. Bush. Perceived crisises can easily be created particularly by those in power to create them. There are several that can be easily triggered by only a little bit of cleverness such as the $USD fallout. -------- <b>4. Incrementalism</b> - "Small conservative reforms are less likely to scare voters than grand conservative schemes" - "change shall proceed by insensible degrees.” Think Security and Prosperity Partnership -------- <b>6. Self-discipline</b> - "The media are unforgiving of conservative errors, so we have to exercise strict discipline at all levels" Harper is unforgiving of the media - "Staff must avoid the limelight" and seen as a cog in the Harper machine - "but they (media) are particularly suspicious of conservatives." -------- <b>7. Toughness</b> - "run hard-hitting, fact-based negative ads, and do whatever is legally possible to jam our opponents' communications and disrupt their operations." This is always the first line of stratigy as most people will see this before thay can read the "policy" let alone work out the facts ther might be behind it. - "Tory advertising went for the jugular and it paid off. Their war-room messages also scored heavily" This allusion to battlefield slaughter should suggest we are dealing with a person who is comfortable with applying this terror to manipulating the voter consciousness.

"In times of perceived crisis, a conservative party can win by positioning itself further to the right, as shown by the victories of Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan, Ralph Klein, Mike Harris and Gordon Campbell. But Canadians don't perceive themselves in crisis right now."

It is quite bold of Flanagan to admit that Naomi Klein's thesis is correct: that right wing politicians use disaster to enhance corporate power.

"Because Stephen Harper is trying to do what no Conservative leader since Sir John A. Macdonald has been able to do – build a viable, long-term political coalition with a broad enough appeal to win elections"

I don't understand. Isn't this what a good party leader should be doing?

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The thing is that Harper is trying to get a majority more or less by stealth, Doc.
He wants to massively change this country, but he can't say it out loud because
the majority of Canadians disagree with him.

Flanagan has as much as admitted that in his book.

Exactly the reason that this former liberal will be voting conservative .. as long as there are minority control governments which work to control the right wing nuts as compared to the even worse left wing nuts in the liberal and NDP