ONTARIO PC'S : FIND YOUR STEPHEN HARPER!
I agree with this."John Tory should step down as Progressive Conservative leader and either seek the leadership again or ride off into the sunset, says a former provincial cabinet minister.
John Snobelen, a minister in former premier Mike Harris's government, said in the wake of the Oct. 10 election debacle the party's grassroots must determine whether Tory can lead them into the 2011 vote."
John Tory is a good man, but he is not right for the leadership of the provincial Progressive Conservative Party. Tory has a hard time connecting to voters. Personally, I think the main issue is most people do not really know where they stand with him. The left mistakenly think he is too far right and the right see him as too left. I would much rather see him run again as mayor other than stay on as leader of the Ontario PC's.
It cannot be taken lightly that he did not win his seat back against Kathleen Wynne. I predicted that he would not, before the campaign officially started. That he chose to run against her in a far left Toronto riding showed an error in judgement that cannot be taken as a casual mistep. It was a gross mistake.
Similarly, when the Toronto Star says you should stay on...you know it is time to fall on your proverbial sword and leave for the betterment of the party. The Star wanted Tory to stay because they know he has no chance at winning.
I understand wanting to stand by your leader, but John Tory did not stand by the base of his party and now we pay with a few more years of the McPolitician.
What the Ontario Progressive Conservatives need to do is find a young Stephen Harper or Mike Harris (yes, I said that!) that will run as a conservative. One that is honest and charismatic. Too many PC leaders think that if they only go more left, the left will like them and they will win. Understand this; the left will never love a conservative leader and will always fearmonger about them.
The Ontario Progressive Conservatives need to take a page from Stephen Harper's handbook and find a young conservative ideologue who is smart, bright and not intimidated by the white, secular latte set and even holds them in contempt. If you don't fear something, it can't hurt you. And people will see that. Even go so far as to find someone who is a bit of a social conservative. Yes, I said that too! Remember, Tory lost not because he was "churchy" (he is not), but because the "churchy types" didn't show up to vote for him.
Don't believe me? Who is your Prime Minister after a decade of Liberal rule?
I was right that Tory would lose his seat and I am right on this. Ontario PC's take my advice. Do not go further left...go further right. I am not saying you will win; there are too many factors that go into an election for me to say that. But at least you will have a fighting chance.
posted by Nicol DuMoulin @ 6:42 AM
6 Comments:
I agree with your analysis and recommendations.
What I found illuminating about that Star article was that Lisa MacLeod viciously criticized John Snobelen ("This is the guy who wanted to create a crisis in education and now he wants to create a crisis in leadership in the party,") then went on to blame Tory's hand-picked campaign team for blowing the election.
In defending John Tory, Lisa MacLeod misses a few stark realities:
I was John Tory who chose to run in a Toronto seat he had little chance of winning.
It was John Tory who hand-picked his losing campaign team.
Ultimately, it was John Tory's decision to accept or reject any advice he may have been given.
John Tory's decisions call into question his political judgement.
Finally, it was John Tory who said:
"I have said from the beginning and I will repeat it now, that as leader of the party I am responsible for everything to do with the campaign,"
"I am accountable for the results, for the ads, for the colour of the campaign buses. ... I accept that accountability and I always have and I always will."
Is Mr. Tory going to stand by his words, or was it just campaign rhetoric?
I agree with everything you said, Nicol. Right at the beginning I said why vote for Liberal-lite when you can have the real thing?
The right of Ontario is disenfranchised as things stand now. We need a viable alternative.
John Tory may a nice man, but nice men don't always win elections. You need a base and a vision.
If John wants a third left wing party, let him start his own instead of trying to take the Tories to the left. Win or lose the people of Ontario deserve a real choice in an election.
You said a mouthful .... I agree.
I was always puzzled at the selection of JT.... part of the problem may be the lack of depth in the Ontario Party ranks though.... that's a problem the requires a lot more work!
Bad news here.
Thank you everyone for your comments.
Joanne,
Yes, that is bad news indeed.
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