Harper, Defender of Medicare = CPC Majority?

If I was Iggy, I'd backtrack very quickly. Spector's describing this one correctly, it's not just poll numbers of 75+% strongly opposed, it's over THREE TIMES the "Gui  Effect". When Latendresse was traded, there was uproar, and TVA got 1500 emails in protest, which was huge, and unheard of. But within 24 hours of this budget, they've received over 5000 emails! The Gui emails were over a couple of days, the budget emails, re. health care, were triple, and within 24 hours. That's to give outsiders of an idea of the tumult, in easily understandable pan-Canadian terms.


Harper's goal has always been to replace the LPC as the Natural Governing Party, and to do so he has, judo-like, stolen and reworked the iconography & mythology of Canadian identity and nationalism to his advantage, and been shameless in his tactics, from the 2006 campaign and "Stand Up For Canada", to knowingly engaging in stupid policy like the GST cuts, and the whole Tim Horton's agenda, to Blue-ing everything, to using the military as props, Canada's Action Plan, etc.. If I were him, I'd do what Dief did to Pearson in 1958 and Chrétien did to Day in 2000, leap on Iggy's comments in favour of the regressive health taxes, and come out strongly in favour of medicare, declare he needs a majority to defend it from Liberals who want to destroy it, and also to defend the troops, and declare an election today.


It is the one issue, along with defending the troops from the evil coalition, that could put the CPC over the top. Completely cynical, as we all know if he had a majority he'd actually kill medicare, but Iggy's given him an opening. And given Iggy's position, anti-Harperites will go to the other Opposition parties. Perfect fragmentation of the vote for a CPC majority.


Harper & the CPC can drape themselves in the flag, and replace the LPC as the party of nationalism and patriotism, and judo-like, use medicare to their advantage, the one icon they hadn't yet been able to make into a winning CPC position as yet.


As I say, Iggy & the LPC better "correct" their words pronto. Given how unpopular Charest is, and how is understood to be a Liberal in the rest of Canada, and how he's treated Harper, you don't think Harper woudl relish running against him in QC and Iggy outside, fighting for medicare and our troops against the un-Canadian Liberals? He'd pick up seats in QC, PLQ machinery or no (ADQ would join in), and sweep Ontario, BC, hell, he'd pick up seats everywhere.


By messing around with medicare, Iggy & the LPC may just have created the unique conditions for a Harper majority, and once he's done, you won't recognise this country, and no traditionally identifiable progressive Canadian party will win again, for a generation.


"Correct" your position, pronto, Iggy. Charest & the PLQ's affection is not worth handing the issue to Harper on a platter.