by Mac Olsen
As the end of August approaches, I have to wonder about the future direction of conservatism in Canada and the U.S.
I was shocked to see the Rachel Notley and New Democratic Party come to power in Alberta in May 2015, after nearly 44 years of conservative rule. It just felt inconceivable that Alberta, of all provinces, could go socialist/left-wing like this.
Add to that dismay, the federal election in October 2015. Another left-wing/liberal Trudeau dynasty swept Stephen Harper and his Conservative government out of power, mainly by winning the majority of federal seats in Ontario and the Maritimes.
The difference between the provincial and federal elections was that Premier Jim Prentice decided to act like a sore loser and he resigned on the night of the election.
Granted, he could have been forced to resign later after much PC infighting and blood letting.
However, former Prime Minister Stephen Harper didn’t act like a sore loser. He resigned as the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, but has stayed on as a Member of Parliament – and a member of the CPC.
Yes, Harper will make his exit from politics at some point. But he will do it with demeanor and integrity. I have more respect for him than Prentice because of that.
The only thing that has given me hope was the victory of Brian Pallister and the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba winning their provincial election on April 19. They won 40 of the 57 seats and dethroned the NDP after their nearly 17-year reign.
Still, the direction of conservative politics, provincially and nationally, is at a crossroads.
Jason Thomas Kenney, an Alberta MP, has decided to make a run for conservative politics provincially.
Premier Rachel Notley is trying to undermine his campaign with some obscure political financing rule. But I hope he isn’t inhibited in any manner by her left-wing trickery.
There must be a Unite the Right movement in Alberta to defeat Notley and the NDP in the next election. Kenney, the Wildrose Party and the
Progressive Conservative Party in Alberta will have to come to that realization, even if it means a “shotgun wedding” of sorts.
Federally, the conservative leadership race is only getting started. There are seven declared candidates, with the new leader to be chosen on May 27, 2017.
For more information, please check https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservative_Party_of_Canada_leadership_election,_2017 for details.
Whoever becomes the next federal conservative leader, they’re going to have be able to out-charm Justin Trudeau, who is more concerned about attending barbecues and a Tragically Hip concert than actually managing the affairs of Canada. Harper’s successor will also have to rebuild that party’s electoral base in Ontario and the Maritimes.
In the evening of November 8, 2016, I want to be celebrating Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential election. I absolutely loathe the idea of Hillary Clinton becoming the 45th President of the United States.
Don’t think for one moment that I am chauvanistic when I say this. It’s not because Clinton is a woman, but because she has demonstrated how distant she is from the electorate. She is a “rich liberal” and doesn’t tolerate any dissent from those around her. The Democratic National Committee virtually rubber-stamped her candidacy when the national convention was held in Philadelphia in July.
Bernie Sanders’ supporters were literally kept out of the convention by fences. They were unable to voice their grievances or be represented at the convention because of her tactics.
Clinton is also aloof of the email scandal that won’t go away. She’s accused of deleting thousands of emails that could shed light on possible wrong-doing.
And yet, she seems to have support among Hispanics and the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement. There are key battleground states where their support could decide the presidential election.
I also loathe her because I see her continuing the dismal policies of Barack Obama, who also has a my-way-or-the-highway attitude. She will merely continue and even expand on his fiscal and foreign policy fiascoes, such as trillions more in national debt and the rise of the extremist group, the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
For me, the anti-establishment candidate, Donald Trump, is the best and only choice for the U.S. for the next eight years. His maverick style has garnered him a lot of attention, both good and bad.
Some in the Republican Party are nervous because he would upset the applecart of privileges and power that they have long been accustomed to.
Then there are Trump’s detractors and haters, who are doing everything they can to undermine him, like stealing campaign signs off private property, or using mob tactics and riots at pro-Trump rallies to intimidate his supporters.
For his part, Trump seems to be adrift momentarily. He replaced his campaign manager recently because his anti-Washington message seems to be fizzling out.
And you have to wonder if his anti-Clinton message that the election is being “rigged” against him, will play well with undecided voters. It could certainly backfire on him, making him look more like a sore loser and desperate to connect with voters.
Still, if he can get his message back on track, especially during the presidential candidate debates, then he might just be able to say to Obama and Clinton, ‘You’re Fired!’ on November 8.
Conservatism’s future
The future of conservatism is at stake in the U.S. in November.
If Trump loses, then the GOP itelf could go into a downward spiral and vanish into the political abyss.
Conservatism’s future is also at stake provincially and federally. Those who become the leaders of the conservative parties provincially and nationally will have a monumental task.
They will have to demonstrate that they have the charisma to unite their supporters and lay out a vision that catches the voters’ imagination. Only then will they be able to defeat their left-wing adversaries.
Otherwise, it could be the last hurrah for conservatism as a political force in Canada. That is the worst-case scenario I really dread and loathe.