Canada, eh?
Though it may seem to be so, it is not true that this space has been utterly oblivious to to the Canadian federal election that is raging at the moment. Okay, perhaps "raging" is too strong a word. Still, the huge and elaborate mechanism of newsgathering and analysis has been working feverishly to understand and communicate the nuances of this election cycle.
Okay, maybe "feverishly" is too strong a word.
The essential problem is that this is a poorly timed election which is bound to result in the exact same government which was kicked to the voters a month ago. The Liberals have been in power a good long time - over 12 years - and that alone should be impetus for the population to want to try someone else. In a true democracy, it's tough for one party to remain in power that long because voters get bored of them, whether or not they like the policies.
But Prime Minister Paul Martin's governing Liberals have been given all the help they need by a Conservative opposition which dove on its sword two years ago.
As this space has indicated many times in the past, the merger of the center-right Progressive Conservatives and far-right Alliance (previously Reform) party made them all but unelectable. Canada is not Texas. Voters do not want the 'I'll tell you anything to get elected then gut you like a Christmas ham' brand of conservatism they're serving down south.
And Conservative Leader Stephen Harper does not project anything like the staggering self-assuredness of Georgie Bush. He doesn't have the cadre of loyalists who will kill for him. And - his fatal flaw - nobody believes his lies.
And you can't be a conservative if you can't lie effectively. There used to be a brand of conservatism that called for fewer foreign obligations, budgetary cautiousness, and military strength. Those guys got laughed out of the Republican party in the US and the Alliance Party in Canada. Now the insane lunatics are in charge. The difference in Canada is that the voters know it.
So even while polling national at around 20%, PC traitor turned his party in to the Alliance for a specific number of pieces of silver. Nova Scotia slope-brow Peter MacKay was the last PC leader, and the one who sold out his party after Joe Clark refused to administer the coup de grace. I hope his silver supply is not running out yet. Thirty pieces doesn't go as far as it used to.
So even tarred by a major political cash scandal, the long-ruling Liberals can expect to be back - with another minority government - after the election next month.
Football
It's a very nice football Monday which needs to be mentioned. The defending Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots faced a 9-4 Buccaneers team on Saturday. It was a game I'd described as a 'test' against a quality opponent to see where they are at this point in the season.
28-0 later, I'd say they've passed the test.
This is a Pats team that has seen their first, second, and third string players go out with injuries. Whereas past Patriot championship teams could rely on the second and third string to start and produce, this team has run out of guys who even attended training camp. They are playing guys - particularly at DB - who come off the 'street' - meaning that no other NFL team wanted them.
At first, the results were predictable. They couldn't stop their respective grandma's. They hadn't been to Belichick camp and were new to the Belichick playbook.
That was last month.
Now, they're catching up. They're in position. They may not have the talent of a Rodney Harrison or a Tyrone Poole, but at least they're standing in the right spot to make the play, and not leaving offensive players wide open.
On the health side, our entire front seven is back, including Tedy Bruschi. At first, I was against his return. I thought he should ride off into the sunset with his three richly deserved Super Bowl rings. But now I can't imagine that defense without him. The soft and talkative Monty Beisel has been relegated to special teams duty.
As usual, Belichick has his team peaking on the eve of the playoffs.
See you in a month, Dungy.
Okay, maybe "feverishly" is too strong a word.
The essential problem is that this is a poorly timed election which is bound to result in the exact same government which was kicked to the voters a month ago. The Liberals have been in power a good long time - over 12 years - and that alone should be impetus for the population to want to try someone else. In a true democracy, it's tough for one party to remain in power that long because voters get bored of them, whether or not they like the policies.
But Prime Minister Paul Martin's governing Liberals have been given all the help they need by a Conservative opposition which dove on its sword two years ago.
As this space has indicated many times in the past, the merger of the center-right Progressive Conservatives and far-right Alliance (previously Reform) party made them all but unelectable. Canada is not Texas. Voters do not want the 'I'll tell you anything to get elected then gut you like a Christmas ham' brand of conservatism they're serving down south.
And Conservative Leader Stephen Harper does not project anything like the staggering self-assuredness of Georgie Bush. He doesn't have the cadre of loyalists who will kill for him. And - his fatal flaw - nobody believes his lies.
And you can't be a conservative if you can't lie effectively. There used to be a brand of conservatism that called for fewer foreign obligations, budgetary cautiousness, and military strength. Those guys got laughed out of the Republican party in the US and the Alliance Party in Canada. Now the insane lunatics are in charge. The difference in Canada is that the voters know it.
So even while polling national at around 20%, PC traitor turned his party in to the Alliance for a specific number of pieces of silver. Nova Scotia slope-brow Peter MacKay was the last PC leader, and the one who sold out his party after Joe Clark refused to administer the coup de grace. I hope his silver supply is not running out yet. Thirty pieces doesn't go as far as it used to.
So even tarred by a major political cash scandal, the long-ruling Liberals can expect to be back - with another minority government - after the election next month.
Football
It's a very nice football Monday which needs to be mentioned. The defending Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots faced a 9-4 Buccaneers team on Saturday. It was a game I'd described as a 'test' against a quality opponent to see where they are at this point in the season.
28-0 later, I'd say they've passed the test.
This is a Pats team that has seen their first, second, and third string players go out with injuries. Whereas past Patriot championship teams could rely on the second and third string to start and produce, this team has run out of guys who even attended training camp. They are playing guys - particularly at DB - who come off the 'street' - meaning that no other NFL team wanted them.
At first, the results were predictable. They couldn't stop their respective grandma's. They hadn't been to Belichick camp and were new to the Belichick playbook.
That was last month.
Now, they're catching up. They're in position. They may not have the talent of a Rodney Harrison or a Tyrone Poole, but at least they're standing in the right spot to make the play, and not leaving offensive players wide open.
On the health side, our entire front seven is back, including Tedy Bruschi. At first, I was against his return. I thought he should ride off into the sunset with his three richly deserved Super Bowl rings. But now I can't imagine that defense without him. The soft and talkative Monty Beisel has been relegated to special teams duty.
As usual, Belichick has his team peaking on the eve of the playoffs.
See you in a month, Dungy.
posted by fiduciary at 8:28 AM
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