[herbie]

He failed to say "THIS is what we will do". These guys are delivering a sales pitch, you have to offer something and a reason to embrace it.

[Pimpbrewski]

Scape Scape:

DerbyX DerbyX:

Harper by the end of it looked exasperated and showed a lack of poise very hypocritical who has spent the entire elction campaign attacking Dion. He never put forth any plan of his own deciding instead to attack everybody elses.

Seems to work for him too but no so much thet he would win a majority. He isn't serious about getting a majority if he doesn't want his platform to be talked about until after the election.

Actually, Harper has had some platforms, including the art funding cuts, but he has gotten so much criticism through the media. Perhaps I am not sure how to say it, but maybe it is in the CPC's best interest to wait before pronoucing other platforms in order to keep criticism from the media which seems to be a bit unfair at times.

And Scape, I can certainly respect your point of view, Derb included. And the NDP as well. It's all a matter of opinion.

Maybe the fact that Harper is being careful of not putting too much forward is a good strategy. That's only an opinion, that's all.

[Scape]

Harper has every right to run his campaign as he sees fit. Not releasing the fine details of his platform until after the debates has never been done by any party seriously running for the PM seat. It may make sense from the point of view of some pundits but for the voter that wants to be informed it is a disservice.

Dion paid a heavy price for his green shift and arguments against have long since been fomented. That resistance is good because it helps refine policy. Everyone knows there is a huge difference between policy and practice or theory and reality and debating helps in that transition process. Good or bad it makes for better policy and a deeper understanding.

Harper has made an error by not putting his platform, any platform, out there. How can Dion argue vs Harper on anything but his record which hasn't even been 2 years? We haven't even had time to see how his current policies are going to turn out let alone his ones he has yet to announce. What are the people voting for at this point but a brand? This is why the Cons are stalled in minority territory. The only movement has been to the Bloc and the NDP at the expense of the liberals and the cons because people are tired of the same old tricks.

[Wally_Sconce]

herbie herbie:

He failed to say "THIS is what we will do". These guys are delivering a sales pitch, you have to offer something and a reason to embrace it.

I disagree, I think he clearly made statements like that in both debates and his daily press conferences.

[Reverend Blair]

$1:

Actually, Harper has had some platforms, including the art funding cuts, but he has gotten so much criticism through the media. Perhaps I am not sure how to say it, but maybe it is in the CPC's best interest to wait before pronoucing other platforms in order to keep criticism from the media which seems to be a bit unfair at times.

I don't think it's fair to blame the media if Harper's platform is unpopular. It was the press release on the government website (released on a Friday afternoon) that got the arts community going. The media picked up the story after that.

Regardless of that particular case though, the media's job is to report on the government and to offer analysis and criticism. That is the role of a free press in a functioning democracy. A government, or a political party, that is afraid to expose their policies to that kind of scrutiny should be scrutinized all the more. If they have nothing to hide...if their policies are truly popular...then media exposure will only help them.

[Blue_Nose]

Pimpbrewski Pimpbrewski:

Nah man, again, I do not want to insult anyone here. But the fact that you seem to spend all your time on this forum nitpicking what others have to say, that's enough for me to blow your comment aside.

For Christ's sake, I asked some questions for to expand on your point - questions DerbyX pointed out as well.

I've got nothing against you, and my comments were hardly "nitpicking" Seems like you just felt like complaining because you didn't like something I said in some other discussion with someone else. Boo hoo.

[Public_Domain]