Liberals huff and puff, but will it be enough?

We have professional marketer Hector Bremner uttering the following: “A name change or no, the party is in a very strong position moving forward [“B.C. Liberals say a new brand may save party”, May 3–10].” Leaving aside the pointlessness of asking a marketer about anything, what is the point of his last two words? The verbal tic “moving forward” means nothing, and adds nothing. It is empty, useless, and inane.

What’s the alternative—moving backward? Yet marketing types and other pundits increasingly tack this tic onto their speech in the mistaken impression that it makes them sound important. Any wonder that the English language is dying?

> Greg Felton / New Westminster

 

The results of two recent provincial by-elections have provided a brutal reminder of what happens when B.C.’s free-enterprise vote is split: the NDP get elected, and that’s bad news for our economy and for private-sector job creation.

It isn’t such a big deal in a by-election, when nothing is really at stake. But in a general election, those who are bent on splitting the free-enterprise vote will accomplish nothing other than the election of an NDP government.

As many political commentators have noted, if John Cummins and his B.C. Con party can’t win a by-election in the most conservative riding in B.C.—and can’t even come in second—then they can’t win in any riding anywhere. It really is game over for them.

> Massimo Mandarino / Vancouver

Comments

4 Comments

Teedeer

May 11, 2012 at 10:34am

I've been a political watcher since my parents scrapped about the CCF and Conservatives. Here's my take on things. Pendulums swing and there's no stopping them. Adrien Dix is going to be the next Premier of B.C. He's impotent, has no vision and is surrounded by nincompoops but he's going to get the nod. People would rather vote Vander Zalm than anyone connected with the Liberals under any name. It's going to be a mess but 2017 will eventually roll around and it will all revert back. Mark my words they are true.

blueheron

May 12, 2012 at 8:34am

Should the NDP win the next provincial election, I suspect that they'll be one-termers. Adrian Dix may be a great backroom boy, but he lacks leadership skills, even a hint of appeal, much less 'charisma,' and he is far too partisan to glean long term support from middle-of-the-road voters, including seniors who know the value of a dollar and are not bleeding hearts. Those who are steamed by excessive taxation in this province need a common sense party with solid candidates who will not sell us out to the U.N. and other global masters.

hg

May 12, 2012 at 9:35am

I have been observing the political scene in BC for some forty years, and found that despite the attacks of the lunatic fringe in the BC liberal caucus Adrien Dix has stayed the course of his vision for the wellbeing of the people of BC. He consistently has refused to get into a mudslinging match and stuck to providing a vision for BC, where everybody benefits. He will not only be a great Premier but he is our only hope for the survival of this province as we know it.
hg

GZLFB

May 12, 2012 at 8:05pm

BC Conservatives weren't expecting to win, maybe get Second, but more importantly was in it to say look we are here and organizing. Looking towards the 2013 election and building of more local affiliates or ridings.
They would never split my vote since I was an Independent most of the time, and Reform and PDA-Curious at one point. I never supported the NDP or Liberals as a party and even vote Work Less twice in Hastings as least of all evils. Only aided Reform BC in provincial 1996. Wrote names on a few provincial ballots. I trust the BC Conservatives on Free Enterprise the BC Liberals, in my view, have lied about being pro-enterprise since 1996. So what is the split. Many of us minarchistic (National Libertarian Members) libertarians with no big love for/or trust in the ability of the badly organized objectivist Libertarian Party of BC even joined the BC Conservatives. This is the huge issue, BC Liberals can talk all they want about what didn't do.