Not that anyone cares, but I read an interesting article in the Toronto Star today about Red Toryism…and finally I have a group that I can associate with. I’ve always changed my party allegiances depending on the platform., so I’m not a conservative, I’m not a liberal…
The definition of Red Tory: investment in physical and social infrastructure within a framework of fiscal restraint and bending when necessary to overwhelming popular sentiment.
The key word for me is fiscal restraint. When I graduated university, I was in debt. Lots of it. It was crippling and prevented me from doing things that I wanted. My belief is that it’s the same with a country. Big deficit, big debt is bad for everyone. Get that debt lower and suddenly there’s more money to spend.
Current Red Tory’s: Stephen Harper (who is only a Red Tory because of his minority government), Bill Davis, Bill Clinton, Jacques Chirac. Judging by those people — it’s pretty middle of the road (it’s called left of centre). Which is funny, because Harper is usually considered far RIGHT of centre.
With the recent defeat of John Tory (in one of the WORST election campaigns ever run) people were lamenting the death of Red Toryism. The Toronto Star article was basically saying that it is alive and well…that in fact, Dalton McGuinty is a Red Tory (perhaps the reason that there was a general apathy this election).
The article is here:. I’ve never been much of a party follower, and this article merely reinforces that belief.
Harper is not a red tory. Not by any stretch of the imagination. DO NOT BE FOOLED! (We grew most of them out here. We KNOW what they really are.)
Eileen — the article never said Harper was a Red Tory…only that he acted like one now because of his minority government.
Eileen — that’s the catch with Harper. He’s NOT a red Tory, but he has to act like one because of his minority government. He would be far more to the right if had a majority (as I’m sure you’re well aware).
Ryan,
Q: Who do you favour in the Virginia Slims tournament?
A: In women’s tennis, I always root against the heterosexual.
And John, what do you vote locally?
Brian: I noticed how you put ‘I’m a believer’ rather than ‘I vote’. Good thing…because you know I would’ve jumped all over you and your lack of voting…
I vote Rhino Party provincially; Natural Law Party, federally.
I wanted to vote for John Tory so badly, but his campaign was so ANTI-Conservative, that I just couldn’t justify it. Seriously, your campaign is built upon the idea of segregating schools more?
I’ve always been a believer in Liberal federally, Conservative provincially, and Socialist municipally.
That’s only mindset though, I don’t really care what the real colours are that the pirates fly…just as long as their thinking is along those lines.
The fact that I didn’t vote, for the first time in my life, is more a testament to how disaffected I am as a citizen than how lazy I am as an individual.
I even voted by proxy in a municipal election a few years back.