At Home in Hespeler

John Tory has apparently decided not to run for mayor of Toronto in the upcoming municipal election. Reading the story, what struck me was the people who managed his previous campaigns:

Jeff Bangs, who managed Tory’s 2004 campaign for the Conservative leadership, decided to run former Liberal provincial minister George Smitherman’s campaign for mayor.

As well, Rocco Rossi, who managed Tory’s failed bid for the mayor’s chair in 2003, announced his own candidacy.

Jeff Bangs is now off to run former Provincial Liberal cabinet minister George Smitherman’s campaign. Rocco Rossi is the former executive director for the Liberal Party of Canada. You might remember him for his Kayaking to save the Liberals last summer.

Russ Campbell comments today on the fate of the Provincial PC brand here in Ontario:

The lost years under John Tory may be too hard to overcome.

The reason for that Russ, is that he was never a Conservative, just a Liberal in PC clothing.

John 'Red Green' Tory, John Tory 2010 election, George Smitherman, Jeff Bangs, John Tory, Mayor of Toronto, Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, Rocco Rossi, Russ Campbell

As the following image shows, John Tory did not get beaten last night in Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, he flat out lost. A full third of his voters stayed home (thanks to Right From Alberta for the graphic).

It is long past time for John Tory to resign as leader of the Ontario PC party, but he must now do so immediately.

by-election fever, John 'Red Green' Tory, John Tory Brock, Haliburton, John Tory, Kawartha Lakes, Ontario, PC, Progressive Conservatives

Today in Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock a by-election is being held to keep John Tory as Progressive Conservative leader or finally dump him like the guy who makes Joe Clark look astute that he is.

If you are a conservative voter in that riding, consider voting for Freedom Party candidate Bill Denby. For that matter vote for the NDP candidate or the Liberal candidate: vote for anybody but John Tory.

If you are a Liberal Party supporter, I would recommend you vote for Tory. He’s your best shot at never losing another election. If, however, your leanings are small government freedom loving conservative, even if Tory wins, you lose.

In Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock today, vote for change. Vote for anybody but John Tory.

by-election fever, John 'Red Green' Tory, John Tory, Ontario Election Bill Denby, Brock, Dalton McGuinty, Freedom Party, Haliburton, John Tory, Kawartha Lakes, Liberal Party, Ontario, Progressive Conservative, Red Tory

Joanne over at Blue Like You suggests that she’s going to get behind John Tory now that the issue has been decided:

I made a promise to stop slagging Tory once a decision was made and I intend to keep it. At this point the party must attempt to come together or we will end up in the same position as the Federal Liberals.

Sorry Joanne but myself, I made a different kind of promise:

I pass a message on to Freedom Party leader Paul McKeever: if the PC’s can’t put up a better leader, somebody who is not a red Tory, then count me in for 2011 – assuming of course you want me.

So Joanne, no, I will not get on board. I understand that choosing politicians is always a bit of a compromise, but why must I make all the compromises. And I’ll tell you something else Joanne, John Tory has more in common with Joe Clark than just leadership review numbers: policy – check; electability – check; long term decimation of the party he leads – lets just hope not.

Frankly, I’m not really planning on running for anybody and I hope a Freedom Party candidate can be found for my riding. However, four years is a long way away and anything can happen: Hey! I work in the auto industry. Four years from now I might have nothing better to do.

But Joanne, I don’t see me getting on board with John Tory, and I sure don’t see that I will “stop slagging Tory.” When Conservatives refuse to act conservative, I am slagging them.

John 'Red Green' Tory, John Tory

Now that the Ontario election is over, we can ask it? Is there anybody, anywhere, who’s a worse campaigner than John Tory? He ran Kim Campbell’s 1992 disaster, got his ass kicked over a bridge that affects a few hundred voters in Toronto, and now the Ontario election where, instead of voters warming to John Tory as promised, his numbers went down as the campaign wore on. This against a dishonest Premier who is presiding over Ontario’s descent into have-not status within confederation, while anarchy reigns in small pockets of the province. If you couldn’t beat this guy, couldn’t even mount a reasonable challenge against him, you don’t belong in politics.

For me, I was planning on holding my nose and voting PC, until last week: In order to win over my vote, specifically my vote I believe, John Tory decided to announce test marketing corner store sale of beer and wine. It was the bone I needed throwing to get my vote. Then my local moron, Gerry Martiniuk, stated in debates last week he’s not in favour of that policy. One conservative policy in the whole damn platform, and my local Progressive Conservative candidate is not in favour of it.

One bone, that’s all I asked for. I frickin’ bone.

So after voting F*&% no to MMP, I voted for Gerry Nicholls favourite candidate, Montgomery Brewster. A cowards way out, I admit, but John Tory/Gerry Martiniuk had made themselves un-votable in my eyes, and they were heads and shoulders above the rest, at least in my riding.

What a mess this whole election was. Can we please get on with finding a conservative to run the Conservative party in Ontario, and start getting back to having some hope.

John Tory, Ontario Election, Silly Politicians

I’m puttering around work with a hangover, swearing up and down that I’m off booze for good – never again – this time I mean it – when I hear John Tory is talking about a trial of selling beer and wine in corner stores. Normally, that would cause me to sit and write a nice, John Tory friendly article with a title like…

But no, today I don’t care as I’m “off booze for good – never again – this time I mean it” and it occurs to me if John Tory is having as much trouble connecting with the rest of the electorate as he is me, then he’s in real trouble.

Hangovers and a bad case of the zactly’s aside, here’s how that article cited above might have went:

Finally a Policy Idea I Can Raise a Glass Too.

Back in mid-august we were entertaining our young nephew, who lives in Ottawa. His parents were on their way down to pick him up after a few day stay at our house, and I had no beer in the house. So we were puttering around Friday night, not expecting his parents until after 11:00, and I decided to pick up some beer, in case they were thirsty after their long drive. It was 9:15 on a Friday night, and I was out of luck. Both the Hespeler beer and liquor stores were closed. 9:15 on a Friday night in the middle of the summer.

Thus was born a beer and liquor store abolitionist.

So when John Tory announced yesterday that he would look at selling beer and wine in corner stores he made me sit up and take notice.

Now granted, nothing drastic from our man Tory. Just a few trial locations, study the question: as if Quebec, Alberta and B.C., the U.S.A. and Europe are not test location enough. Really, the data exists, the idea works. But from baby steps like this comes full fledged working policy, so I’ll take what I can get.

And don’t give me any of that “minors will have an easier time getting alcohol,” argument. When I was growing up the beer and liquor stores were the one place you could get alcohol, but try and get into a privately operated bar, and no dice. The same still holds true, and it holds true for a reason. There is no repercussions, either to the unionized employee or the store itself, if somebody sells to a minor in a government run store. But a private operation has much to lose, including their licence, their employees face dismissal for transgressions. There is no reason to believe the same will not hold true at convenience stores.

And please John, tell me you also mean grocery stores: for the environments sake if no other reason. I’m forever making an extra trip instead of grabbing a bottle/few cans of Guinness at the grocery store.

All that said, John Tory is looking for a trial location for his project, I have a little village in mind that needs a place were beer can be had after 9:00 on a Friday night.

Food, freedom for the individual is the only truly progressive policy, John 'Red Green' Tory, John Tory, Ontario Election, pimply minions of bureaucracy

Hmmm. Hidden camera’s at a Tory convention? Ads of John Tory being evasive? Cut and Pastes of Tory bloggers speaking poorly of John Tory? (without links, in case your looking for integrity). Looks like it’s going to be a dirty campaign, and looks like it’s started.

I just wish I liked anybody in this campaign so I could join the fun.

Dalton, John Tory, Ontario Election, Silly Liberals