The news media recently recorded a very angry Conservative supporter at a Stephen Harper campaign event. Since the Prime Minister was stonewalling the media anyway, they were looking for something to bring back to their news editors. The vulgar language the guy used might have indicated that he is no gentleman but he needed to vent his feelings.
That person represented many thousands of Conservative supporters across Canada. And these people are angry. They are having their core beliefs challenged. Their parents might have been Conservative supporters before them. They have a tradition of conservatism to maintain. They feel betrayed by Senator Mike Duffy, battered by the economy, angered at the stories in the news and betrayed by Peter MacKay, John Baird and other losers who have deserted the Good Ship Harper.
These are the people who do buy into the silliness that Trudeau is not ready to be Prime Minister. They realize that, if anything, that campaign against Trudeau is helping the dastardly New Democrats. And it is far too early in a long campaign for all this rancour.
Many of these stalwart Conservative Party supporters are going to end up the campaign doing the unthinkable. Some will spoil their ballot. Others will find some excuse not to vote despite all their good intentions. Very few will switch parties.
It has always been interesting to watch these frustrated Tories handling this type of conundrum. The one thing for sure is that they are not inclined to vote Liberal. These people have reviled liberalism all their lives. It is cant rather than logic. They buy into conservatism in trust the same as they buy into religion. They have little understanding of why they do or the ideology involved.
The fellow the media were trying to interview at Mr. Harper’s meeting could not articulate his feelings. It was his irrational frustration that he spewed at them. It shows just what can happen when you only let supporters near the leader. They are not all as well programmed as Mr. Harper.
But people needed to hear that rant—vulgarities and all. It was the strongest rational you will ever hear to bring people out to vote in this election. Mr. Harper is counting on the fatigue factor. He is counting on young people losing interest. He is counting on people to be confused as to which opposition party can best fix the Conservative mess. He is counting on that angry man’s vote.
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Copyright 2015 © Peter Lowry
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