Saturday, January 28, 2006

The Reform-A-Tories, Vol I

CheckingForWolves
InSheepsClothingVille


So, just who are these 124 members of the Conservative Party of Canada who got enough of our hopes, dreams and votes to get elected?

Well, instead of just making blanket assumptions we thought we'd go through them one-by-one checking out their own websites and then googling them on four issues - gun control, abortion, same sex marriage and Iraq.

Then we will place each of them in one of three social issue-based categories: "Reform" (fire and brimstone), "A" (allied with both sides but still willing to pander to the base) or "Tory" (fiscally conservative but sociallytolerant).*

So without any further ado, here is the first installment of.....the Reform-A-Tories.

Vol I Newfoundland and Labrador (3 CPC members elect)

Fabian Manning (Avalon):
Website: The usual pro-business, anti-waste platform with subsidies, of course, but ony when called for. Willing to pander to the base on the childcare issue.
Google-4-Plex: Not much there on the core. Has been called a maverick for taking on Premier Danny Williams on the 'crab raw' issue as a PC member of the Provincial Legislature which elevated him to champion status amongst disgruntled fisherman.
Overall: Tough to tell, but not enough on the neandercon level to stick him in either the R or the A categories although we think, perhaps, that there is a wiff of the expedient about him.
Decision: Tory

Norman Doyle (St Johns East):
Website: An old PC hand, held the riding since '97 and was a longtime provincial legislator before that. Willing to spout the Con line on violent crime, congestion and gridlock. In St. Johns??!!
Google-4-Plex: Quite a bit on the core; strong POV against same sex marriage (for the children's sake) and a longtime advocate against abortion who has worked to aid and abet the far, far, far goners.
Overall: The old tory label looks like something he was eager to shed so that he could scramble down into the Valley of the Neocons which looks to be his true valhalla
Decision: Reform

Loyola Hearn (St Johns South):
Website: Minimal pandering to the base; a former teacher and member of the provincial assembly before election to the federal house in 2000.
Google-4-Plex: against same sex, but otherwise seems pretty reasonable
Overall: mild mannered, a regionalist with strongly held religious beliefs (but not of the evangelical variety).
Decision: Tory


The totals so far.....
- Reformistas - 1
- Allied - 0
- Tory - 2


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*And this is purely our opinion....if yours differs let us know and we'll be happy to change our tune in the face of evidence to the contrary.

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