07.27.2011 05:37 AM

Tim Hudak steps on a landmine

All of which goes to say that on abortion, Hudak has stepped on a landmine. Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty might just have found a way to make up those 11 percentage points he has trailed Hudak in polling before the Oct. 6 vote.

Hudak’s inexperience was showing last week at a news conference. When asked about his abortion position, the Tory leader said: “We are not reopening the debate.” In 2009, Hudak said he could not support abortion and had backed a petition against funding it.

Still at the news conference, Hudak said he “may” have signed a petition. Later in the week, Hudak admitted he did sign a petition at his church.

Meanwhile, McGuinty, an experienced pol, knew the correct response. Through his spokeswoman, the premier said he “supports a woman’s right to choose. … The Mc-Guinty government has always held this position and will continue to stand up for Ontario women’s right to choose.”

McGuinty is uniquely positioned to benefit from an abortion debate…

30 Comments

  1. ruralbelle says:

    old news

    • Martin says:

      I thought it said July 27th, 2011?

    • Warren says:

      Really? I sure get a lot of posters wig false names as soon as sobering goes up about Hudak and abortion. Interesting, that.

      • Kev Carney says:

        There’s an army of desk jockeys out there just scowering the net waiting to leave inane comments against anyone leaning left and posting genuine opinions. I’m willing to bet that they are in an Indian call centre. I’m only half kidding.

    • Conservative spin control for members confronted with unwanted facts:

      Step 1 – Raise hands to side of head and cover ears. (for new members or Tea Party North affiliates, the ear is the anatomical organ that detects sound. Vertebrates have a pair of ears, placed symmetrically on opposite sides of the head.)

      Step 2 – using your voice, repeat in rapid cadence and rising to crescendo thusly,

      ‘nah nah nah nah NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH!’

      Step 3 – begin a synchronized stomping action, one foot and then the other, maintaining positions, volume and cadence for Steps 1 & 2.

      (More sedentary members are encouraged to be creative. You can elect to skip Step 1 and leverage available canes or walkers for Step 3, remember wheelchairs should remain in the fully locked position 😉

      Important Safety Tips:

      1) To maintain the illusion of self control and allow the party to appear worthy of elected office be mindful of body language. Resist the temptation to contort facial muscles during Step 2/3.

      2) Through lack of practice or for other reasons members make the mistake of stopping vocal recitation in Step 1 and resort only to Step 3 vis some form of facial contortions. You cannot ignore the opposition’s facts if you skip Step 2!

      3) Do not attempt in public if you are unsure of your abilities to perform Steps 1,2 & 3 simultaneously.

      4) Do not substitute the heavy two-step (Step 3) for Step 2 as this has the unwanted consequence of making you look like a bar patron in need of line dancing companions .

      For best results practice daily!!

  2. McGuinty Conservative says:

    Mcguinty is 11 points behind? Damn, there goes my hopes for a liberal victory 🙁

  3. The lessons from the last three failed Federal campaigns by the Liberals is not being applied by the provincial liberals. Raising abortion, Mike Harris to deflect the seven years of McGuinty Liberals reeks of desperation equal to the “army in the streets” by the Martin campaign.

    1) Economy
    2) Perception quality cost of living has gone down and your kids may not be better off
    3) Finding Employment/wages at your education/experience

    Federal, Municipal elections were not aberrations or flukes. The unanswered question until ballots are counted how big is the majority for Hudak and if NDP forms official opposition.

  4. Warren says:

    Look, another one!

  5. Publius says:

    I’ll be voting Liberal in this election (as in all others) but I don’t see abortion as an issue. Neither will chain gangs be a real issue. As the Clinton campaign said, it’s the economy, stupid.

  6. DB Smith says:

    Christina Blizzard offered up this insight. That there are signs of a Liberal bloodbath as the actions of Ontario’s ruling party show there’s trouble ahead and that when all those things happen within one week, you can only conclude internal Liberal polling is showing more disastrous numbers than have so far been reported.

    (a) Cabinet ministers blame the media for their poor showing in the polls;

    (b) They start raking up toxic issues — such as abortion — to distract voters from more relevant issues;

    (c) Ambitious members of the ruling party start positioning themselves to replace their leader when the inevitable happens and the party is defeated.

    It seems that she has a better grasp on the realities then the Liberals do at this time.

  7. RN200 says:

    “Meanwhile, McGuinty, an experienced pol..” = a person the electorate wants to remove

  8. Caleb Groen says:

    Warren I really like you and everything that you say, but I think you have been drinking the Kool-aid. Abortion is not an issue in this election, although Hudork dodged the question, he made it clear in my opinion the Abortion debate would not be resurfaced. I know the guy is a loser but he is not stupid enough to bring that debate back up – it would be political suicide. If the Liberals go down this road in bringing up abortion, they will be chasing a dog without a tail. As Publius said, the economy is number one. Jobs are number two and taxes are number 3. People do not care about abortion any more, since it has been legal for over 25 years! The Liberals need to pursue issues that matter to voters! Actually constituents! Not just Liberals talking to Liberals. Case and Point… Harper’s government was found to be in contempt by the speaker – the first time ever in a commonwealth.. but did the people of Canada care?? NO!! Voters had bigger issues mainly the economy and jobs! If the Liberals chase this issue they are headed down a road that no one cares about.
    As I said, I like you and everything you said… but there is a reason that the Abortion issue hasn’t been getting any play in major news. It’s because it’s dead – no one will touch it! Especially in Ontario.

    • Warren says:

      He’s killing LHINs. LHINs fund abortion service. He’s defunding abortion.

      You are wrong. And this is an issue.

      • Caleb Groen says:

        Correct me if I’m wrong, but all LHINs do is administer the money to their health networks. While I support LHINs, and it would be stupid to kill them. If they are removed, does it mean that the money that is appropriated to LHINs will disappear? Won’t the money still be there but rather than go through LHINs it will go through some other bureaucratic form? I.e. it will still be going to hospitals and abortions?
        I don’t know, I certainly think this question must be raised in the writ period and worded exactly how you put it. But the constant play on it will make it look like the Liberals are trying to distract voters from real issues such as the economy. That’s just my take on it.
        I do agree that the Liberals must seek a specific answer from hudak saying”NO I will not be defunding abortion.” But for now must focus on bigger issues that resonate with voters province wide

      • RN200 says:

        So he’s killing cardiac surgery too, then? Come on.

      • Tiger says:

        Never even heard of LHINs before this campaign.

        Let’s see… introduced in 2006. So wait, there were no abortions in Ontario pre-2006?

  9. Patrick says:

    What’s next, the notwithstanding clause?

  10. GritChik says:

    Interesting that it’s men suggesting that abortion won’t be an issue this election. For me, a political leader’s position on choice and women’s reproductive rights is always an election issue – it says a lot about how they will govern.

    • Jan says:

      Hear. Hear. Like gay marriage, it is an issue that usually is indicative of a whole collection of attitudes, which are at the least, non-progressive.

  11. Tiger says:

    I think it might have been a campaign issue if Hudak hadn’t just ruled out re-opening the abortion debate.

    So we’re going to see a couple more rounds of this:

    REPORTER: “Are you going to de-fund abortion?”
    HUDAK: “We’re not re-opening the issue. Like the feds, we’re not touching it.”

    Rinse, repeat.

  12. Michael Teper says:

    Re: GritChick’s remark “For me, a political leader’s position on choice and women’s reproductive rights is always an election issue – it says a lot about how they will govern.”

    I am a parent who is opposed to caning in public schools. I think that a political leader’s position on caning in schools is always an election issue, to the end of time — it says a lot about how they will govern (even if most people seem to think the issue was settled long ago). I think it’s interesting how it’s always straight-A students who don’t misbehave who suggest that public school canings won’t be an issue in this election.

  13. Justin says:

    It doesn’t really matter, Torontonians have seen what an utter failure the Ford brothers are I’m sure McGuinty can make up the eleven percent.

    • RN200 says:

      Did you check Ford’s approval ratings before writing your post? 65%+ just over a month ago. Geez, don’t let facts stand your way.

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