There seems to be considerable speculation why Stephen Harper would call on Toronto’s (is it still alleged?) crackhead ex-mayor Rob Ford and his bully brother Doug for support – particularly considering the Prime Minister’s stance on drugs.
The answer, to me, is pretty simple. When you boil down Conservative ideology to its essence, it’s basically:
1. I’ve got mine so fuck you
2. Also fuck anybody different from me
In other words, it’s the Asshole Party. And that explains everything. Rob and Doug Ford are assholes. People who still think they’re great – and there is a surprising number of them – are also assholes, and therefor more likely to vote Conservative.
Harper is simply trying to mobilize the asshole vote.
bleatmop
Mystro
Dead Wild Roses 
8 comments
October 17, 2015 at 12:58 pm
VR Kaine
Interesting view on Conservative ideology, IO! :)
In my camp the views are a little different:
1) “We’ve BUILT ours and you don’t just have an automatic ‘right’ to however much you want of it”
2) “Just because someone may be different, that doesn’t entitle them to it, either”, and
3) Nobody successful cares what ugly names they’re called, because they know it’s just a pathetic tool of the weak to try to manipulate others to their own will.
Besides, “asshole” these days is too tame – racist, bigot, homophobe, islamaphobe – the weak have kicked it up a notch.
As for assholes, I consider them to be the following:
1) Those who would call themselves ‘conservative’ and yet not be about either fiscal or environmental conservation,
2) Those who can’t face the fight and instead, hide behind government to save themselves from market forces (or dodge them altogether), only to get rich,
3) Those guilty of #1 and #2 only to turn around and say it’s someone else’s fault why a city/province/country is still broke (like the “look in the mirror” thing a la Prentiss)
4) Hypocrites who say they’re all about “equality” and “justice” when all they really want is more for themselves.
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October 17, 2015 at 2:24 pm
The Arbourist
@TIO
Calling in the Ford Legion to support your candidacy is almost assuredly a sign that assholery abounds.
Ford’s grandstanding and false populism resonates with a certain demographic that, unsurprisingly if they vote at all, vote conservative.
Consider this though, Harper might also be courting the always volatile crack-addict vote.
The numbers are there! The Vote is real!
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October 17, 2015 at 10:19 pm
The Intransigent One
“Assholes who cling ferociously to the Just World Fallacy to bolster their superiority complex” was too long, as I was going for short and snappy. But point taken.
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October 18, 2015 at 5:38 pm
VR Kaine
IO and Arb,
Not to take things off the serious note here (also just reading on the left that Ford got away with an impaired – so wrong!), but I always think of this (great) speech when anyone speaks of assholes in a political context. ((Note: severe language warning ahead!!!))
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGcjrN7X7Rc[/embed]
Based on the above, I’d say that Harper’s really a Dick and it’s guys like Kim Jong, Assad, and Putin who are actually the Assholes, but nevertheless – let’s see tomorrow whether it’s the Assholes or Pussies who win! My popcorn, for one, will be ready. :)
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October 18, 2015 at 5:39 pm
VR Kaine
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October 19, 2015 at 10:13 pm
The Intransigent One
So?
Also, your use of “pussy” as an insult, in an explicitly feminist space, has not gone unnoticed.
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October 19, 2015 at 11:33 pm
VRKaine
But “dick” gets a free pass? Interesting.
Duncan won (congrats!), but Mulcair lost. Perhaps he should have been more of a dick, or take some campaign tips from Rob Ford? He didn’t help Harper much, but at least Ford knows what winning looks like – asshole that he is.
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October 20, 2015 at 8:35 am
The Intransigent One
You know as well as I do, that calling somebody a pussy means you’re calling them a woman, with the implication that being a woman is a bad thing, while “dick” doesn’t carry the implication that being a man is bad or inferior.
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