Quebec election

First, here is an article about an outreach that a good friend of mine, Jeremy Cummings, heads up. Very cool.

Second, for those of you who read this blog for my penetrating political analysis, here's my take on the Quebec election. I continue to point to my letter in First Things of over two years ago as being spot on. This election is no different. There is a Conservative voice in Quebec that was not eradicated in the Quiet Revolution of the 1960s. Dumont has given them a voice. It might be an erratic voice for a while, but it's a voice nonetheless.

What does this say about Quebec? Quebeckers are for Quebeckers. Big deal. Everyone is for their own province. That lots of people are now realizing it means bad stuff for the sovereigntists. That the Prime Minister knows that Quebec is a little different from the rest of the nation undercuts their identity.

What does this say about Harper? Hard to tell. He'll likely get more seats in Quebec in the next election, but that has lots to do with some wheel-greasing that's been going on for a while. The last election is not a cause, but the result of lots of work he's done. Some conservatives are realizing that Harper is even smarter than them: he realized that first you get the small c cons on board, then you get them all to move with you a little to the centre. The Left will always shout; the (small 'l') left will be more realistic. Harper's the man for many people right now.

What do we make of Dumont? Wildcard. Was a nationalist; became a federalist; I think he's just a Quebecker. That's why lots voted for his party. He realizes that Quebec is Quebec and that Quebec is in Canada and that Quebec is more than just the rest of Canada. The nationalists forget that when you identify yourself against the nation you want to separate from that you've already lost the battle. Separate from Canada and Quebec loses its identity. It remains different only to the extent that it's in Canada. That's what a federation is.