I hate getting the wool pulled over my eyes

It's the insidiousness of Harper's western based, reform party, neoconservative like ideology that has always pissed me off.

It is a somewhat holier than thou attitude where responses to questions are delivered with arrogant innuendo that barely conceals contempt for inquisitor and the subject matter.

It is the main reason that Manning could not get a base in Ontario, Quebec or the Maritimes the first time around.

The best example that I can recall from Manning's run was his response to a CBC reporter about whether he would censure an Ontario candidate who had made a racial slur about an opposing black candidate. It went something like this.

"Well you know he's (the reform candidate) a very impassioned and direct man. He always calls a spade a spade." Manning replied with a smile.

Harper had a similar unpolished, arrogant moment when he first took over.

During his first electoral run as head of the Reform Party he was asked on the first day, whether he would try and change the abortion laws in Canada and responding with a big grin and side look to colleague "Well not in our first term"

It's just humor right. Sly, witty, humor.

I mean Trudeau had the same arrogance and did the same thing right. Isn't that why the conservatives dislike him to this day.

Except there was a difference, agree with him or not or like him or not, you knew what Trudeau believed.

He had a single vision for the country, a united Canada that he tried to sell in all regions of the country, not a regional separation where you try to sell different versions of yourself to different regions.

And that is the difference between Dion and Harper.

In fact that is the difference between the other party leaders versus Harper.

All three national parties, the Liberals, the NDP and the Greens (who unfortunately are not getting my vote this year) are clear and succinct with no innuendo in their ideology. They have one vision for all of Canada.

Harper does not.

The much more polished, media savvy, poll driven, self disciplined and sweater vested Harper is selling regional platitudes.

His long term vision for Canada is never revealed, we can only get a glimpse by delving into the unconnected policies that his party puts force.

And then when we do connect the dots and reveal the ideology you get innuendo in reply.

• Slipping rights for unborn fetuses into a private members bill is not trying to abolish abortion.
  
• Giving a government minister the right to personally refuse funding for a film in not government censorship.
  
• Delaying the imposition of emission limits on the Tar Sands is not working in collusion with the oil companies.
  
• Laying personal lawsuits against opposition members to avoid discussion in the house is not obstruction of parliament.
  
• Offering a life insurance policy to a dying opponent is not bribery.

Unfortunately with Harper we are dealing with the love child of US neoconservative right wing political science and shock marketing majors and an Alberta based regional party.

A well oiled insidious, Canadian version of the US Republican party that tries to stay on script to conceal a not so veiled ideology.

The same deregulated, free market approach to governance with increased societal emphasis on Christian values and reduced emphasis on societal support systems that has all but destroyed the US.

It seems so obvious to me, which is why I get so upset when Canadians, especially in Ontario don't get it.

But hey, I an allergy to wool especially when it's getting pulled over my eyes.

Vote ABC