Saturday, October 8, 2011

Should Provincial Tories Drop "Progressive" From Party Name?

Today's poll question; should the Progressive Conservative Party drop the word progressive from their name? The federal Tories dropped the "P word" back in the merger of 2004, and have only seen their good fortune grow. Most of the provincial counterparts who still cling to the PC name have been trending in the wrong direction. At this point there is really no point in holding on to this outdated relic, especially considering some of the clowns who identify themselves as "progressive". This is unlikely to happen anytime soon in Alberta with a new Premier and party leader described by many as "more progressive than conservative". The Ontario PC party should strongly consider the name change to launch a new brand of common sense revolution. So you'll have to buy new campaign signs and such, but it will be worth it in the end.
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9 comments:

  1. AnonymousOctober 8, 2011 at 11:49 PM

    I don't think the name is important. Change it or don't change it, the only thing that will improve the fortunes of the party is to have more competent, conservative people in charge.

    The NDP aren't any less socialist just because they've decided to avoid using the term, or including the term in their name.

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  2. UnknownOctober 9, 2011 at 12:17 AM

    I think they should... but then they will be seen as a franchise of the federal Conservatives. Ontario Conservative Party would be a nice re-branding. Of course it would be nice if it was more than just the name.

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  3. Dance...dance to the radioOctober 9, 2011 at 12:45 AM

    'Progressive' doesn't mean what it used to mean.
    I saw a movie on TCM the other day called The Gay Sisters that was released in 1942.
    Times change and so do words.

    First there were communists.
    When the people got wise they became socialists.
    Then they became activists.
    Then they became liberals.
    Then they became progressives.

    The words progressive and conservative don't belong together.
    Truly they never did, except in Joe Clark's case.
    What they really mean is that we are the other Liberals.
    Vote for us when you get tired of those guys.

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  4. robins111October 9, 2011 at 7:04 AM

    Change the name and the attitude, we don't need liberal lite as an alternative.

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  5. AnonymousOctober 9, 2011 at 9:42 AM

    Here in Alberta, it should be the "Conservative" bit from their name instead of the "Progressive" part. The Alberta Progressives is far more accuate a name for that party now...

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  6. Freddy HutterOctober 9, 2011 at 10:40 AM

    I agree with Dance completely. The American media has since the rise of the tea-party increasingly used "Progressive" to describe the socialist wing of the Democratic Party. Overflow across the border will add to the confusion over time and it is not a complimentary attribution. Get rid of it ASAP.

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  7. RJ65October 9, 2011 at 12:39 PM

    Actually, it might be better for them to drop the conservative name and keep progressive. It would be a more accurate reflection of where they stand.

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  8. dmorrisOctober 9, 2011 at 1:33 PM

    No,they should NOT drop the "Progressive" from their Party name,it would be dishonest,they ARE "Progressive",in the new sense of the word.

    In other words,Liberals,who want to make their own way in politics,not under the Liberal umbrella, but differ in no meaningful way.

    For example; how would a newly crowned Premier Hudak deal with the Caledonia soap opera,second in longevity only to "Coronation Street"?

    And about those windmills,Premier Hudak, would you stop subsidizing them?

    Health care? Taxes? Nuclear power? Law and order?

    Hudak has been described by many Ontario bloggers as "McGuinty Lite",and they know him a lot better than I do,so I'll take their word for it.

    Why not just change the name to the "Conservative-Liberal Party",then everyone would be clear on what they're voting for.

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  9. ebtOctober 10, 2011 at 10:29 AM

    Well, there actually was a Progressive Party, which was significant federally in the 30's and 40's and was also a player in several provinces, and indeed formed one of the most conspicuously successful governments in Canadian history in Manitoba. The original Progressive Conservatives were a true merger, and there was a time when the name reflected an important part of their base.

    As the oblivious nature of the comments here indicates, those days are long gone. So the name isn't really doing much. And yet, the federal Conservatives dropped the P because they wanted to emphasize that they were a new party and a truly conservative one, at least in comparison to the Clark/Mulroney party. For a provincial party to make the name change without making a comparable change in substance would be pointless and misleading.

    So, my answer: change the name. But change the party first.

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