Revolutionary Moderation

French-language debate tonight



Let's talk about what the four leaders need to accomplish tonight:



Stephen Harper: Speak French. Don't say anything stupid on socail issues. You're mostly talking to a French-speaking audience outside of Quebec tonight... stress issues of concern in Manitoba or New Brunswick. Say "adscam" a lot, hoping to get Quebecers to cast ballots against the Liberals. It would be too much to hope they'll vote for you this time around.



Jack Layton: Speak French. Say "Pierre Ducasse" a lot. Find a way to reiterate your anti-Clarity Act beliefs without saying you'll tear it up. For a guide on how to do that, listen to Harper on gay marriage.



Gilles Duceppe: Speak French. Say "adscam" a lot.



Paul Martin: Speak French. Talk a lot about the Conservative social "hidden agenda". Then note that the Liberals are the only alternative government, and that the BQ, even opposing the social conservative agenda, will enable it by letting the Conservatives at the levers of power.



It sounds nonsensical, I know, but if Harper (whoops) or Martin (score!) say anything that makes the calculation "Conservative = social conservative" stick in the heads of francophone voters, it will be the BQ who gets to pay the price. Otherwise, everyone sleepwalks through this baby with no expectation of moving many voters, wanting to save their best "gotcha" moments for the battle in the much more volatile English-speaking seats.