Things I Learned at the AGM
This weekend was the annual general meeting of the Manitoba PC party and I got to go as a delegate. Although I've been a member and an officer of our riding association for a few years circumstances have conspired to make my attendance impossible until now.
I have to say I really did enjoy the get together. Best part of the weekend experience was having the opportunity to meet and exchange some ideas with a broad group of MB conservatives. Also finding a remarkable commonality of experience among a group that ranges in age from about 18 to 88 while demonstrating a vast diversity of opinion on many matters.
Among the many stimulating conversations that ensued during the official proceedings but mostly in the informal chats around the tables or at the hospitality events and of course ... in the tavern came the following:
1 - Conservatives as a whole are very much interested in being agents of change ... mostly in matters related to good governance and in general fairness and respect for individuals.
2 - It's very easy to propose feel good solutions or ideas that have little practical basis or chance for success.
3 - Lawyers and politicians as well as wannabes like to talk without saying anything and even when they do have a point feel obligated to preamble and digress with much non-sequitur and just plain irrelevant nonsense.
4 - We have some pretty smart people in the rank and file of the party and at the organization leadership.
5 - Hugh McFadyen's speech writer needs to learn that Less = More .... even the party faithful don't need (or want for that matter) to listen to 45 minutes of what a dolt Garry Doer is and his pals are!!
6 - Conservatives CAN and DO get things done ... In spite of an over abundance of speechifying we manged to make sweeping amendments to the party constitution and pass a substantial slate of sometimes contentious resolutions.
7 - Brandon has a limited selection of BEER ..... when Rickert's Red, Stella Artois and Guinness account for 99% of what is NOT Coors ... Budweiser or Labbatt products a fellow like me gets bored pretty quick!
8 - Political types will buy you beer as long as you will stand there and listen and nod ... seriously guys I WAS trying to CARE MORE and I did try to fend off your offers to keep buying rounds!
9 - After a certain number of Guinness .... the beer has absolutely NO FLAVOUR.
10 - Scotch is definitely the BEST chaser for Guinness.
11 - Relativity ( Yes as in Einstein's Theory Of) .... is responsible for the majority of cognitive impairment in the world and can be linked to the inability of Lefty Types to observe, process or relate reality in a coherent manner.
12 - The current drama being propagated by HRCs and certain LIberal PeeCee types over people's rights to say what they think may be seen as a GOOD THING. ( More on this in the near future )
13 - And lastly ( although this was always my opinion) People who do not participate in the political PROCESS really should quit complaining about how things turn out!
OMMAG
I have to say I really did enjoy the get together. Best part of the weekend experience was having the opportunity to meet and exchange some ideas with a broad group of MB conservatives. Also finding a remarkable commonality of experience among a group that ranges in age from about 18 to 88 while demonstrating a vast diversity of opinion on many matters.
Among the many stimulating conversations that ensued during the official proceedings but mostly in the informal chats around the tables or at the hospitality events and of course ... in the tavern came the following:
1 - Conservatives as a whole are very much interested in being agents of change ... mostly in matters related to good governance and in general fairness and respect for individuals.
2 - It's very easy to propose feel good solutions or ideas that have little practical basis or chance for success.
3 - Lawyers and politicians as well as wannabes like to talk without saying anything and even when they do have a point feel obligated to preamble and digress with much non-sequitur and just plain irrelevant nonsense.
4 - We have some pretty smart people in the rank and file of the party and at the organization leadership.
5 - Hugh McFadyen's speech writer needs to learn that Less = More .... even the party faithful don't need (or want for that matter) to listen to 45 minutes of what a dolt Garry Doer is and his pals are!!
6 - Conservatives CAN and DO get things done ... In spite of an over abundance of speechifying we manged to make sweeping amendments to the party constitution and pass a substantial slate of sometimes contentious resolutions.
7 - Brandon has a limited selection of BEER ..... when Rickert's Red, Stella Artois and Guinness account for 99% of what is NOT Coors ... Budweiser or Labbatt products a fellow like me gets bored pretty quick!
8 - Political types will buy you beer as long as you will stand there and listen and nod ... seriously guys I WAS trying to CARE MORE and I did try to fend off your offers to keep buying rounds!
9 - After a certain number of Guinness .... the beer has absolutely NO FLAVOUR.
10 - Scotch is definitely the BEST chaser for Guinness.
11 - Relativity ( Yes as in Einstein's Theory Of) .... is responsible for the majority of cognitive impairment in the world and can be linked to the inability of Lefty Types to observe, process or relate reality in a coherent manner.
12 - The current drama being propagated by HRCs and certain LIberal PeeCee types over people's rights to say what they think may be seen as a GOOD THING. ( More on this in the near future )
13 - And lastly ( although this was always my opinion) People who do not participate in the political PROCESS really should quit complaining about how things turn out!
OMMAG
Labels: Clear Thinking, Opinions, Politics
posted by OMMAG at 10:03 a.m.
5 Comments:
Sounds like you had a good time. Hope you didn't actually drink a Rickards Red. Zoiks!
-Larry
Nope I tried Rickards when it first became available and It is not for me ... just a comment on the sparse choices for beer.
I gave up my membership when they refused to budge on affirmative action.
While it's true that if you don't take part in the process you shouldn't complain but when you feel like you are facing a monolithic wall.
Besides at the time I was with the Reform/Alliance and wasted a lot of time.
I remember at one alliance meeting Stuart Murray came up and was talking about how we were all conservatives. I'm not sure his version of conservatism and mine are on the same planet.
Now I just blog, in a small way I figure I'm taking part. I don't have to go out in the cold,...
My last campaign got Steven Fletcher in and Glen Murray out.
I delivered flyers to a lot of this city since I joined reform in 1993. Maybe even 1/10th of the houses.
One election I was working in 3 ridings. :)
That 1993 was a fun election a $600 budget. But a party I believed in the problem is I still do but the party is gone damn Preston "Think big".
Well dino .... you know that things do not remain stagnant.
I get the sense that there is more willingness to change at this time in our provincial party.
And there is just as much diversity of opinion within as there is without.
I don't think that conservatism can be neatly packaged and labeled. Nor does it need to be. Get in the fray and have your say.
Well if I blog do I need journalistic independence?
:)
One year I'm going to get that $100 from google.
:)
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