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Even his admirers (and he has some) are uneasy that Stephen Harper may be jeopardizing his chances of winning a majority in the next federal election.
As a congenital optimist (every year I half expect the Leafs to win the Stanley Cup), I still think the Tories should win a majority whenever Harper decides to call an election. But he isn't helping his chances with acts he thinks will make him popular.
PANDERING
Despite evidence to the contrary, politicians think a secret to success is pandering to opinion polls, though they don't call it that. Chasing opinion polls, or trying to anticipate what the people will vote for, is a mug's game. Right now, in Canada, polls show a majority of people have doubts about keeping our troops in Afghanistan, so politicians are piling on.
When the last Liberal government began to realize that generations of abusing and cutting the military had been a mistake, Harper grabbed the issue, ran with it, and won support from most Canadians outside Quebec.
The wheel has turned somewhat (thanks to seemingly insoluble problems in Iraq that don't involve us).
Today, Harper's support of the Afghan mission and things military is deemed to be a minus, and may prevent his dream of a majority.
One thing is certain. If Harper were to reverse his previous pledge to keep our military in Afghanistan until that country is secure and fight its own battles, he'd kiss his future goodbye.
I don't know if Harper adopted the military as a cause because he spotted that most Canadians support their soldiers and joined the bandwagon, or if he truly believes in it. I hope the latter.
Politicians who stick to their philosophy and aren't panicked by opinion polls or the musings of media gurus, do better than the cynically ambitious.
Ronald Reagan stuck to what he was, and didn't pander.
He was secure in his beliefs made tough decisions, was respected and popular -- a difficult combination.
Remember the air controllers strike when he first took office?
Margaret Thatcher never wavered, never lost public support, but did lose support of her party which lost its nerve. Even Charles de Gaulle prevailed with unpopular stands -- witness Algerian independence.
When the Reform Party was first launched by Preston Manning, it took stands the media disliked. But against all predictions it prevailed in Alberta and didn't pander. But when the party came east, it started chasing polls, sacrificing principle for popularity -- and flopped.
SOFTENED
If you're going to fail, why not fail by doing what's right and what you believe? Harper has softened on issues he supposedly once believed in. I suspect he (and other Tories) would be more trusted if they stopped trying to appeal to everyone.
If Harper doesn't believe in same-sex marriages, why pretend he does? If he believes medicare needs reforming and that private clinics would ease the burden on hospitals, do it. If he believes in one official language for Canada, go for it and persuade country. If he doesn't truly believe Quebec is a "nation," don't pretend he's changed his mind.
On the issue of global warming, if Harper listened to the Friends of Science Society from the University of Calgary he'd realize it's a fraud he now pretends to support.
Some hope his stands are a ploy to be elected with a majority, after which he'll revert to what he believes. I hope so, too, though I'm disappointed in transparent cynicism.
All we know for sure is that the Liberals' Stephane Dion is a pathetic excuse for a leader. But Liberals are smart enough to know this (they're smarter than Reform dumbos who assassinate leaders who disappoint them, like Stockwell Day). Right now Bob Rae is set to be the next Liberal leader when Dion self-destructs.
Wait and see.