Time (en francais)

As we near the end of this campaign, I do have one thing I want to thank Paul Martin and his group of advisors for - time. The decision to go with a long campaign, hoping for a Harper gaffe, was just what the CPC needed. While the National campaign was primed and ready to go, many if not most local campaigns had much to do.

The 2004 campaign was a haphazard affair at best for the CPC. The post merger period was still an uneasy one for many people. The infrastructure, experience and knowledge was lacking in a wide array of areas. Some people were still sitting on the sidelines, waiting to see how things developed. I don't say this as a criticism as much as simply my view of how things developed.

National spent a great deal of time and effort analyzing the last campaign and working towards fixing what didn't work. Regional conferences were held throughout the country. The policy convention afforded an opportunity for networking and development. The CPC Campaign School, spearheaded by Richard Ciano has worked on overdrive bringing people up to speed on various aspects of campaigning.

The long campaign was the final piece of the puzzle needed to prepare. Local campaigns had time to organize and establish themselves while the national campaign carried the ball. The pre-Christmas period was put to good use by local candidates, with the break giving campaigns an opportunity to take a short breather, regroup and prepare for the second round.

One of the most obvious differences this campaign is the absence of the legacy parties. No longer is someone asked which side of the 'house' were they from. Time has given them shared experiences together under one big tent as opposed to the 'shotgun wedding' feeling some may have felt from the last campaign.

Tomorrow we go into an election as a team revitalized and renewed. Better prepared, better trained and better motivated. One party, one voice.

Conservatives

Good luck to everyone and I hope to meet many of you in Ottawa this February. (for the swearing in, of course!)

Edit: From Wonder Women - Comin' up blue roses...

One person - one vote at a time!

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