Joe Clark: Still Irrelevant

The Toronto Star today pontificates on why Joe Clark’s brand of soft-socialism holds so little sway in the current political landscape.

“Confederation was an act of will. So was medicare. So was equalization. So was the Charter of Rights. So was free trade”. -Joe Clark, Summer 2009

Well, that pretty much sums it up. Medicare, federal welfare and a short term in office that was “won” without winning the popular vote.

Today’s Conservatives have at least won two consecutive elections and managed to stay in power longer the average term of a west-African coup-leader, but unless they distinguish themselves from those that they defeated, their relevance in the history books may look uncomfortably familiar.