Who's more right-wing: Harper or Obama?

[Andy]

obama-Harper -righter?

That there is even a question as to where each leader stands politically -relative to each other, is sad (and puzzling). Putting forward such a crass question displays your superficial knowledge of politics.

Harper is on the right and obama is (extremely) on the left by every/any measurable indicator and action so far. Citing each county's existing, established rights and freedoms does not pertain. To modify (or desire to) these rights would be fair indicators.

I trust you at least understand the ideologies/tenets of 'right' and 'left'.

 

[JasonParis]

Huh? I think a "superficial knowledge of politics" is exemplified best when YOU say...

Harper is on the right and obama is (extremely) on the left by every/any measurable indicator and action so far.

 

[Andy]

Huh? I think a "superficial knowledge of politics" is exemplified best when YOU say...

Harper is on the right, agreed?


With this current transfer of wealth, biggest ever, nationalizing banks and private companies, socializing healthcare, expanding government, can you tell me which president in the u.s. has ever been more or as left leaning as obama? (-his administration?) Perhaps FDR, maybe.

Are you being serious? Are you merely being polemic? Is there a certain point you disagree with? With all due respect a serious response would be appreciated. I welcome this debate.

 

[Hydrogen]

Though Harper doesn't strike me as much of a multicultural type, I'm just calling it is as it is. And Harper is white, from Alberta, right-wing. Is he fulfilling a stereotype? I would say so.

Harper's never repudiated multiculturalism to my knowledge. Maybe you ought to come up with some proof for that. And so what if Harper is white? That automatically makes him a racist? Are you aware that your own statement comes off as racist?

Have you ever been to Calgary or Edmonton. Do you know for a fact that everyone there gets easily slotted into your own (admitted) stereotype?

How about something other than opinion or prejudice?

 

[afransen]

I cant speak for either of the their personal philosophies, but from a policy perspective I am pretty sure Obama is more right wing than Harper.

Foreign policy:
This is a bit hard in that Canada, due to its size, doesn't play a very activist role. So far as Canadian and American initiatives overlap though, Obama generally espouses more hawkish policies. As far as Afhganistan go, Obama has quite strongly supported increasing the American presence, while Harper has agreed to relinquish combat operations by 2011.

Health care:
Harper has basically just kept the Paul Martin policies as far as health care goes, increasing provincial transfers by 6% p.a. Obama's health care platform though centers around expanding Medicaid coverage for low income Americans. Individuals could still choose their own, private, HMOs if they wanted. That is definitely more right wing than anything Harper has proposed.

Social Policy:
Harper, even if he opposed its introduction, has done absolutely nothing to reverse Paul Martin's recognition of ssm. From that we can conclude he, at least tacitly, supports legal recognition of same sex marriages. Obama though has made it quite clear he believes in the traditional definition of marriage and would only go so far as to grant civil unions.

Economic Policy:
About 30% of Obama's Stimulus Package was devoted to tax cuts and credits. Harper's Stimulus Package though only devoted about 10% of stimulus dollars towards tax cuts and rebates.

You really have to examine this through the prism of what is politically possible in each country. A better measure of how 'right' or 'left' these polticians are would be to imagine what they would do if installed as benevolent dictators for life. I think you'll find that Harper is indeed more right-wing than Obama. And indeed, Harper has been selling his party on his mushy-middle agenda by saying: "what until we have a majority. Then I will deliver you to the promised land of flat tax, privatized CBC, etc."

 

[adma]

Though Harper doesn't strike me as much of a multicultural type, I'm just calling it is as it is. And Harper is white, from Alberta, right-wing. Is he fulfilling a stereotype? I would say so.

Alberta ain't what it used to be.

Calgary East MP Deepak Obhrai

Calgary Northeast MP Devinder Shory

Edmonton-Sherwood Park MP Tim Uppal

All in Harper's caucus.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Good point GraphicMatt! I'd love it if Harper & Obama could/would swap!
'Cause Harper is so clearly homophobic underneath that cheap blue sweater & kittens whereas Obama most certainly supports gay marriage on a personal level.

 

[afransen]

Alberta ain't what it used to be.

Calgary East MP Deepak Obhrai

Calgary Northeast MP Devinder Shory

Edmonton-Sherwood Park MP Tim Uppal

All in Harper's caucus.

Frankly, you could slap a blue C on a pig and elect it in Alberta.

 

[JasonParis]

With this current transfer of wealth, biggest ever, nationalizing banks and private companies, socializing healthcare, expanding government, can you tell me which president in the u.s. has ever been more or as left leaning as obama? (-his administration?) Perhaps FDR, maybe.

Which all started under Dubya.

 

[cacruden]

That automatically makes him a racist? Are you aware that your own statement comes off as racist?

Yes, when I read the I could also hear someone saying .... he is black and from the bronx .... so that makes him a drug dealer .... no difference

 

[Softee]

Um... Harper isn't from Alberta, he was born and raised in Toronto - East York to be precise.

 

[afransen]

He may be born in Toronto, but he is an Albertan without doubt.

 

[jks]

^Agreed, he moved to Alberta after dropping out of the UofT. Then he went to the University of Calgary. So basically, he went to Alberta because he couldn't take the UofT, and now he's the PM.

Back on topic, those policies do make it seem that Obama is in fact more right-wing than Harper, but that's only because the US is so much more right-wing. As someone else stated, if they were both installed as supere dictators, the roles of Canada and the US would certainly switch

 

[Prometheus The Supremo]

^Agreed, he moved to Alberta after dropping out of the UofT. Then he went to the University of Calgary. So basically, he went to Alberta because he couldn't take the UofT, and now he's the PM.

i don't think that's an indicator of intelligence. people drop out of school completely and they're smart and successful.

 

[adma]

Frankly, you could slap a blue C on a pig and elect it in Alberta.

Nonetheless, my point stands. As right-wing and blue-C as Alberta is, it ain't for lack of melanin--indeed, Harper can point to his party's ability to sustain its Alberta wins in the face of demographic change, as a model for what the Tories *can* do elsewhere in Canada...