Ignatieff seeks to bridge rural-urban divide

[CHIMO]

OTTAWA — Michael Ignatieff says the rural-urban divide in Canada is a “matter of national unity” and admits that his Liberals have lost the trust of rural Canadians.

“We used to be the party of rural Canada,” he told members of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture this afternoon in Ottawa. “Liberals understood rural Canadians. We listened to them. We were them.”

He noted that Sir Wilfrid Laurier represented a rural Saskatchewan riding as did Mackenzie King and Lester B. Pearson's riding was in Northern Ontario. Mr. Ignatieff represents a riding in the west-end of Toronto.

After Question Period Wednesday, Mr. Ignatieff made it clear that there was no issue with the Liberals trying to defeat the government in the near future.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090225.wPOLignatieff0225/BNStory/politics/home

I didn't know that that divide existed.

[Bragi]

1. The divide exists, always has

Rural Canada is mostly redneck and conservative. (Whinge away, thios happens to be true.) Conseqently, they rarely vote Liberal, and I don't see this changing.

I'm starting to think that maybe Iggy's lengthy absence from Canada means he really doesn't understand the country, and hence is adopting strategies to gain traction in areas that will never vote Liberal.

Meanwhile, the conservative policies he is now espousing to attract right wing ruralites are likely to alienate many progressive voters, me included.

I voted Liberal last election to defeat the Conservative candidate, but I'm thinking I would now likely vote NDP or Green just to keep Iggy from getting $1.85 a year from my vote to promote his neocon lite policies.

- B

[IntravenousDemilo]

2. I used to live in small-town Saskatchewan, where I discovered one great truth.

Small town, small minds.

[daleo]

3. There are some real rural-urban differences in educational attainment

I don't know if Ignatieff can win back a lot of rural seats, but he might get some. Someone as identified with academia as he is will have an uphill time convincing rural people that he is "one of them". Levels of university degree attainment are generally much lower than in the cities, and those who do get degrees tend to move to the city, sometimes by choice and sometimes by necessity. It is a difficult conundrum, though I gather Obama had some success in the U.S.